The NHL is digging into their bag of charity ahead of Friday’s 10-game slate. That’s right! Normally, we see the bigger slates happen on other days, but the league has opted to provide ten games for us to sink our teeth into. As I always say, a bigger slate creates more value to obtain when constructing DFS lineups, as some of the first and second-line skaters who consistently contribute see their salaries drop on DraftKings and FanDuel.

My recommended picks were once again a mixed bag of production. Johnny Gaudreau (LW – Blue Jackets) scored Columbus’ only goal in a 4-1 rout against Pittsburgh, while Thomas Chabot (D – Senators) notched two points, including a goal, in a 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Hughes (C – Devils) and Vitek Vanecek (G – Devils) were brilliant per usual, as Hughes netted two assists and Vanecek recorded his second shutout of the season against Chicago. Martin Necas (RW – Hurricanes), Vladislav Gavrikov (D – Blue Jackets), and Sam Bennett (C – Panthers) all failed to return value without a point, while Antti Raanta (G – Hurricanes) didn’t wind up starting in the crease for Carolina. If you tailed the New Jersey Devils recommendations and combined them with Chabot and Gaudreau, you likely cashed out your lineups on Tuesday.

Let’s not waste any more time and dive right into eight of my favorite players to target when building DraftKings and FanDuel lineups ahead of Friday’s ten-game NHL slate!

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Recommended Plays: DraftKings

DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000

Sidney Crosby (C – Penguins): $7,300
Pittsburgh’s captain and veteran center, Sidney Crosby, has been red-hot in his last five games played. Crosby enters Friday’s road contest against the Buffalo Sabres with a six-game point streak intact, scoring four goals and three assists during this stretch. The Sabres are rolling 41-year-old netminder Craig Anderson (G – Sabres) into the net, who has allowed seven goals in his previous two starts, so pay up to acquire Crosby’s elite skill set in DraftKings lineups.

Tyler Toffoli (RW – Flames): $6,100
Tyler Toffoli’s first full season with Calgary has gone well, as he’s reached double-digits in goals (10) and assists (10) ahead of Friday’s road trip to Columbus. The Blue Jackets are ranked 32nd in goals allowed, averaging 4.2 per game. Toffoli is fresh off of a two-goal outing against Minnesota on Wednesday, while he’s scored at least one point in four of his past five games. He’s a good value play going up against the worst defense in the league on Friday night.

Vince Dunn (D – Kraken): $4,700
Seattle will travel to the nation’s capitol to play Washington during the early window of Friday’s ten-game slate. Vince Dunn hasn’t done much in either of his previous two outings, but he does possess the ability to log an assist or two. Dunn is on the ice for over 20 minutes per game, so he’ll have some opportunities against Washington, who can allow three to five goals depending on the matchup. He’s a floor play but with a $4,700 salary, Dunn is worth a flier.

Logan Thompson (G – Golden Knights): $8,300
25-year-old netminder Logan Thompson has been volatile as a starter but he offers matchup-winning upside entering Friday’s home game against the Flyers. Philadelphia is only scoring 2.4 goals per game on average, which ranks 32nd in the league, so Thompson is an expensive but practical goaltender to target on a busy slate. He’s 13-6 as a starter and has already recorded two shutouts, so there’s excitement to be had with his upside in this particular matchup.

Recommended Plays: FanDuel

FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000

Connor McDavid (C – Oilers): $10,800
I’m riding the chalk here and encouraging you to add Connor McDavid into as many lineups as possible. The star center for the Oilers has been a machine on offense this season, already toting 52 points through 27 games played. This includes 24 goals, as McDavid has scored seven goals and six assists in his last five games played. He’ll eventually cool off, but until that happens, you have to pay up to land him in FanDuel lineups against the Minnesota Wild on Friday night.

Zach Parise (LW – Islanders): $5,700
Zach Parise has spent 18 years in the league but he’s still contributing on offense, notching three points in his last two games played. The Islanders are off to a good start this season, which helps Parise’s upside in FanDuel lineups. He’s a high-volume shooter, taking three to six shots per game, while also scoring four of his nine goals in the past five games this season. It’s a tough cross-town matchup against the New Jersey Devils on Friday night but Parise is a great value add at $5,700, so plug him into lineups.

Tony DeAngelo (D – Flyers): $5,800
Another good defenseman that can be inserted into FanDuel lineups for cheap is Tony DeAngelo. The seventh-year defenseman is in his first year with the Flyers, and while it’s been a struggle to manufacture wins, DeAngelo has a four-game point streak intact entering Friday’s road game in New Jersey. He attempts one to three shots per game, while occasionally collecting a couple of blocked shots, but we’re hoping for another assist against the Devils.

Jacob Markstrom (G – Flames): $7,600
Jacob Markstrom will face a Columbus offense that averages less than three goals per game, while also ranking in the bottom ten for shots on goal. Markstrom will face his old teammate, Johnny Gaudreau, but the 32-year-old netminder is in a good spot for a bounce-back after losing his previous two starts to Montreal and Washington. At $7,600, this is one of the highest upside netminders to acquire for cheap on FanDuel, so add him into lineups with confidence.