The holiday season is upon us and what better way to celebrate than enjoying a nine-game slate in the NHL? Tuesday night has several great matchups, including Toronto vs. Dallas and Detroit vs. Tampa Bay, but the best part of a big slate is the value that can be acquired in DFS builds. Constructing winning lineups requires a mixture of high-caliber talent and undervalued players who have the usage or skillset to hit their ceiling at a fraction of the cost that other big names garner.

Friday’s Primer hit on nearly every player, although the goaltenders were once again the weak point. Igor Shesterkin (G – Rangers) and Ilya Sorokin (G – Islanders) couldn’t get it done for either New York team, which is certainly disappointing. Let’s pivot and focus on quality production from my recommended skaters. Pierre-Luc Dubois (C – Jets) scored the only goal for Winnipeg in a surprising 4-1 loss against Columbus, while teammate Blake Wheeler (RW – Jets) chipped in with an assist. Brock Nelson (C – Islanders) notched another assist, while defenseman Roman Josi (D – Predators) scored two points, including a goal, in a 4-1 win over the Islanders. Adam Fox (D – Rangers) netted an assist for the Rangers, but the star of Friday’s slate was Brady Tkachuk (LW – Senators), who logged two goals and an assist in a 3-2 overtime win over the Rangers.

Let’s dig into this beefy nine-game slate on Tuesday and find the players who possess the upside to produce points and cash out your DraftKings and FanDuel lineups.

Check out today’s One-Timer contest from FanDuel

Recommended Plays: DraftKings

DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000

Jack Hughes (C – Devils): $7,600
I’ll pay up to acquire the star of New Jersey’s red-hot offense. 21-year-old center Jack Hughes has scored a goal in four of his past five games played, while entering a plus-matchup against Chicago with at least one point in five consecutive outings. Hughes has two multi-point games during this streak, including a hat trick against Washington. Don’t overthink this one and plug Hughes into lineups with confidence.

Martin Necas (RW – Hurricanes): $6,700
Another young contributor in the league is 23-year-old Martin Necas. He’s scored three goals in three of his past four games while generating a multi-point outing in his most recent matchup against the Kings. Necas attempts three to five shots on goal per game, so he offers a solid floor with a high ceiling, which is exactly what we want in DFS. You’re also not paying too much for Necas, so add him in a game against the struggling Anaheim Ducks.

Vladislav Gavrikov (D – Blue Jackets): $4,400
We’re going from high-caliber scorers to cheap defensemen, but Vladislav Gavrikov still has some appeal. The 27-year-old defenseman earns roughly 20 minutes ATOI for Columbus, where he stays busy blocking shots and chipping in on scoring plays via assist. Gavrikov has two assists in his past three games played and will face Tristan Jarry (G – Penguins), who has surrendered three goals in two of his past three starts in net. Get a solid salary-saving prospect in lineups and move forward.

Vitek Vanecek (G – Devils): $8,500
Fresh off of an overtime loss against Philadelphia, expect Vitek Vanecek to return to form against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night. Vanecek is 11-2 as a starter with one recorded shutout, so he should be in a good spot against Chicago’s offense, which is ranked 30th in goals scored at 2.5 per game. Pay up to lock Vanecek into lineups with confidence.

Recommended Plays: FanDuel

FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000

Sam Bennett (C – Panthers): $7,000
Sam Bennett is now in his third season with Florida and he’s been heating up the rink lately. The 26-year-old center has five points in his last two games played, including a two-goal outing against Vancouver on December 1st. He’s a scrappy, hard-nosed player who also provides a decent floor with blocked shots and shots on goal, so landing Bennett at $7,000 on FanDuel is a high-value play against Winnipeg on Tuesday night.

Johnny Gaudreau (LW – Blue Jackets): $8,000
Columbus is off to a terrible start but their top free-agent acquisition, Johnny Gaudreau, is still returning value on the first-line attack. The 29-year-old winger has seven assists and a goal in his last four games played, only being held without a point once in his last ten matchups. Gaudreau will face a volatile netminder in Tristan Jarry on Tuesday night, where he previously notched an assist with three shots on goal. Gaudreau is expensive but his upside is worth chasing.

Thomas Chabot (D – Senators): $6,400
Ottawa has quietly rattled off two wins in a row and will face the Los Angeles Kings in a game where oddsmakers give the edge to the Senators at -115 on the moneyline. Ottawa defenseman Thomas Chabot scored his fourth goal of the season in his last outing against San Jose while notching five of his eight assists in the last five games played. He’s heavily involved in the offense, so $6,400 is worth the investment, especially against veteran netminder Jonathan Quick (G – Kings), who has surrendered seven goals in his last two starts.

Antti Raanta (G – Hurricanes): $7,900
Carolina plans to roll out Antti Raanta to defend the crease against Anaheim on the road on Tuesday night. The 33-year-old veteran is 1-0-1 in his last two starts, but he has yet to allow more than three goals scored against him this season. Anaheim is 32nd in goals scored at 2.4 per game, while also ranking as a bottom-ten unit in shots taken, so play the matchup and fire up Raanta at a discounted value.