Nearly every team in the NHL will be competing during a bustling 14-game slate Thursday night. This creates dozens of high-value opportunities, many of which would not exist on smaller slates. Winning DFS contests on such a crowded slate forces managers to roster at least three to four high-caliber, high-production players to stay within the green by the night’s end.
Fortunately, there are several one-sided matchups Thursday night, like Florida, Toronto, and Calgary, all having -400 or greater odds on the Moneyline against inferior opponents such as Anaheim, Buffalo, and Seattle. It’s essential to distinguish between paying up for a high-value or blue-chip prospect and wasting money on a household name that may be enduring a point drought or facing a stout goaltender. Conversely, players with a cheap salary should not be overlooked, as they are likely undervalued due to the talent available on Thursday’s slate. It’s still important to make sure that these salary-savers are consistent in at least a couple of statistical categories; whether it’s shots on goal or blocked shots, production is vital to cashing on busy NHL DFS slates.
Saturday’s recommended prospects were massively successful. Auston Matthews (C – TOR) scored two goals on six shots, Patrik Laine (RW – CBJ) notched an assist, Morgan Rielly (D – TOR) attempted five shots on goal, Nick Suzuki (C – MTL) netted an assist on four shots, and Pavel Buchnevich (LW – STL) finished with an assist. At the same time, Shea Theodore (D – VGK) rounded out the skaters with an assist during the Arizona Coyotes’ 6-1 rout. Both goaltenders were stout defending the crease, as Jacob Markstrom (G – CGY) and Thatcher Demko (G – VAN) allowed two or fewer goals to yield wins for their respective teams. It was a remarkably successful slate, and we’ll replicate it again after Tuesday’s 14 games.
The top eight NHL DFS prospects to target when constructing lineups ahead of Tuesday’s 7 pm ET puck drops.
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Recommended Plays: DraftKings
DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000
Dylan Larkin (C – DET): $6,900
Detroit’s playoff hopes are officially extinguished, but that doesn’t mean their personnel should be ignored. 25-year old Dylan Larkin centers the Red Wings’ first-line attack and earns additional minutes on their top powerplay unit, which is why he currently leads the team in goals (31) and total points (68) with roughly three weeks left in the season. Larkin has scored three goals and three assists across his last five games and enters Tuesday’s home matchup against Ottawa with a five-game point streak intact. Ottawa’s goaltender, Anton Forsberg (G – OTT), is coming off of one of his worst performances, surrendering five goals on 33 shots against the New York Rangers. He has allowed at least three goals in his past three starts, elevating Larkin into a prime scoring position. Larkin is a quality player to plug into DraftKings lineups at under $7,000, as he has a high floor and a high ceiling against a leaky goaltender.
Jonathan Huberdeau (LW – FLA): $7,500
Florida has quite a luxury with Jonathan Huberdeau. The 28-year old skates on their second-line attack and top powerplay unit, where he’s been on fire all season, scoring 27 goals and an impressive 77 assists to lead the Panthers to a playoff seed and a current seven-game win streak. Huberdeau has one of the most remarkable game logs in the league. He’s scored four goals and netted four assists across his previous four games and has not been held without a point since March 17th, which was 11 games ago. Huberdeau is the definition of a reliable, high-ceiling prospect, so there’s little to doubt when reviewing his accolades and skills. The Panthers will face Anaheim, one of the worst teams in the league, with goaltender John Gibson (G – ANA) allowing ten goals across his last two starts in the net. Huberdeau is relatively inexpensive compared to other blue-chip prospects on the slate, so fire him up and plug him into lineups with the utmost confidence against Gibson and the Ducks.
Morgan Rielly (D – TOR): $5,600
I recommended Morgan Rielly on Saturday against Montreal, and I will do it one more time against Buffalo. Rielly is a high-volume shooter, a rarity amongst affordable defensemen in DFS. He benefits from skating on the first-line and top powerplay unit, creating great scoring opportunities by playing alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner (RW – TOR). The 28-year old is now in his ninth season in the league, all with Toronto, so he’s comfortable and fully integrated into their offensive gameplan. Rielly gets at least one or two blocked shots in most matchups and has also scored two of his ten goals across the last five games played. He’s heating up at the right time for the Maple Leafs, and if he attempts five or six shots again on Tuesday, he’s a massive value in DraftKings lineups. Buffalo will deploy veteran netminder Craig Anderson (G – BUF) to defend the crease, which adds even more appeal to Rielly. Anderson has allowed nine goals in his last two starts for the Sabres. He’s a massive liability in the net, and Rielly should be able to take full advantage and return to the point column after being held without an assist or a goal against Montreal on Saturday.
Igor Shesterkin (G – NYR): $7,600
It’s remarkable to find one of the league’s most dominant goaltenders available to roster at $7,600. Igor Shesterkin has been a wall in the net across his last two starts, surrendering only one goal and racking up his fourth shutout of the season against Pittsburgh last week. He’s playing with supreme confidence. The Rangers have been stepping up their offensive production behind Artemi Panarin (LW – NYR) and company, allowing the 26-year old netminder to remain comfortable and alert in the crease. Carolina is one of the better teams in the league this season. Still, the Hurricanes have been very volatile lately, with their offense stalling against inferior opponents like Buffalo and the New York Islanders since the beginning of the month. Shesterkin is good enough to succeed against any team, and the Hurricanes have secured a playoff berth, meaning their desperation and aggression could be reduced. Shesterkin is a rare salary-saving, high-value prospect on Tuesday’s slate, so take full advantage and insert him as the foundation of your DraftKings lineups.
Recommended Plays: FanDuel
FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000
Auston Matthews (C – TOR): $10,400
The pinnacle of excellence in hockey right now is Auston Matthews. The 24-year old superstar has been blazing hot lately, scoring eight goals and netting four assists across his last five games. He’s also one of the league’s highest-volume shooters, attempting four to 12 shots on goal. Of course, he only needs a couple of shots on goal to light the lamp, but his speed, stick handling, and shot-taking combine to make him arguably the most sought-after DFS prospect in April. Matthews was a massive favorite against Montreal, and he buried two goals on six shots before the first two periods concluded. On Tuesday, he’ll face another inferior opponent at home against Buffalo, with their veteran goaltender Craig Anderson struggling mightily. It’s such an enticing matchup with virtually no downside for Matthews, so pay up and acquire the best skater on Tuesday’s slate.
Phil Kessel (RW – ARI): $4,300
Don’t scoff at the Arizona Coyotes. It’s been a brutal season for the team and their fanbase, but there is still value within their offense. Veteran Phil Kessel earns his minutes on the Coyotes’ second-line attack and top powerplay unit, where he’s found decent success by supplying 37 assists in 72 games this season. You aren’t rostering Kessel for goals, as he has only scored seven times this season. However, the high shot volume and propensity to net an assist or two create the primary appeal behind Kessel. He just finished with an assist against a desperate Vegas team with more talent, where Kessel also attempted eight shots on goal to elevate his production in DFS lineups. He will get a much softer matchup against New Jersey’s veteran goaltender, Andrew Hammond (G – NJ). Hammond has allowed 13 goals across his last two starts for the Devils since April 2nd, surrendering six to Montreal and seven to Florida. The porous defense and goaltending open up a bountiful opportunity for Kessel to return value at a fraction of the cost in FanDuel lineups on Tuesday night, so add him as an excellent salary-saving option.
Charlie McAvoy (D – BOS): $6,300
One of the most affordable defensemen who can produce points is Charlie McAvoy. The 24-year old earns his minutes on Boston’s first-line defensive pairing and top powerplay unit, and as a result, he’s netted at least one assist in five straight matchups. He raises his floor with blocked shots and a couple of shots on goal per game, but McAvoy’s primary appeal is his propensity to find an open teammate to generate a scoring possession. On Tuesday night, McAvoy and the Bruins will host St. Louis against the Blues’ netminder, Ville Husso (G – STL). He’s been playing a good brand of goaltending lately, but Boston is heating up collectively, with McAvoy fueling the offense to go 8-3 in their last 11 games. McAvoy is worth the price of admission, especially for a defenseman, so pay up and enjoy the production.
Thatcher Demko (G – VAN): $7,400
Vancouver still has a realistic chance at jumping Vegas and making the final seed in the Pacific Division. There will be many thank yous directed towards goaltender Thatcher Demko if they do this. The 26-year old netminder has earned back-to-back wins against Vegas and San Jose, allowing only three goals during these two starts in net. It’s going to be another highly-contested divisional scrap. The Golden Knights are only slight favorites at +135, so a wise investment is rostering Demko based on his momentum and recent success against them. At just $7,400, Demko is an incredible value, especially with the Golden Knights dropping four of their past five games.
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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_.
