The NHL only has two games on tap for Tuesday’s slate as we approach Thanksgiving. This will allow us to dive deeper into the four rosters of Buffalo, Montreal, Los Angeles, and the New York Rangers. Lighter slates typically make it harder to obtain value with notable point scorers, but that’s part of the fun, right? The Sabres vs. Canadiens game appears to be due for more goals than the Rangers’ late puck drop on the road against the Kings, where the oddsmakers have juiced under six goals at -120. Montreal goaltender Jake Allen (G – Canadiens) has surrendered four goals in three consecutive starts in the crease, while Buffalo netminder Craig Anderson (G – Sabres) is volatile, meaning it could be one goal given up or five.

Since there was only one game this past Friday, the DFS Primer was delayed until now. Let’s quickly recap how my recommended players fared a week ago during the 11/15 edition. Jesper Bratt (RW – Devils) poured in two points, including a goal, to continue New Jersey’s current 13-game win streak, which makes the Devils the hottest team in the league right now. Roope Hintz (C – Stars) and Mats Zuccarello (LW – Wild) each netted an assist, while Dylan Larkin (C – Red Wings), Ivan Provorov (D – Flyers), and Ryan Graves (D – Devils) all finished without a point. Neither goaltender won his matchup, as Ville Husso (G – Red Wings) and Logan Thompson (G – Golden Knights) each surrendered three goals. Overall, it was an underwhelming outcome that was only saved by Bratt’s two-point outing against Montreal.

Two games provide enough action to dive into each matchup and identify the best players to build your DraftKings and FanDuel lineups around on Tuesday night. Let’s cash out and head into Thanksgiving with good vibes!

Check out today’s One-Timer contest from FanDuel

Recommended Plays: DraftKings

DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000

Tage Thompson (C – Sabres): $8,300
Yes, it’s chalky paying up for the highest-salaried center on Tuesday’s slate, but Tage Thompson had his point streak snapped against Toronto on Saturday. Prior to that happening, the 25-year-old center had at least one goal or two assists in four consecutive outings, leading the way for Buffalo’s offense. He’ll face struggling Montreal goaltender Jake Allen, who has allowed four goals in each of his previous three starts. Thompson is well worth the price of admission, as he’ll bounce back with either a goal or a pair of assists on Tuesday night.

Alex Tuch (RW – Sabres): $5,600
26-year-old Alex Tuch is now in his second season with the Sabres, returning close to his hometown of Syracuse, New York. Tuch has netted five points in his last three games, including two goals, making him a great value on DraftKings at under $6,000. He will also face Allen in the crease, where Tuch could deliver huge production for Buffalo, which translates to green lineups on DraftKings. Plug Tuch in as a strong salary-saving option with a big ceiling.

Adam Fox (D – Rangers): $6,700
Let’s pivot off of Buffalo and go to the first-line defense for the New York Rangers. Defenseman Adam Fox will get a great matchup against Kings’ veteran netminder Jonathan Quick (G – Kings), who has been struggling as of late. Quick has surrendered ten goals in his last two starts, while Fox has three goals and six assists in his last five games. He’s one of the strongest defensemen in the offensive zone, so pay up to land him in lineups with a high floor and a high ceiling.

Igor Shesterkin (G – Rangers): $8,000
The only goalie I feel good about on this slate is the 2022 Vezina Trophy winner, Igor Shesterkin. He’ll face an L.A. Kings offense that has begun to sputter, scoring three combined goals in consecutive losses to Vancouver and Seattle entering Tuesday’s home game. Shesterkin has had some bad outings to start the year, but he’s cleaned it up recently, holding Arizona and San Jose to a goal each, leading to easy wins. Expect a similar outcome on the road in L.A.

Recommended Plays: FanDuel

FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000

Mika Zibanejad (C – Rangers): $9,800
Sticking with the Rangers at Kings matchup, I like the outlook for Mika Zibanejad. The 29-year-old Rangers’ center has five points in his last five games, which include a two-goal outing against Detroit while notching three consecutive points in his last three games. The Rangers go as Zibanejad goes, so against a struggling goalie like Jonathan Quick, he quickly becomes worth the high salary on FanDuel. Plug Zibanejad in with confidence.

Brendan Gallagher (RW – Canadiens): $5,000
Brendan Gallagher has spent over a decade in Montreal, and he’s recently been busy producing points for the Canadiens. The 30-year-old winger has three points in his last two games despite being a relatively low-volume shooter. Gallagher will face Craig Anderson in the net, who has looked good and awful in different spots, which makes Gallagher worth the risk at only $5,000 on FanDuel. Expect Gallagher to build off of his recent momentum against Anderson at home in Montreal on Tuesday night.

Rasmus Dahlin (D – Sabres): $8,000
Rasmus Dahlin is this year’s version of Roman Josi (D – Predators). That means he’s racking up points as a defenseman, which is evident with the 20 points he’s collected through 17 games. Dahlin is second on the team in total points, including seven goals, and has notched an assist in four of his previous five games played. Factor in the pair of blocked shots and a few shots on goal, and Dahlin becomes well worth the elevated salary for a defenseman on FanDuel.

Craig Anderson (G – Sabres): $7,500
Since there are only four goaltenders to choose from when constructing builds on Tuesday night, I’m willing to roll with Craig Anderson as the second option behind Igor Shesterkin. As previously mentioned, Anderson has had a few good games in the crease for Buffalo this season, holding Ottawa to one goal on 15 shots but only playing 25 minutes due to the lopsided matchup. Anderson started the year with one goal allowed and consecutive wins against Ottawa and Vancouver while facing at least 30 shots, so he still has enough talent to warrant consideration in DFS lineups.