We’re back with a brand new NHL DFS Primer ahead of Tuesday’s beefy 12-game schedule! Due to only two games scheduled last Friday, I opted to pass and wait for a bigger slate to maximize the value and production we can acquire when constructing DraftKings and FanDuel lineups. Kudos to any of you who powered through the two-game slate and still cashed contests. Hopefully, you wound up rostering any lineups comprised of Matthew Tkachuk (LW – Panthers), Brandon Montour (D – Panthers), Max Comtois (LW – Ducks), or John Gibson (G – Ducks), as Anaheim upset Calgary 3-1 and Chicago fell short in a 4-3 overtime loss against Florida’s high-octane offense.
Recapping my recommended plays from a week ago, it’s evident that some monster performances were mixed in with a few duds. Nico Hischier (C – Devils), Michael Matheson (D – Canadiens), and Shayne Gostisbehere (D – Hurricanes) were all held without a point, while Filip Gustavsson (G – Wild) blocked all 26 shots during regulation and overtime but was unable to win the shootout, eliminating the extra points awarded to a winning goaltender. Clayton Keller (C – Coyotes) was one of the best on the slate, netting three points, including a goal, during a 6-2 win over St. Louis, while Brayden Point (C – Lightning) and Mikko Rantanen (RW – Avalanche) each wound up with a point, with the latter scoring a goal for the Avalanche.
We’re back with a brand new NHL DFS Primer ahead of Tuesday’s beefy 12-game schedule! Due to only two games scheduled last Friday, I opted to pass and wait for a bigger slate to maximize the value and production we can acquire when constructing DraftKings and FanDuel lineups. Kudos to any of you who powered through the two-game slate and still cashed contests. Hopefully, you wound up rostering any lineups comprised of Matthew Tkachuk (LW – Panthers), Brandon Montour (D – Panthers), Max Comtois (LW – Ducks), or John Gibson (G – Ducks), as Anaheim upset Calgary 3-1 and Chicago fell short in a 4-3 overtime loss against Florida’s high-octane offense.
Recapping my recommended plays from a week ago, it’s evident that some monster performances were mixed in with a few duds. Nico Hischier (C – Devils), Michael Matheson (D – Canadiens), and Shayne Gostisbehere (D – Hurricanes) were all held without a point, while Filip Gustavsson (G – Wild) blocked all 26 shots during regulation and overtime but was unable to win the shootout, eliminating the extra points awarded to a winning goaltender. Clayton Keller (C – Coyotes) was one of the best on the slate, netting three points, including a goal, during a 6-2 win over St. Louis, while Brayden Point (C – Lightning) and Mikko Rantanen (RW – Avalanche) each wound up with a point, with the latter scoring a goal for the Avalanche.
We’ve arrived at another massive slate filled with 12 games, which means we have 24 teams at our disposal when constructing DFS lineups. Per usual, I’ve identified eight of my favorite prospects and will explain why each one warrants a spot in your lineups ahead of Tuesday’s puck drops. Best of luck, let’s cash some contests!
Check out today’s One-Timer contest from FanDuel 
Recommended Plays: DraftKings
DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000
Leon Draisaitl (C – Oilers): $7,700
Edmonton has a top-five offense in the league and while Connor McDavid (C – Oilers) tends to steal most of the highlights, his teammate, Leon Draisaitl, gains value as the second-line center. Draisaitl has cooled off a bit since delivering over 29.5 DK points in back-to-back games at the beginning of March but he still has a point in each of his previous two games played entering Tuesday’s home game against Ottawa. Mads Sogaard (G – Senators) has quickly wilted, allowing four or more goals in each of his previous three starts for the Senators, so play the matchup and avoid paying $10.1K for McDavid and instead opt for Draisaitl at $7.7K, as his floor is high enough to boost lineups in most DFS contests.
Jake Guentzel (LW – Penguins): $7,100
Jake Guentzel is one of Pittsburgh’s most consistent contributors on offense, scoring 27 goals and totaling 58 points through 62 games played this season. He was held without a point for the first time in four games in his last outing against the New York Rangers, but he still took four shots on goal and earned over 20 minutes of time on the ice, so expect a bounce-back effort against the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal is coming off of an 8-4 thrashing in Colorado on Monday night and will be continuing their road trek in a back-to-back effort. Guentzel has enough usage to consider one point his floor, but he’s capable of delivering a multi-point effort against a bad team like the Canadiens. $7.1K is not too much to pay up for Guentzel, so go ahead and insert him into lineups with confidence.
Rasmus Andersson (D – Flames): $5,800
Calgary is a bit of an enigma but they are getting good usage on both ends of the rink from Rasmus Andersson. At $5.8K on DraftKings, Andersson is a quality value to acquire, as he averages two to four blocked shots per game, creating a floor, while displaying the ability to score points in the offensive zone. This includes two goals across his last five games and a multi-point outing in his most recent game played against Ottawa. Avoid spending too much on a volatile defenseman and roll Andersson into lineups at a fraction of the cost ahead of a plus-matchup against the Arizona Coyotes.
Stuart Skinner (G – Oilers): $8,200
Edmonton has a preference toward Stuart Skinner in the crease and for good reason. The 24-year-old netminder is fresh off of one of his worst performances of the season, surrendering six goals to Toronto in a 7-4 loss, but he had gone eight consecutive games allowing between two to three goals before getting lit up by the Maple Leafs. It helps to know that the Oilers are hosting the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. The Senators are on a bit of a schnide, getting outscored 10-3 in their last two games played. Skinner is in a good position to redeem himself, so go ahead and plug him into lineups as one of the higher-value netminders available on DraftKings.
Recommended Plays: FanDuel
FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000
Evgeni Malkin (C – Penguins): $7,400
Evgeni Malkin has been in the league for quite a while but he continues to produce at a steady clip in terms of his fantasy production. The Penguins are still getting the most out of their veteran center core, with Malkin entering Tuesday’s home game matchup against a bad defensive Montreal team with a five-game point streak intact. Malkin has two multi-point games during this stretch, all in the form of assists, which means he’s also overdue for his 24th goal of the season. Jason Zucker (LW – Penguins) has been gobbling up goals on the second attack line but facing Samuel Montembeault, who has a 3.28 GAA in 25 starts this season, makes Malkin a must-add in all FanDuel lineups.
Jamie Benn (LW – Stars): $7,200
Jamie Benn has been heating up during Dallas ‘ impressive three-game win streak, logging three multi-point games in his previous four matchups entering Tuesday’s road game in Vancouver. This includes a goal in all three of those games. Benn has been a relatively low-volume shooter but his shots are finding the back of the net most of the time, while the other production generated comes in the form of assists, as he’s collected five across the last four games played. The Canucks haven’t been coughing up goals as easily as they were thanks to the return of Thatcher Demko (G – Canucks) in the crease but the Stars are playing with a lot of momentum and confidence, making Benn a solid value addition to lineups at $7.2K on FanDuel.
Moritz Seider (D – Red Wings): $6,200
Detroit may be slipping out of the Eastern Conference Wild Card race but it still has plenty of contributors within its rostered personnel. One of them is Moritz Seider, who stays busy collecting blocked shots in the defensive zone, while also attempting two or three shots on goal per game, which has led to five goals and a solid 30 assists this season. Lately, Seider is playing well, fresh off of a multi-point game against Boston, which included a goal, so facing a porous defensive team like Nashville helps build the case for adding Seider into lineups. He’s a lot cheaper than other defenseman with his production and is getting devalued due to the matchup against Juuse Saros (G – Predators). However, Saros has allowed three or more goals in each of his previous three starts, making Seider a solid play in FanDuel lineups.
Ilya Sorokin (G – Islanders): $8,400
Ilya Sorokin and the New York Islanders will take on the Los Angeles Kings in the final game of Tuesday’s 12-game slate. The Islanders are sitting in the second Wild Card seed in the Eastern Conference and have added motivation to continue collecting points, as Florida, Buffalo, Washington, and Ottawa are all within six points of them in the standings. Sorokin didn’t start during the 5-1 loss to Washington but he’s won three consecutive starts in the crease, so despite a difficult matchup against a quality offense like the Kings, Sorokin has proven to be a commodity between the pipes, bailing out the Islanders’ volatile offense on numerous occasions this season. There are five more expensive goaltenders on the slate but Sorokin gives us the best chance to boost our lineups into the green at the end of the night, so plug him in with confidence.
