This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
It's your typical busy Saturday for the NHL. There are 12 games total on the slate, but the three afternoon games have not been included for this article. I will instead focus my recommendations on the nine games taking place Saturday night. So enjoy your afternoon, and then consider these players for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Martin Jones, SAN vs. VAN ($8,500): Yes, Jones' overall numbers aren't great. However, the Sharks are a different team at home. They come in with a 2.48 GAA in their own arena, and have given up a mere 26.8 shots on net per contest in those games. The Sharks also rank second in goals per game and the Canucks rank 24th, so the odds of Jones picking up a win seem good.
CENTER
Mathew Barzal, NYI vs. EDM ($6,200): After notching 85 points in his Calder-winning campaign last year, Barzal has registered 49 points in 57 games this season – including 18 with the extra man. The Oilers, who have struggled with a 3.34 GAA, are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back and also own the 30th-ranked penalty kill.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, CLM at CHI ($5,800): Speaking of sophomore centers, Dubois has excelled with 21 goals and 49 points in 56 games this year. He's also seen his power-play time increase considerably, averaging 2:47 per game with the extra man. The Blackhawks enter with the NHL's second-worst GAA at 3.62, while also boasting the league's worst penalty kill.
WING
Alexander Radulov, DAL at CAR ($6,000): Radulov's goal scoring has dipped a bit, but he's still got 15 goals to go with 31 assists in 47 games. His shooting percentage also ranks as the lowest of his career, so an uptick could be coming. The Hurricanes may be at home, but they are still on the second night of a back-to-back, which is never easy. Petr Mrazek will also likely be in net, and he's posted an .897 save percentage.
Kyle Connor, WPG vs. OTT ($5,400): Fans of symmetry rejoice, as Connor has tallied 22 goals and 22 assists through 58 games. He also has 11 points with the extra man, which is as many as he had all of last season. But this is as much about the matchup as anything else, as the Senators have struggled with a NHL-worst 4.30 road GAA.
Jack Roslovic, WPG vs. OTT ($3,400): Like I just said, the Senators have a 4.30 road GAA and they've also allowed 36.7 shots on net per contest. The 22-year-old Roslovic is skating on Winnipeg's second line, and he's started 63.4 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone – highest on the team. While the young winger hasn't really broken out yet, this provides a great matchup and he's available at a cheap price with upside.
DEFENSE
Zach Werenski, CLM at CHI ($4,900): Werenski has chipped in with three assists in his last five games, giving him 30 points on the season. It's been a while since he's scored a goal, but he still has recorded nine goals in 56 games after 16 last season. As previously noted, the Blackhawks own a 3.62 GAA, in part because they've allowed 35.4 shots on goal per game.
Nick Leddy, NYI vs. EDM ($3,700): I'm mostly interested in the fact Leddy has averaged 3:11 per game with the extra man, notching 10 power-play points in the process. As previously noted, the Oilers enter with the 30th-ranked penalty kill, and are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back. There will also be uncertainty in net, as they just traded Cam Talbot for Anthony Stolarz.
