Saturday in the NHL will be the polar opposite of Friday’s small two-game slate, as 14 games fill the schedule. Beginning at 12:30 pm ET and ending with several 10:30 pm ET games on the West Coast, DFS managers will have dozens of players to sift through while constructing lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. In addition, Montreal and Winnipeg, two teams who will be missing the 2022 postseason, will be tired from playing on Friday. In contrast, all other teams should be fully rested and prepared to produce points as the final month of the regular season winds down to a close.
Oddsmakers expect high-scoring affairs in quite a few games on Saturday. There are roughly six matchups with the total goals over/under projected to hit over 6.5, which means there will be a lot of contributors on second and third-line attacks, many of whom will return good value upon investment. The NHL is offering several marquee matchups for its fans, with St. Louis hosting Minnesota in a Pick ‘Em (-110 Moneyline), Pittsburgh traveling to Boston as a slight underdog at +110, and Edmonton hosting a desperate Vegas Golden Knights team. The best game on the slate will be played in Ball Arena in Denver, where the Colorado Avalanche will host the Carolina Hurricanes as a -135 favorite, leaving Carolina with rare plus-odds (+114) on the Moneyline.
Thursday’s recommended prospects were on fire yet again. J.T. Miller (C – VAN) dished five assists, Pavel Buchnevich (LW – STL) scored a goal and added two assists, Timo Meier (LW – SJ) scored a goal and netted an assist on seven shots, while Josh Norris (C – OTT) scored a pivotal goal to lead Ottawa over Boston. In addition, Defensemen Ryan Pulock (D – NYI) and Kevin Shattenkirk (D – ANA) generated high-floor production, with Pulock attempting seven shots on goal, and Shattenkirk netting an assist. Meanwhile, goaltender Mike Smith (G – EDM) had a career night, stopping all 30 shots en route to his first shutout, flooding DFS lineups with points as the top-performing netminder on the slate.
Let’s keep the momentum rolling into Saturday! So, without further ado, here are eight of the best value players to prioritize when constructing DFS lineups ahead of the early afternoon puck drops.
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Recommended Plays: DraftKings
DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000
Jack Roslovic (C- CBJ): $3,700
If you’re looking to save a ton of salary without compromising production, look no further than Jack Roslovic. The 25-year-old skates on Columbus’ first-line attack and second powerplay unit, where he’s exploded with points across his last two matchups. Roslovic had a six-game point drought until he scored three goals and netted an assist during a win over Detroit last weekend. He followed up that four-point performance with another two-goal finish against Montreal and their primary goaltender, Carey Price (G – MTL). At just $3,700 on DraftKings, Roslovic is a massive value, even if he only winds up with one point against the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings will deploy Cal Petersen (G – LAK) to defend the crease on Saturday night, creating a fantastic opportunity for Roslovic and the Blue Jackets to rattle off their third consecutive win. After all, Petersen has surrendered six goals in each of his previous starts in the net. Roslovic’s increased shots on goal and ability to finish, combined with a leaky goaltender, creates the perfect opportunity to roster a cheap skater with massive upside.
Viktor Arvidsson (RW – LAK): $6,600
Staying in Los Angeles, 29-year-old winger Viktor Arvidsson has a lot of appeal in DFS lineups. Arvidsson has three assists in his last two games while attempting only two shots on goal, significantly fewer attempts than the usual five to six that he tries in most games. Earning additional minutes on the second powerplay unit and the Kings’ second-line attack, Arvidsson should be able to connect with another teammate to extend his point streak against Columbus’ goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (G – CBJ). Merzlikins is coming off a strong performance against Montreal, allowing only one goal on 21 shots. However, he’s streaky and previously surrendered four goals on 43 shots to Los Angeles last month. That also happened to be the game where Arvidsson lit the lamp three times on three shots en route to an impressive hat trick. Don’t expect a hat trick performance from Arvidsson a second time, but he should be good enough to net a point or two at home against the Blue Jackets during Saturday’s late-night slate.
Morgan Rielly (D – TOR): $5,800
Until proven otherwise, Morgan Rielly is a continuous favorite in DFS. The 28-year-old defenseman earns his minutes on Toronto’s top defensive pairing and the top powerplay unit, where he earns around 23 minutes of average time on ice. The most significant appeal for inserting Rielly into lineups is his consistent ability to net assists. He’s stacked six of them, including three games with multiple assists, across his last five games while also scoring his tenth goal of the season against Dallas a week ago. Rielly attempts at least a couple of shots on goal per game and is usually reliable for a couple of blocked shots, equipping him with a high floor and a high ceiling. At under $6,000, Rielly remains undervalued, especially against a tired Montreal team coming off of a 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Friday. Add him into lineups without hesitation and watch the points pile up.
Jacob Markstrom (G – CGY): $8,500
Jacob Markstrom gets one of the softest goaltender matchups on Saturday’s slate. Calgary will host the struggling Arizona Coyotes, who Markstrom had no problem dealing with in their previous matchup on March 25th, surrendering two goals on only 18 shots during a 4-2 win. Markstrom has allowed seven goals across his last two starts to teams like Vegas and Seattle, but the Coyotes are in free-fall. Arizona has not scored more than two goals since their 3-2 win over Chicago a couple of weeks ago. Not much more needs to be said, other than Markstrom costing you a pretty penny. However, he’s worth the price of admission, so pay up and anchor your lineups with a talented goaltender against an inept offense.
Recommended Plays: FanDuel
FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000
Roope Hintz (C – DAL): $6,900
Dallas is tied with Nashville for the fourth and final seed in the Central Division playoff race. With just two weeks to go, expect the Stars’ personnel to deliver everything they have to secure a playoff seed and extend their season. Roope Hintz is the first-line attack center for Dallas, and he’s been heating up lately, scoring two goals and netting four assists across his last three games. Hintz does go quiet for specific stretches, but he’s been laser-focused lately, netting two assists against Minnesota on Thursday despite not attempting a single shot on goal. Hintz also earns additional minutes on the top powerplay unit, which will come in handy against a porous San Jose defense. The Sharks will have James Reimer (G – SJ) in the net, who just surrendered four goals to Chicago on Thursday. Hintz should have little difficulty earning a point. If he attempts four to five shots on goal, this raises his floor and creates opportunities to achieve his 33rd goal. Hintz is a solid investment to make on Saturday’s crowded slate at under $7,000 in a plus-matchup and with momentum on his side.
Tim Stuetzle (W – OTT): $5,600
Ottawa appears to have nailed their 2020 first-round draft selection with 20-year-old Tim Stuetzle. Earning most of his minutes on the second-line attack and adding plus-man opportunities by skating on the Senators’ top powerplay unit, Stuetzle is cashing in and makes for a wise investment during Saturday’s slate. He has scored four goals and five assists across his past five games, entering Saturday’s home game against Toronto with a seven-game point streak intact. At just $5,600 on FanDuel, there aren’t many prospects with a consistently high ceiling mirroring Stuetzle, so invest in the young star against Toronto’s reserve netminder, Erik Kallgren (G – TOR), who just allowed Buffalo to score four goals on 27 shots.
Noah Hanifin (D – CGY): $5,300
Noah Hanifin does not earn minutes on either powerplay unit for Calgary, but he still earns 23 minutes of average time on ice. The 25-year-old skates on the Flames’ top defensive pairing and, as a result, is afforded quality looks within the top attack line, as he scored a goal and an assist against Seattle earlier in the week while previously netting four assists on just two shots. However, he seldom dives in front of an opponent’s shot, so you rely on Hanifin’s involvement in Calgary’s offense. Fortunately, he’s an integral piece on the back-end of the first-line attack, so plug him into lineups at a discount against one of the worst goaltenders in the league in Karel Vejmelka (G – ARI). For perspective, the Coyotes’ goaltender has surrendered six goals in three consecutive starts, which doubles Hanifin’s value in DFS lineups at home on Saturday.
Nico Daws (G – NJ): $7,200
On Thursday, I was all aboard the Nico Daws hype train, but he got the night off in favor of reserve New Jersey netminder Andrew Hammond (G – NJ). It works fine, as Daws remains a massive value at just $7,200 on FanDuel, which is about the lowest a starting goaltender will be valued. The 21-year-old netminder has had three full days to rest and should be well-positioned against a lackluster Seattle Kraken offense. Daws has given up only four goals in his last three starts against Arizona, Dallas, and Montreal combined. Seattle is worse than Dallas and Montreal while being on par with Arizona. Daws will make his career debut against Seattle on the road Saturday night, but he should be filled with confidence. The Devils’ offense has been better as of late, scoring nine goals in back-to-back wins before a 3-1 loss to Colorado on Thursday. Daws will allow you to save money for other high-value skaters while also stacking saves and returning New Jersey to the win column, making him an excellent investment.
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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_.
