A whole week has passed since the last NHL DFS Primer due to the week-long freeze implemented by the National Hockey League due to rising COVID-19 cases. Fortunately, Tuesday features a three-game slate for DFS managers and hockey fans to watch and enjoy. There are a couple of lopsided games, such as Montreal traveling to play Tampa Bay and San Jose hosting Arizona, while the Los Angeles Kings hosting the Vegas Golden Knights looks like the best matchup on paper.
Whenever there is a small slate, identifying players to stack is the formula for success in cashing DFS lineups. Whether it be a first, second, or even third-line pairing, rostering players who can set up scoring possessions with their linemates is the best way to approach roster construction. With that being said, following a seven-day delay, let’s dive right into these player recommendations!
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Recommended Plays: DraftKings
DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000
Steven Stamkos (C – TB): $8,000
31-year old Steven Stamkos has been with Tampa Bay his entire 14-year career and has found new vitality centering the first-line this season. He leads the Lightning in points (35) and goals (14) and is put in a very favorable position against Montreal Canadiens relief goaltender Samuel Montembeault. The 25-year old goaltender is 1-4 in five starts and has an atrocious 3.65 GAA during his time defending the crease. In his last start on November 26th against the Buffalo Sabres, Montembeault allowed four goals on 39 shots. Stamkos led a high-octane Tampa bay offense and scored a goal in his last outing against Vegas, so pay up and insert Stamkos into lineups with high-floor and high-ceiling capabilities.
Ondrej Palat (LW – TB): $5,400
Steven Stamkos’ linemate, left-winger Ondrej Palat, is another grizzled veteran on Tampa Bay. While he is fourth in total points for the Lightning this season, registering nine goals and ten assists through 30 games, Palat has been relatively quiet lately. The 30-year old winger did manage to rack up an assist with one shot on goal during a win over Vegas last Tuesday. Before that point, Palat found himself in a three-game point drought. However, with numerous key players likely to miss Tuesday’s home game against a bad Montreal Canadiens team, Palat will have extended opportunities to produce. Stacking Palat with Stamkos is a quality investment that should return massive value facing Canadiens’ goaltender, Samuel Montembeault. Palat is a quality salary-saving option alongside Stamkos and company on Tuesday night.
Erik Karlsson (D – SJ): $6,900
This season, Erik Karlsson has been performing well, earning a +3 plus-minus value through 24 games. Despite being a defenseman for the San Jose Sharks, Karlsson is fourth in total points (19), scoring three goals and three assists across his last six games. Facing an inept Arizona Coyotes squad on Tuesday night, Karlsson is put in a prime position to return significant value despite the roughly $7,000 salary tag. He is active in the offensive zone, attempting at least three shots in four of his last five games while adding one or two blocked shots to raise his floor. Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka (G – ARI) has a 3.28 GAA and only two wins in 14 starts this season. As a goaltender, he has allowed 12 goals over his last two games, meaning Karlsson needs to be prioritized in lineups on home ice tonight.
Andrei Vasilevskiy (G – TB): $8,100
Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to be activated off the league’s COVID-19 list entering Tuesday’s plus-matchup against a struggling Montreal Canadiens team. Vasilesviky has won all five of his previous starts and has not allowed more than three goals in any outing during this stretch, lowering his GAA to 2.14. Montreal has the league’s second-lowest goal differential at -42, so their offense is not a threat to Vasilevskiy in the slightest. So pay up to roster the safest goaltending prospect with a massive ceiling.
Recommended Plays: FanDuel
FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000
Chandler Stephenson (C – VGK): $6,300
Vegas is coming off of a loss, but they are 8-2 in their last ten games. With the Golden Knights potentially missing Max Pacioretty (LW – VGK) and Mark Stone (RW – VGK) on the first-line against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night, Chandler Stephenson takes on a more prominent role. The 27-year old center has an assist in back-to-back games entering the road contest in Los Angeles, where he will be facing Garret Sparks (G – LAK), who performed well in his first start of the season in a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals on December 19th. Stephenson earns roughly 20 minutes average time on ice and skates on the top powerplay unit, so expect him to cash in on at least one or two assists against Sparks and the Kings tonight. Stephenson has the propensity to bury assists, notching three against Boston and four against Minnesota in consecutive games, so his ceiling is extremely high. Take advantage of the salary and roster one of the biggest studs on Tuesday’s slate.
Timo Meier (RW – SJ): $9,700
25-year old Timo Meier is one of San Jose’s most active weapons in the offensive zone. Meier has taken anywhere from four to seven shots in five of his last six games, but the points have not poured in as expected, with only two assists and a goal, the latter of which occurred against Vancouver in his last start. The matchup is why Meier’s salary is so ridiculously high, as Arizona Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka has allowed at least five goals in his last two starts. Meier has been earning over 20 minutes per game in his last three outings and appears to have put the seven-game goal drought behind him. Alongside Logan Couture (C – SJ), Meier should be able to inflict damage and yield massive production in lineups, justifying his nearly $10,000 salary.
Shea Theodore (D – VGK): $6,100
Vegas has quite a bit of talent throughout their depth chart, including first-line defenseman Shea Theodore. The 26-year old is the top defensemen for the Golden Knights in terms of points (22) this season and has four points across his previous two games against the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning. He skates on the top powerplay unit and earns a whopping 25 minutes per game as of late, which will make him a lucrative asset to insert into lineups against an inexperienced goaltender like Garret Sparks. Theodore accounted for a powerplay assist in his last start against the Lightning. He will have a ton of opportunity to contribute to scoring possessions with several essential players remaining questionable for Vegas.
James Reimer (G – SJ): $7,800
33-year old goaltender James Reimer has played well defending the crease for San Jose this season, boasting an impressive 1.99 GAA in 15 starts. Reimer has not allowed more than two goals in his last four starts, including a shutout against 29 shots from the Chicago Blackhawks. He is 5-2 in his previous seven games and will be facing an Arizona Coyotes offense that has scored the fewest goals (56) of any team in the entire league. The matchup, the momentum, and the sub-$8,000 salary combine to make Reimer a fantastic goaltender to acquire in DFS lineups during Tuesday’s three-game slate.
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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.
