This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's a relatively busy Monday slate with six games on the docket. The Penguins at Oilers matchup will set the stage for Sidney Crosby to face Connor McDavid, and surely it will draw a lot of attention for that reason. The Oilers are coming off a shutout loss against the Blues and the Penguins have been very impressive early in the season but may be without top goal scorer Jake Guentzel, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
The matchup that may feature the most goals will be Capitals at Devils. Both teams feature elite talent and goaltending remains an ongoing concern. Darcy Kuemper has not been very sharp to start the season, allowing three goals per game, and while Mackenzie Blackwood has been excellent, the jury's still out on him after he lost the starting job last season. In their past 11 matchups since 2011, their games have featured five goals or less just four times.
GOALIES
Jordan Binnington, STL at WPG ($7,900): When Binnington's on his game, he's really great. He's a perfect 3-0-0 so far this season and coming off a 23-save shutout of the Oilers, and while he probably didn't break a sweat doing so, it's also a testament to how strong the Blues are as a group. They will face a mediocre Jets lineup that is missing their second-best winger, Nikolaj Ehlers, and ranks 30th in GF/GP.
Frederik Andersen, CAR at VAN ($7,800): The Canucks are a wounded animal as the only team without a win this season, and in their season opener lost 5-1 to the charging Sabres. The Canucks left the ice drowning in boos and jerseys thrown onto the ice, and also may not have Quinn Hughes in the lineup for the second straight game. The Canes have won six of their past nine meetings and Andersen is 14-3-5/.939/1.65 all time against the Canucks.
Mackenzie Blackwood, NJ vs. WSH ($7,100): That the Caps' goalies are priced at $7,300 should tell you all you need to know about this potentially high-scoring matchup. However, it's worth noting that the Devils are absolutely crushing it in puck possession analytics and outshooting some of their opponents by an average (!) of 18 shots per game. If the Devils can limit the number of shots Blackwood sees, it's a win for them.
VALUE PLAYS
Wyatt Johnston, DAL at OTT ($3,900): It's been a relatively quiet few games for Johnston, who scored a goal in his NHL debut but only registered one helper in his next four games. The Sens present an enticing matchup because they're not particularly good defensively and starter Anton Forsberg has struggled after a strong performance last season. Johnston will center the third line with Ty Dellandrea and Jamie Benn and play some PP2 with Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment.
Mason Appleton, WPG vs. STL ($3,200): Appleton was moved to the top line opposite Kyle Connor in Ehlers' absence, and while he finished the last game with zero points and a minus-2 rating, his spot is safe because the Jets don't really have anyone else. Scoring against the Blues will be difficult, but with increased minutes in the top six and on special teams, Appleton has more fantasy value than usual.
LINE STACKS
Devils at Capitals
Nico Hischier (C - $5,800), Jesper Bratt (W - $6,600), Ondrej Palat (W - $5,800)
Hischier's line ranks just below Nathan MacKinnon's line in expected goals per 60 minutes, according to moneypuck.com, confirming just how good the Devils' possession metrics have been. Bratt, in particular, has been excellent, and their actual scoring pace is starting to catch up to the analytics.
Hurricanes at Canucks
Sebastian Aho (C - $8,600), Teuvo Teravainen (W - $6,000), Seth Jarvis (W - $5,800)
Teravainen's off to a slow start but this is another line that has been dominant according to advanced metrics. They rank 25th (min. 30 TOI) in xG% and 10th with 4.11 goals scored per 60 minutes, and they will find the scoresheet multiple times if they can keep this up. The Canucks have looked listless all season allowing 4.50 goals per game, third-worst in the league.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, WSH at NJ ($6,800): Carlson presents the most upside due to his usage and matchup. It's unlikely Morgan Rielly ($7,000) will score more points or get more shots on net against Vegas, and the other big-name defensemen such as Kris Letang ($6,500 vs. EDM) and Alex Pietrangelo ($6,300 vs. TOR) face tougher teams. Carlson has a change to extend his points streak to four games.
Dougie Hamilton, NJ vs. WSH ($5,600): Hamilton hasn't quite recouped all the fantasy value he lost over the past few seasons, but he looks as good as he's ever been. He's scored three points and 21 shots, which ranks third in the league among defensemen. He continues to quarterback the Devils' stacked top power play unit, which features both Hughes and Hischier, and the Caps PK has allowed five power-play goals in 15 chances, ranking 28th at just 66.7 percent.
Jack Rathbone, VAN vs. CAR ($3,500): Should Hughes miss another game, look for Rathbone to take his spot on the power play. The Harvard grad was a point-per-game for AHL Abbotsford last season and made his season debut on Saturday playing 18 minutes, including 3:39 on the power play. His offensive upside was far more evident than Oliver Ekman-Larsson's; the downside is the Canucks defense is atrocious and Rathbone's fantasy value is entirely dependent on his power play usage.
