This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's main NHL slate consists of eight games, each beginning after 7:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below are pulled from DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
Tuesday's three heavy favorites are the Lightning vs. Philadelphia, Oilers vs. Buffalo and Islanders vs. San Jose, all on home ice. The Tampa Bay and Edmonton games are also tied with Bruins-Senators and Golden Knights-Flames for the slate's highest over/under (6.5 goals), while Sharks-Islanders checks in at a slate-low 5.5.
GOALIES
Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. SJ ($8,200): There are plenty of talented goalies playing Tuesday, but Sorokin has a strong argument to be the chalk DFS play in net. With a 1-1-0 record, 1.52 GAA and .941 save percentage, Sorokin has picked up where he left off for the defensively oriented Islanders after posting a 2.40 GAA and .925 save percentage en route to a 26-18-8 record last season. He'll face a dreadful Sharks team that's been outscored 14-6 in a 0-4-0 start.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB vs. PHI ($8,500): Vasilevskiy is often worth paying up for, and a home game against the Flyers is unlikely to be an exception, even with Philadelphia playing surprisingly well early on. While Tampa Bay's inability to keep up its salary cap shenanigans has slowly depleted the roster's talent over the past two offseasons, the Lightning are still among the top Stanley Cup contenders, and Vasilevskiy's 189 wins since the start of the 2017-18 season are 26 more than second-place Connor Hellebuyck.
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. VGK ($8,000): Markstrom helped the Flames beat the Stanley Cup champion Avalanche in his season debut, so he has what it takes to beat a tough opponent like Vegas. If not for Igor Shesterkin's historically strong season last year, Markstrom's 37-15-9 record, 2.22 GAA, .922 save percentage and league-best nine shutouts would have earned him the Vezina Trophy.
Jeremy Swayman, BOS at OTT ($7,800): Boston's off to a 3-0-0 start, while Ottawa has lost its first two games in regulation, so the Bruins should cruise to victory if those early trends hold. Swayman has manned the Boston crease for only one of those three wins, but he went 23-14-3 with a 2.41 GAA and .914 save percentage in a promising rookie season last year.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Troy Terry, ANH at NJ ($5,300): Terry broke out early last season with a 16-game point streak, and he's off to another hot start for the Ducks with a 3-3-6 line through three games. He remains a bargain relative to his scoring output, and a Devils team that's opened the season with consecutive 5-2 losses is unlikely to keep Terry contained.
Jesper Bratt, NJ vs. ANH ($5,100): Anaheim has allowed 13 combined goals to the Islanders and Rangers during its trip through the tri-state area, and while the Devils are closer to the Ducks' weight class, they shouldn't have trouble scoring here. Look for Bratt to lead New Jersey's offense, as he's dished three assists through two games after approaching a point per game with a 26-47-73 line in 76 appearances last season.
Mathew Barzal, NYI vs. SJ ($4,700): Moving on from coach Barry Trotz is unlikely to be beneficial for the Islanders on the whole, but ditching the defense-first coach could prove advantageous for Barzal's production. Barzal had 85 points as a rookie in the pre-Trotz era but hasn't scored more than 62 in a season since. With three points and seven shots through two games, the first-line center appears to be focusing more on offense again, and his speed will create problems for the underwhelming Sharks defense corps.
Elias Pettersson, VAN at CBJ ($6,400): Pettersson's three-point night Monday in Washington bumped his season line up to 2-2-4 through three games, and he's compiled 11 shots to boot. His production has been largely stagnant since a 66-point rookie season in 2018-19, but this could be the year that the 23-year-old Swede finally makes the leap into truly elite territory. Tuesday, Pettersson will face a Columbus team that's been outscored 14-5 across three regulation losses to begin the season.
Nino Niederreiter, NSH vs. LA ($3,500): Niederreiter is off to a terrific start in a Nashville uniform, scoring four goals in as many games with the Predators. The affordable six-time 20-goal scorer is a low-risk, high-reward option on the wing at $3,500 against a Kings team that's allowed 18 goals through four games and at least four in each contest.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning vs. Flyers
Brayden Point (C - $5,900), Nikita Kucherov (W - $8,000), Brandon Hagel (W - $4,000)
Philadelphia's 2-0 start suggests the Flyers will be pesky under coach John Tortorella, but the talent gap between these two teams will likely be too great for the Flyers to overcome on the road. Point and Kucherov have been one of the league's most effective duos in recent years, both five-on-five and on the power play. Kucherov is on the verge of a breakout performance, as he's been denied on all 12 of his shot attempts through three games but is still averaging a point per game. Point is coming off his best game of the season, as the former 40-goal scorer found twine with one of his four shots against the Penguins. Tampa Bay is still searching for a reliable third option on this line to replace Ondrej Palat, and Hagel is the latest player to slide into this fantasy-friendly spot. Hagel scored 25 goals with the Blackhawks and Lightning last season, so he has the finishing ability to capitalize on this favorable deployment.
Oilers vs. Sabres
Leon Draisaitl (C - $7,800), Evander Kane (W - $7,500), Kailer Yamamoto (W - $3,100)
This is Edmonton's most dangerous line at even strength. Draisaitl is one of two NHL players with more than 300 points since the start of the 2019-20 season, with the other being teammate Connor McDavid ($8,600). Kane's presence gives this line a scoring dimension that McDavid's line lacks, as the power forward has a 22-19-41 line in 45 games with the Oilers, including two helpers and nine shots in two games this season. Yamamoto is a nice value at $3,100, as he reached the 20-goal and 40-point thresholds last year and dished out a helper in his season debut after sitting out a game due to injury. You can swap McDavid in for Kane to stack McDavid and Draisaitl on Edmonton's high-powered power play, but you'll need to go bargain shopping elsewhere to fit all three.
Blue Jackets vs. Canucks
Boone Jenner (C - $5,000), Johnny Gaudreau (W - $6,200), Gustav Nyquist (W - $2,800)
Not only did Vancouver allow six goals in Monday's loss to the Capitals, but that leaky defensive performance came with starter Thatcher Demko in goal. A home date with backup Spencer Martin behind a tired Canucks team could be just what Columbus needs to shake off its slow start. Gaudreau was the prized offseason acquisition coming off a 115-point season, so he's more than capable of a multi-point outburst. Jenner had a 23-21-44 line in just 59 appearances last season, and he's been a solid fantasy contributor despite a slow scoring start, with 11 shots and five blocks through three games to go with one assist. Nyquist is on a two-game goal streak but remains affordable at just $2,800 despite his top-line usage.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB vs. PHI ($7,100): Hedman has stuffed the stat sheet as usual in the early going, racking up two assists, 10 shots and three blocks through three games. He finished third among defensemen in both goals (20) and points (85) last season.
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. SJ ($5,700): Dobson has opened the season on a two-game goal streak while compiling eight shots. The 22-year-old blueliner topped the 50-point mark last season and could be on the verge of joining the league's elite producers from the blue line. Lock him in with confidence against the lowly Sharks.
Hampus Lindholm, BOS at OTT ($4,900): Lindholm has performed admirably as Boston's No. 1 defenseman with Charlie McAvoy (shoulder) on the shelf. The Swede has provided value at both ends, with a goal, an assist, four shots and four blocks through three games while skating over 24 minutes per game.
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. BUF ($4,500): This could prove to be a buy-low opportunity on Bouchard, who has opened the season with a pair of quiet performances. It's likely only a matter of time before the 2018 first-round pick gets going after he broke out last season with a 12-31-43 line and plenty of contributions in secondary stats.
