This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
GOALIE
Casey DeSmith, PIT vs. DET ($8,400): At this point, the Penguins would be silly not to consider DeSmith their top goalie. While Matt Murray has struggled, DeSmith has a 2.42 GAA and .926 save percentage. As for the Red Wings, they've only scored 2.82 goals per game and only managed 28.5 shots on net per contest. It could be a light day of work for DeSmith.
CENTER
David Krejci, BOS vs. NJD ($5,800):Patrice Bergeron may be back, but it doesn't matter, because Krejci has been hot. Over his last 10 games he's notched 11 points, giving him 30 on the season. Keith Kinkaid has been struggling for a while now. New Jersey's netminder has a 3.68 GAA and .877 save percentage over his last 12 outings.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM vs. VAN ($5,300): Sometimes he plays on Connor McDavid's wing, and sometimes he centers the second line for the Oilers, but either way he's been an offensive force. The 25-year-old has 33 points in 36 games, including 13 with the extra man. Meanwhile, the Canucks have a 3.15 GAA, which is bottom 10 in the NHL.
WING
Sam Reinhart, BUF at STL ($6,200): Reinhart has gotten the golden ticket, as he's playing on a line with Jack Eichel and Jeff Skinner. Not coincidentally, he has 36 points in 37 contests. Now he's squaring off with a Blues team that has posted a 3.32 GAA.
Tyler Johnson, TAM vs. PHI ($5,900): Johnson scored two goals before the Christmas break, giving him six in his last 10 contests. Also, speaking of favorable line partners, the 29-year-old has been skating with Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov recently. The Flyers have a 3.57 GAA and the 27th-ranked penalty kill, and don't get too excited about Carter Hart changing that just yet. Hart has had two impressive starts, but in his third outing he allowed four goals on 19 shots.
Reilly Smith, VGK vs. COL ($5,400): Smith hasn't been quite as good as he was last season, but he has points in six of his last eight games. Plus, he has a 9.1 shooting percentage, below his career average, so he could get a bit better going forward. The Avalanche have struggled a bit defensively on the road. They have a 3.29 GAA and have allowed 34.0 shots on net per contest in away games.
DEFENSE
Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF at STL ($5,500): Ristolainen has a three-game point streak, giving him 24 points through 37 games. He's also put 97 shots on goal, and he once tallied 202 shots in a season. As previously noted, the Blues have a 3.32 GAA, and Jake Allen has a .900 save percentage.
Ryan Suter, MIN at CHI ($5,100): Suter is still going strong, as he has 26 points in 35 games. Nine of those points have come with the extra man, and he had 23 power-play points last season. The Blackhawks have struggled mightily defensively, as they have a 3.69 GAA. On top of that, they have the league's worst penalty kill.
