This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL slate features just two games after 7:00 PM Eastern time, with the Sabres hosting the Senators and the Flames hosting the Blues. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Sabres will be looking to build on their impressive 14-6-3 home record against a visiting Senators team that will be playing its second game in as many nights and is just 5-15-4 on the road. While the Blues seem like obvious favorites in Calgary at first glance, the Flames' 13-7-3 home record and St. Louis' 13-8-4 away mark suggest this will be a tightly contested affair, especially with the defending champs finishing a back-to-back set.
GOALIES
Linus Ullmark ($8,200) was rolling heading into the All-Star break, going 3-1-0 with just six goals allowed on 114 shots (.947 save percentage) over his last four starts. Buffalo's netminder will look to pick up where he left off and will be heavily favored to pick up the win against Ottawa's bottom-10 offense.
Jordan Binnington ($7,800) threw in consecutive clunkers prior to the All-Star break, but his 22-8-5 record, 2.58 GAA and .912 save percentage suggest it won't be long until the standout goalie finds his form. That could well happen here against a bottom-10 Flames offense that's mustering only 2.60 goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jeff Skinner ($5,200) is set to make his return for Buffalo after missing the past 10 games with an upper-body injury. This could be a tremendous buy-low opportunity on the winger, who had a disappointing 11-8-19 line going through 39 games prior to the injury after potting 40 goals last season.
David Perron ($6,200) has been the Blues' best source of offense all season, as he's on a point per game pace through 50 and leads St. Louis in both goals (21) and points. The veteran winger is showing no signs of slowing down, with a 5-5-10 line in his last eight games.
Anthony Duclair ($5,400) should be the first Senators player you grab. The Duke is enjoying a breakout season that has him leading Ottawa in both goals (21) and points (33). Meanwhile, the Sabres are allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to the right wing position.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Sabres vs. Senators
Jack Eichel (C - $7,800), Sam Reinhart (W - $5,600), Zemgus Girgensons (W - $2,900)
Given the lack of selection and nature of the available matchups to pick from, expect to see a lot of this line in Tuesday's contests. Eichel ranks in the top 10 league-wide in both goals (28) and points (62). Reinhart's 17 goals and 41 points are both good for second on the Sabres, while the affordable Girgensons' nine goals are good for fifth on the team. A Senators team that ranks among the five worst defensively should have no answer for this trio.
Blues at Flames
Robert Thomas (C - $4,200), Tyler Bozak (W - $3,800), Alexander Steen (W - $3,100)
The Blues will be hoping that sitting around during the All-Star break didn't cool off the team's scorching hot third line. Thomas has a 4-7-11 line in his last 12 games and an 8-19-27 line over 45 appearances overall. Bozak has a 6-3-9 line over the same 12-game span and an 11-13-24 line for the season. All four of Steen's goals this season have come in the past six games, and he owns a 4-4-8 line in his past eight contests.
Flames vs. Blues
Elias Lindholm (C - $5,200), Matthew Tkachuk (W - $5,800), Andrew Mangiapane (W - $3,500)
Calgary's top two lines are remarkably similar, as both feature a winger with 38 points (Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau) and a center with 36 points (Lindholm and Sean Monahan). Tkachuk and Lindholm are both slightly cheaper than their respective counterparts, even though Lindholm leads the team with 20 goals and Tkachuk ranks second with 15, giving this line the best bang for the buck on the team. Mangiapane's more of a cheap filler, but his eight goals are good for sixth on the Flames.
DEFENSEMEN
Rasmus Dahlin ($4,500) continues to flash the offensive upside that prompted Buffalo to select him first overall in 2018, producing at a point-per-game pace over the past seven to bring his season line to 3-25-28 through 41 games. The talented rearguard should keep rolling in this highly favorable matchup against Ottawa.
Alex Pietrangelo ($6,800) should be worth paying up for as this slate's most expensive defenseman if you have the funds. The Blues' captain has delivered seven multi-point outings in his past 14 games to raise his season line to 13-27-40 in 50 games.
Thomas Chabot ($6,200) leads the Senators with eight power-play points as part of his 4-23-27 line through 49 games. His productivity with the extra man gives the pricey blueliner some against-the-grain appeal against a 75.3 percent Sabres penalty kill that ranks sixth-worst in the league.
