One month in the books for the 2018-2019 season. Some questions answered, some surprises, some injuries, and some questions remain. Conor McDavid is still reigning supreme but his title challenger Auston Matthews has gone to the IR. An avalanche of Colorado players (Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon) are climbing the scoring charts. A few likely suspects in Patrick Kane and Geno Malkin are showing they still can light the lamp.
Once again we are tasked with filling in the gaps between these players and the tiers of players below to round out a symmetrically productive lineup in our FanDuel lineups. You need to know what marquee players to grab according to their matchup and to catch lightning in a bottle with players on the rise. In this lineup that follows is the formula to your success!
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Center
Connor McDavid (EDM): $9,300 vs Detroit
You need to be sure when you are going to sink a large portion of your salary cap into one player. You can be sure with McDavid. He has 9 goals and 10 assists through 12 games. Totals that put McDavid 3rd in the current scoring standings. McDavid has scored in 11 of his 12 games to give you an idea of how sure a thing he is. Most of us already know a lot of McDavid’s accomplishments so far but what you might not be aware of is his extremely favorable matchup on Saturday against Detroit. Detroit is one of the worst teams in hockey right now and they own the second worst goal differential in -15. Essentially they are losing by more than a goal a game. So, yes, there should be plenty of Oiler goals and McDavid should fill up the scoresheet as their best player. Pay the extra buck and grab this stud for the win.
Mathew Barzal (NYI): $6,200 vs New Jersey
Barzal has been quietly been making a name for himself in relative obscurity in Brooklyn for the Islanders the past year and a half. If the Islanders keep up their torrid pace at the start of this season it won’t be long before everyone starts to hear more about Barzal. Barzal has 1 goal and 11 assists through 12 games for a nice, even point per game pace. Barzal is getting second even strength and top power play duty so he is getting ice time and opportunities. On Saturday Barzal gets a Devils team that has been generous in giving up goals of late. Keith Kinkaid was on fire to start off the season but has let up 7 goals once and 4 goals twice in the past 5 games. Corey Schneider is back in the fold too but has yet to shake off the rust. So, Barzal shouldn’t have any difficulty maintaining his point per game pace and delivering some production for your FanDuel lineup.
Wing
Ilya Kovalchuk (LAK): $6,300 vs Columbus
In the turn back the clock play of the day, Kovalchuk seems to have found the fountain of youth in the KHL. 35-year-old Kovalchuk has returned from hiatus to pick up where he left off with his NHL career, if not better. Kovalchuk has 4 goals and 6 assists through 12 games and 2 goals and 3 assists in his last 2 games. While Kovalchuk is only getting third even strength line deployment he is on the first power-play unit. As well, Kovalchuk goes up against a Columbus team that has a floundering Sergei Bobrovsky in net who has mysteriously been losing consecutive starts to Joonas Korpisalo. Neither has been effective so far which makes the chances of Kovalchuk scoring look pretty strong. Turn back the clock and enjoy this oldie but goodie on Saturday.
Matthew Tkachuk (CGY): $5,900 vs Chicago
Uncle Walt’s (Keith Tkachuk) son has done well. Very good actually. Matthew has been building a respectable start to his career. Tkachuk is a player, like his father, that is not afraid to dole out some bone-shaking checks and like his father as well he seems to know a thing or two about putting points on the score sheet. With a previous career high of 49 points, Tkachuk seems well on his way to surpassing that total. Tkachuk has 17 points through 14 games this season and is getting first power play line duty. Tkachuk faces a Chicago team that can put up points but also is giving them up. Corey Crawford is still getting his legs under him after returning from an injury. With that in mind, Tkachuk is a nice bargain pick that you can count on to contribute some points to your FanDuel lineup.
Tomas Hertl (SJS): $5,600 vs Philadelphia
This might be the season Hertl breaks through. Hertl has tantalized with his talents so far in his career but hasn’t approached the point per game pace he is on currently. Hertl has 5 goals and 8 assists through 13 games. Hertl is on both the second even strength and power play lines and seems to be making the most of those line assignments. Hertl has an amazing matchup against a horrendous goalie tandem in Michael Neuvirth and Brian Elliott. Both goalies are over 3.00 GAA on the season and Neuvirth just came off the injured reserve. Play Hertl with confidence that he will grab you some points on the cheap.
Timo Meier (SJS): $5,200 vs Philadelphia
Typically it wouldn’t be advisable to go all in on two players from the same team, but come on it’s against the Flyers, owners of the worst team GAA in the NHL. And to get a player performing at the level that Meier is performing at for only $5,200 against said team you have to go for it. Meier has 9 goals and 5 assists through 13 games and is white hot currently. Meier is getting top even strength and power play line deployment so he will get the best opportunity to light the lamp against a sieve-like goalie presence for the Flyers. Go all in with this Shark winger as you did for Tomas Hertl too and you won’t be disappointed.
Defense
Morgan Rielly (TOR): $5,300 vs Pittsburgh
Even with superstar Auston Matthews out of the lineup, there is plenty of offensive firepower to go around on the Toronto Maple Leafs roster. One of these offensive juggernauts is Rielly, who seems to be making a case to join the upper echelon of offensive defensemen in the NHL. Rielly has 4 goals and 12 assists through 13 games. Probably unsustainable numbers for a defenseman but you should take advantage of this elite production level while Rielly is producing. Rielly is the quarterback on the top power play which is loaded with offensive firepower. Although the matchup against Pittsburgh is pretty even there should be plenty of goals to go around with these two offensive powerhouses.
Markus Nutivaara (CLB): $3,700 vs Los Angeles
Nutivaara may not be the anchor of your lineup but he is one of those “glue” players that allows you to spend more on your McDavids. While Nutivaara isn’t on either of the power play lines he is still scoring at a decent clip with 1 goal and 6 assists through 12 games. With a point in his last 2 games, Nutivaara seems to be finding ways to make his way on to the scorers sheet. Nutivaara is going up against a wounded Los Angeles Kings team with Jonathan Quick on the injured reserve and after a hot start Jack Campbell has fallen off. Nutivaara should be able to grab a point in this matchup.
Goalie
Thomas Greiss (NYI): $7,500 vs New Jersey
Greiss entered the season as the starter for the New York Islanders but has since lost his job, to no fault of his own, to Robin Lehner. Lehner has been out the past few games with an undisclosed injury. It looks as though Lehner may miss another game on Saturday too. This will allow a resurgent Greiss to make a further case for shared or primary starting duties going forward. Greiss owns a staunch .934 save percentage on the season to go along with 3 wins, 2 losses and one overtime game. He goes up against a decent Devils team but the way the Islanders have been scoring of late and the way Greiss has been in the net, a victory seems imminent.
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Erik Zingg is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Erik, check out his archive and follow him @HeldigKartofl75.
