NHL DraftKings and FanDuel DFS Primer: Tuesday (12/13)

12 games line Tuesday’s NHL slate, providing ample value and opportunity for us to cash our lineup builds on DraftKings and FanDuel. This many matchups create ample scoring production for players that may otherwise be too expensive or play with relatively low usage in the offensive zone. Out of the 12 games scheduled in the league on Tuesday night, half of them have high point total lines, which means the juice either favors the over or the point total line is set at 6.5 or 7 goals. Either way, it’s a situation to relish when it comes to DFS construction.

Friday’s recommended picks, excluding the star talent of Connor McDavid (C – Oilers), all busted in DFS lineups. It was easily the worst group of players I’ve targeted since the 2022-23 NHL season began, as Sidney Crosby (C – Penguins), Tyler Toffoli (RW – Flames), and Zach Parise (LW – Islanders) all goosed in the points department. Even Jacob Markstrom (G – Flames) couldn’t stop Columbus as a massive favorite, surrendering two goals in a 3-1 loss to the Blue Jackets. The good news is that we get to move on from that meager outing and have plenty of juicy matchups to exploit entering Tuesday’s 12-game slate.

Without further ado, here are eight of my favorite players to insert into DraftKings and FanDuel lineups ahead of Tuesday night puck drops. We’re due for some big goals and

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Recommended Plays: DraftKings

DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000

Connor McDavid (C – Oilers): $9,600
We’re not getting cute here, we’re getting chalky and filling as many builds as possible with Connor McDavid. Edmonton’s star center is a point machine, entering Tuesday’s game against Nashville with 25 goals and 30 assists through only 29 games played. He logged only one assist in his last game against Minnesota but Kevin Lankinen (G – Predators) is a volatile netminder, so fire up McDavid for his signature multi-point outing.

Timo Meier (LW – Sharks): $7,800
26-year-old Timo Meier leads San Jose in goals scored with 14 while coming off of a two-point game against Anaheim, which included his 14th goal of the season. Meier’s shot volume tends to fluctuate, but he’s not nearly as highly salaried as other volatile players on Tuesday’s slate. The Sharks will host Arizona at a late 10:30 p.m. ET puck drop, which means you could end your night with a flood of DraftKings points from Meier, as the Coyotes are ranked 27th in goals allowed, surrendering 3.6 per game.

Rasmus Dahlin (D – Sabres): $7,500
I don’t love paying up to acquire a defenseman but Buffalo has something special in Rasmus Dahlin. He’s a relatively high-volume shooter in the offensive zone and while he’s been held without a point in his previous two games played, the 22-year-old can log a two or three-point night against any opponent. The Sabres will host the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night, where the oddsmakers have set the point total line at 7. Chase the potential scoring in this matchup, as the Kings are also surrendering 3.6 goals per night, which sets Dahlin up for a potentially big night in front of Buffalo’s fan base.

Matt Murray (G – Maple Leafs): $8,500
Rolling out any goaltender against the Anaheim Ducks is a pretty solid strategy this season. Such is the case for Toronto netminder Matt Murray, who has won his previous two starts with wildly different results. The 28-year-old allowed four goals in a 5-4 win over Calgary, while previously shutting out Dallas while logging 44 saves. The upside is enormous for Murray against the league’s worst offense. The Ducks are averaging 2.3 goals per game, ranked 32nd, so Murray should cruise to a sizable win in between the pipes on Tuesday night.

Recommended Plays: FanDuel

FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000

Evgeny Kuznetsov (C – Capitals): $6,500
Alex Ovechkin (LW – Capitals) gets all of the headlines, but Evgeny Kuznetsov has been heating up in December. The 30-year-old center for the Capitals has only four goals scored this season, but he just netted his fourth on Sunday against Winnipeg. Kuznetsov is a nice discounted player on FanDuel and has a five-game point streak intact entering Tuesday’s road contest against the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago’s lack of defense and stout goaltending creates strong appeal for Kuznetsov, who has great puck handling and vision on Washington’s top attack line. Plug him in with confidence.

Johnny Gaudreau (LW – Blue Jackets): $8,000
As bad as the early portion of the season has been for Columbus, at least it’s getting a decent ROI with Johnny Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets’ expensive free-agent winger turned in a three-point night against the Kings on Sunday, while also notching a point in three of his previous four games played. Gaudreau is an efficient shooter, meaning he doesn’t often go above three to four shots on goal per game, but Florida has allowed 3.3 goals per game, which ranks in the bottom 12 of the league. Gaudreau is chalky and expensive but we’re looking for a high floor, high ceiling combination. This is something that he possesses, so pay up to land Gaudreau in lineups on the road in Miami on Tuesday night.

Dougie Hamilton (D – Devils): $6,300
New Jersey is one of the hottest teams in the NHL right now and veteran defenseman Dougie Hamilton is not a quiet contributor. Hamilton has five assists and a goal across his last three games played, which includes a seven-shot outing against the Chicago Blackhawks that resulted in a three-point night for the talented two-way defenseman. Hamilton is in the higher tier of defensemen in terms of salary on FanDuel, but he’s well worth the investment despite a tough matchup against Dallas at home.

Connor Hellebuyck (G – Jets): $8,100
Winnipeg sits atop the Central Division with a +20 goal differential, which can be attributed to goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The 29-year-old netminder has a .930 save percentage and 2.33 GAA through 20 games as a starter for the Jets, which includes a 14-6 record. Hellebuyck also has three recorded shutouts and has only allowed more than two goals once in his last six starts. Winnipeg will face the Vegas Golden Knights at home on Tuesday, who average 3.2 goals scored per game. It’s a decent matchup for both sides, but I believe Hellebuyck has the ability and confidence to shut down Vegas’ attack lines after surrendering four goals in a 5-2 loss to Washington on Sunday. He’s due for a huge bounce-back performance, which will flood FanDuel lineups with points, so fire him up.