This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Sunday's NHL main slate begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time and features three games. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Wild-Blackhawks game pits a pair of Central Division teams outside the playoff picture against each other, though Minnesota has been better of late. The Kings-Red Wings game sees the worst road team in the league travel to the league's worst team, period. The Golden Knights are the only team currently in playoff position out of the six in action, with the Canucks in close pursuit ahead of their visit to Vegas. Vegas is the only fresh team, as each of the other five will be playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
GOALIES
Kaapo Kahkonen ($7,400) should get the start in net for Minnesota with Alex Stalock having played Friday and Devan Dubnyk (personal) not yet ready to return. The 23-year-old Finn has looked impressive in limited action, going 3-0-1 with a 2.70 GAA and .925 save percentage through four NHL appearances. His success should continue against a bottom-10 Blackhawks offense.
The Kings are a league-worst 3-12-2 on the road, making this a rare game in which Detroit actually has a decent chance of winning. This battle of bottom-five offenses could end up being low-scoring, so Eric Comrie ($7,000) has the potential to provide tremendous bang for the buck in the home net for Detroit. He's a nice GPP option, assuming he gets the start.
If you're playing it safe in a 50/50, then paying up for Marc-Andre Fleury ($8,800) should be worth it. Vegas' reliable netminder has gone 12-7-2 with a 2.54 GAA and .919 save percentage, plus he'll be the only goalie in this slate with the benefit of a fresh team skating in front of him.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Patrick Kane ($8,000) is always capable of being a major difference-maker, as he leads all players in this slate in both goals (15) and points (37). In such a small slate, leaving Kane out of your lineup can put you in a hole too deep to dig out of if he plays up to his potential.
Anze Kopitar ($7,300) is by far the best player on the Kings, leading the team in goals (11), assists (18) and points (29). A Red Wings team that's been the worst in the league defensively by a wide margin is unlikely to keep Kopitar off the board.
Bo Horvat ($5,700) is a nice alternative for owners hesitant to pay up for Vancouver's expensive top line in Vegas. He's fourth on the team in both goals (nine) and points (26) despite shooting a career-low 9.9 percent.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Golden Knights vs. Canucks
Chandler Stephenson (C - $3,800), Max Pacioretty (W - $7,400), Mark Stone (W - $6,800)
Stephenson is getting an opportunity to center Vegas' two most productive wingers, and the recent trade acquisition has posted a point in each of the past two games, making him a nice value play. Pacioretty leads the team with 30 points, and his 13 goals have him tied for the team lead with Reilly Smith. Stone's 11-17-28 line has him two goals and two points back of Pacioretty's team-leading totals. With Jacob Markstrom starting Friday and Thatcher Demko sidelined by a concussion, there's a good chance the Canucks will deploy third-stringer Michael DiPietro in net.
Red Wings vs. Kings
Dylan Larkin (C - $6,300), Tyler Bertuzzi (W - $5,000), Robby Fabbri (W - $4,100)
With Anthony Mantha still getting eased in after returning from a lower-body injury Friday, Fabbri is filling his spot on the top line. Bertuzzi and Larkin are two of Detroit's top three scorers with 11-15-26 and 8-13-21 lines, respectively. Fabbri owns an 8-7-15 line in just 17 games since coming to Detroit in a trade with the Blues, including five goals in his last seven contests.
Wild at Blackhawks
Eric Staal (C - $6,400), Jason Zucker (W - $6,200), Mats Zuccarello (W - $5,800)
Staal and Zucker lead the Wild with 25 and 23 points, respectively. Zucker is one goal behind Zach Parise's team-leading total of 13, while Staal has one fewer goal than Zucker. Zuccarello has found his game after starting his Wild tenure in a slump, with a 3-3-6 line in his past six games. This line should continue its productive ways against a Blackhawks team that's won only three of its last 13 games.
DEFENSEMEN
Drew Doughty ($6,400) is second on the Kings in points behind Kopitar with 22. Like his teammate, the productive blueliner is primed to capitalize on a matchup that's as favorable as it gets.
Shea Theodore ($4,600) snapped an eight-game point drought with two helpers Friday, and the talented young blueliner is capable of building on this performance considering he has 51 points in 114 games since the start of last season. He's been peppering the net with pucks lately and is due to break through after coming up empty on 20 shots over the past five games.
Quinn Hughes ($4,400) continues to be a steal considering he already has 25 point through 32 games. Keep riding the young Canucks blueliner until he either slows down or grows more expensive.
