This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
This is an unusual week, thanks to Thanksgiving, which also makes it a weird week for the NHL. It's an atypically busy Monday, as there are nine games on the slate. That means a lot of daily fantasy options. Here are my recommendations.
GOALIE
Casey DeSmith, PIT vs. BUF ($8,200): At this point, the Penguins have no practical choice but to turn to DeSmith in net. Matt Murray has struggled mightily, while DeSmith has a 2.25 GAA and .930 save percentage. The Sabres, in addition to being on the road, have only scored 2.90 goals per game, so if DeSmith gets the start the matchup looks good.
CENTER
Ryan O'Reilly, STL vs. LOS ($7,100): Buffalo's offense is probably missing O'Reilly, especially given how great he's been to start the year for St. Louis. The 27-year-old has 10 goals and 23 points through 18 games. That includes eight on the power play. Meanwhile, the Kings have a 3.21 GAA, and are down to third-string goalie Peter Budaj as their top option in net.
Kyle Turris, NAS vs. TAM ($5,300): Turris has started a whopping 73.1 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second highest on the Predators. That has helped him notch 15 points through 20 games. The Lightning usually aren't a great matchup, but they also usually have Andrei Vasilevskiy in net. However, the Russian netminder is injured, and Louis Domingue has a 3.58 GAA and .889 save percentage in his stead.
WING
Evgenii Dadonov, FLA at OTT ($6,800): Last year, Dadonov returned from Russia to score 28 goals and add 37 assists. This season, he already has 18 points in only 17 contests. The Senators have the league's highest GAA (4.05) and have allowed a league-worst 38.4 shots on goal per game, but on the plus side they only rank second to last on the penalty kill.
Matthew Tkachuk, CGY vs. VGK ($6,300): Tkachuk is getting better opportunities this season that he did last year, as he's started 60.9 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. That's second most among Flames forwards. His power-play time is also up, as he's averaged 3:25 per game with the extra man, notching seven points in that time. The Golden Knights are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back, and they will likely be starting Malcolm Subban (3.17 GAA, .885 save percentage) in goal.
Kyle Connor, WPG at VAN ($5,600): Connor got off to a bit of a slow start to the season, but anybody who remembered that he scored 31 goals as a rookie probably wasn't terribly concerned. That's paid off, as he has 11 points in his last 11 games, including five goals. Meanwhile, the Canucks have a 3.45 GAA, which is third highest in the NHL.
DEFENSE
Keith Yandle, FLA at OTT ($5,700): As I mentioned earlier, the Senators have a woeful 4.05 GAA and have allowed a whopping 38.4 shots on net per contest. That obviously makes this a matchup worth targeting. It helps that Yandle is having a good season. He's got 16 points in 17 games, including nine power-play points.
Jeff Petry, MON vs. WAS ($4,500): With Shea Weber out last year, Petry's minutes went up, especially on the power play. This year, with Weber still on the sideline, Petry's power-play time has gone up to 4:02 per game. That has helped him tally 15 points in 20 games, despite shooting at only a 2.6 percent rate. Getting time with the extra man will bode well against the Capitals, as they have the 28th-ranked penalty kill.
