This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals is the only game Thursday as Dallas hosts Edmonton. Your lineup will consist of five players, including a Captain spot which scores 1.5 times as many fantasy points. You get a $55,000 salary cap.
CAPTAIN
Leon Draisaitl, EDM at DAL ($14,500): Normally I would select Connor McDavid at this spot, but Draisaitl has outperformed McDavid in the first two rounds — albeit slightly. Draisaitl leads the NHL in playoff scoring with 24 points — three more than the second-place McDavid — and has a picked up at least one point in all 12 playoff games. The Stars held Draisaitl to only two points in three regular-season games, but that was still one more than the lone assist McDavid managed to corral in three matchups with Dallas.
UTILITY
Wyatt Johnston, DAL vs. EDM ($12,500): Johnston was outstanding in the regular season for the Stars, scoring 32 times while adding 33 assists. His offensive prowess has continued in the postseason, as he has seven goals and 11 points in 13 contests, including a pair of game-winning goals. The 21-year-old had a goal and two assists in three regular-season games versus Edmonton in 2023-24.
Evander Kane, EDM at DAL ($9,500): Kane saw his four-game point streak come to an end Monday in a 3-2 Game 7 win over Vancouver. The feisty winger has four goals and seven points in 12 Stanley Cup playoff games this season. He had 13 goals and 17 points in 15 playoff games two seasons ago, so Kane is more than capable of a big playoff game.
Logan Stankoven, DAL vs. EDM ($8,000): Stankoven is seeing first line action, alongside Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson. He managed four points — including three goals — in his last four games versus the Avalanche in Round 2, as the 21-year-old has provided some timely scoring. Stankoven managed six goals and 14 points in only 24 regular-season appearances this season, and will maintain his rookie status heading into the 2024-25 campaign. Stankoven had an assist in his lone game versus Edmonton in the regular season.
Tyler Seguin, DAL vs. EDM ($10,500): Seguin had a strong series against Colorado, scoring three times while adding two helpers in the six-game series. He has eight points in 13 playoff games this season, as he has given the Stars plenty of offensive production as a middle-two center. Seguin had a goal in his last regular-season game against the Oilers.