This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
We have 11 games tonight, and there's just one divisional contest. Tampa Bay has a favorable offensive matchup against the Oilers, but it's tough to hone in on who will be valuable with injuries to Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and Anthony Cirelli. However, the Bolts only recalled one player from the AHL, signaling that at least two of those forwards should be ready to rock. When we find out who, don't be afraid to plug in some of their players. There's plenty of value to be found across the other 10 games, too, so read on for tips before setting your DFS lineup.
GOALIES
Elvis Merzlikins ($8,800) is the chalk in this contest, as he's become accustomed to. Although he's lost the last two games, he allowed just two goals in each contest. His 1.61 GAA and .948 save percentage in 2020 is spectacular, and a matchup against the lowly Sabres shouldn't slow him down.
Andrei Vasilevskiy ($9,300) is a solid choice, too, as he rides a 19-game unbeaten streak into this contest. Edmonton ranks third with 3.15 GF/60 since Jan. 1, per Natural Stat Trick, but without Connor McDavid, this is a much more favorable matchup.
Igor Shesterkin ($8,200) is playing like the No. 1 right now. He's 6-1-0 in the NHL with a .941 save percentage and just notched his first road win by steering away 42 of 43 shots against the Jets. Henrik Lundqvist or Alexandar Georgiev have been too inconsistent to trust, but this is a worthy matchup, as the Wild have posted just 1.74 GF/60 since the All-Star break.
Coming off back-to-back shutouts where he combined for 83 saves, MacKenzie Blackwood ($7,500) is an appealing option. Especially against the Red Wings, who have averaged 1.8 goals per game over the last five.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Kyle Palmieri ($6,600) has now scored 20 goals in five straight seasons, and he's enjoying an impressive stretch where he posted four goals and a helper over the last four games. The Red Wings have a 2.93 GA/60 over the last month -- the fifth-most in the league -- so splurge on Palmieri in this setting.
Josh Bailey ($4,800) is heating up with six points over the last three games, and he has 13 points over his last 11 outings. His spot in the top six is safe, and against the Predators, who have let up 2.77 G/60 since the break, he comes at a supreme value.
The Coyotes desperately need Darcy Kuemper (lower body) back, as their crease situation is rather flaky. Anthony Duclair ($4,300) has certainly cooled off lately, but he still shoots enough to keep up fantasy value viable, averaging 2.8 shots per game since the All-Star break.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Colorado Avalanche (TOTAL: $21,600)
C - Nathan MacKinnon ($8,800)
W - Mikko Rantanen ($7,700)
W - Andre Burakovsky ($5,100)
This line hasn't played a ton this season, but the talent is apparent. MacKinnon is on a five-game point streak, Rantanen has 38 points in 39 games and Burakovsky has already achieved a career-high 17 goals. The matchup is favorable, too, as both Capitals goalies are struggling, as they've allowed 4.03 GA/60 since the break.
Florida Panthers (TOTAL: $19,500)
C - Aleksander Barkov ($7,000)
W - Evgenii Dadonov ($5,700)
W - Jonathan Huberdeau ($6,800)
Barkov has only one point in three games since returning from injury, but the Panthers have been up against tough foes. That trend changes here, as the Flyers' goaltending tandem has struggled fiercely on the road this season, posting a 3.66 GAA -- the fourth-most in the league.
Vegas Golden Knights (TOTAL: $17,100)
C - Paul Stastny ($5,400)
W - Jonathan Marchessault ($6,600)
W - Reilly Smith ($5,100)
Stastny is on a tear with four multi-point outings over the last eight games (10 points total), while Smith and Marchessault combined for 13 points in that stretch. The Blues relied heavily on goaltending last season, but they've been unable to do that lately, as they've yielded 3.41 G/60 over the last month.
DEFENSEMEN
Roman Josi ($6,500) continues to be one of the most consistent defenseman in the league, as he's stacked up six points in six games while firing 31 shots on net and blocking eight shots. Even with Blackwood playing this well, Josi's floor is plenty even at the price range.
Anthony DeAngelo ($5,100) and Adam Fox ($3,700) have 14 and 13 points on the power play, respectively, and the Wild have the worst penalty kill over the last month, yielding 12.62 G/60.
A bit of a contrarian play because Damon Severson ($4,400) isn't known for his offense, but he's changed that lately with a point in seven straight games while firing 19 shots on net and blocking 13 shots. That's an excellent floor for the upside it comes with, especially against the sieve in Detroit.
Hampus Lindholm ($3,900) flies under the radar, which is appropriate because he only has 21 points this year. However, he's a fixture on the power play and has fired 14 shots on net over four February games. He'll look to leverage his time on the man advantage against Calgary's 28th-ranked penalty kill over the last month (10.3 GA/60).
