This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
One game is scheduled Saturday, with the Blues playing host to the Avalanche in Game 3 of their playoff series. In single-game contests on FanDuel, you get $55,000 for five players. You also choose a captain, who accumulates 1.5 times the points. Goalies aren't included on FanDuel, but I wouldn't choose a goalie Saturday anyway. Who would I choose? Let's see.
CAPTAIN
Nathan MacKinnon, COL at STL ($15,500): Nobody this side of Connor McDavid has as much upside as MacKinnon. He has at least one point in every playoff game this year, not to mention 40 postseason shots on net in only six outings. Jordan Binnington has also played well in the postseason, but during the regular season he had a 3.13 GAA and .901 save percentage.
UTILITY
Mikko Rantanen, COL at STL ($12,000): Rantanen is a frequent beneficiary of MacKinnon's skills, and vice versa. He managed 36 goals and 56 assists in 75 games. The Finn doesn't have a goal yet in the playoffs, but he has seven assists in six games, including two in this series.
Valeri Nichushkin, COL at STL ($10,000): Let's finish out Colorado's top line. Once Nichushkin was moved onto MacKinnon's wing it changed the landscape for him. In his last 20 games he has 19 points and 78 shots on net. If Colorado's offense is going to do anything — and clearly I think it will — it likely will be through this line.
Ryan O'Reilly, STL vs. COL ($9,000): O'Reilly has enjoyed success against his former team, as he has two points, nine shots on goal and four blocked shots in this series. The pivot is on a six-game point streak, and has at least one point in 10 of his last 11 games.
Brayden Schenn, STL vs. COL ($8,500): To shake things up, Schenn was moved to centering the third line, with Vladimir Tarasenko on his wing, but he's been succeeding wherever recently. The 30-year-old has an assist in each of his last four games. That comes after he had 58 points in 62 regular-season games.
