We’ve finally made it to the best time of the year. The Stanley Cup Playoffs! This also means we have an entirely new DFS slate to digest with the stakes set at a much higher level now that we’re in the first round of the NHL postseason. Four of the eight games were already played on Monday night and upsets were rampant, as the Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings each clawed out overtime road victories to upset the home team favorites. Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes jumped out to an early 2-0 lead that proved to be too much for the New York Islanders to handle, while the Boston Bruins covered the puck line as home favorites against a high-octane Florida Panthers offense, riding on momentum from their historic regular season record.

Tuesday’s slate is arguably even more entertaining with its four matchups. Starting with the New Jersey Devils hosting the New York Rangers in the Hudson River Rivalry, we can expect a lot of quality play from a plethora of blue-chip prospects during the first game of the night. Tampa Bay will travel to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs and their fans are hoping to avoid another first-round exit that has been haunting them for years. Out in the Western Conference, Seattle has a tall task ahead on the road against the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche, while the Vegas Golden Knights are back in the playoffs after missing them for the first time in 2022, hosting the scrappy Winnipeg Jets.

There’s a ton of value to acquire when entering DraftKings and FanDuel DFS contests, so I’ve dug deep to uncover eight of my favorite players to target when constructing lineups ahead of another entertaining night on the ice. Enjoy playoff hockey and let’s cash a few DFS contests to set the tone in the first playoff edition of my NHL DFS Primer. Good luck!

Check out today’s One-Timer contest from FanDuel

Recommended Plays: DraftKings

DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000

Auston Matthews (C – Maple Leafs): $8,900
Auston Matthews leads Toronto into one of the most action-packed matchups in the first round, hosting an experienced Tampa Bay Lightning roster on Tuesday night. Matthews hit 40 goals and 85 total points in the regular season in 74 games played, averaging 17.8 FPPG on DraftKings. The last time he faced the Lightning back in December, Matthews logged a goal and recorded six shots on goal, which was enough to eclipse 20 DK points. He’s highly priced for a reason, but we’ve seen Andrei Vasilevskiy (G – Lightning) struggle mightily in the net lately, allowing a combined ten goals in his previous two starts, so let’s not overthink this one and pay up to acquire Matthews as a high-floor blue-chip player in DraftKings lineups.

Jared McCann (LW – Kraken): $5,900
It was a career year for Jared McCann this season, but he’s solely set on upsetting the Avalanche in Seattle’s first-round matchup. McCann hit 40 goals and added 30 assists, averaging 11.4 DK points per game, and benefits from the fast-paced tempo and personnel surrounding him on the Kraken’s first-line attack. McCann scored two points, including one goal, in three combined appearances against Colorado this season, but he logged an impressive three-game multi-point stretch in early April, showing that he’s capable of finishing possessions in the offensive zone. We’re getting a nice discount on McCann at $5.9K, so despite the tough matchup against the reigning champions, let’s invest in Seattle’s top weapon.

Victor Hedman (D – Lightning): $5,400
Defensemen are often not worth a high salary in DFS due to their volatility in the offensive zone. Victor Hedman is one of the rare defensemen who contribute consistently in the offensive zone, while also racking up blocked shots in the defensive zone. Tampa Bay relies on his size and versatility at the blue line, which is why Hedman hit 40 assists in the regular season. He can be a high-volume shooter if needed, but earns his production with passing and blocked shots, so at $5.4K on DraftKings, I like the value and the matchup against Toronto’s injured defense in Game 1.

Vitek Vanecek (G – Devils): $7,700
Quietly, Vitek Vanecek has been playing lights out in the crease for New Jersey, allowing four combined goals across the final three starts of the regular season. The 27-year-old netminder occasionally has a poor outing, but in a regional rivalry playoff series, especially at home in the opening game, I expect Vanecek to do what he did against the New York Rangers a few weeks ago when he surrendered one goal on 25 shots en route to a 2-1 win. $7.7K is a massive discount for a goaltender, so let’s fire Vanecek up without hesitation against a talented but inconsistent Rangers attack.

Recommended Plays: FanDuel

FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000

Jack Hughes (C – Devils): $8,500
Interested in a blue-chip prospect who is a few hundred dollars cheaper than Nathan MacKinnon (C – Avalanche) and Auston Matthews? Look no further than Jack Hughes. The 21-year-old center averaged over 20 FPPG in FanDuel lineups this season, thanks to 43 goals and 56 assists. Now, he gets a home-ice advantage in his first career playoff series and is joined by his brother, Luke Hughes (D – Devils). He’ll face Igor Shesterkin (G – Rangers), who has cleaned up his pay in between the pipes after a rough start to the year, but Hughes recorded at least one point in nine consecutive games entering Tuesday night. He’s worth every penny of your available salary, so plug Hughes into FanDuel lineups as a high-floor, high-ceiling prospect.

Artemi Panarin (LW – Rangers): $6,500
We’re getting solid value with Artemi Panarin at $6.5K on FanDuel. The Rangers’ second-line attack winger ended the regular season with three goals on five shots across his final two games, displaying his hyper-efficiency, which led to 29 goals and a whopping 63 assists in 2023. Panarin was held without a point during the Rangers’ previous 2-1 loss against New Jersey a couple of weeks ago, but he’s been on fire since that occurred, plus he’s surrounded by talent on his normal attack line and powerplay unit. Vanecek has drastically improved but Panarin’s puck handling and shot-making ability are too high to ignore at this reduced salary, making him a rare value to hop on with the utmost confidence.

Dougie Hamilton (D – Devils): $6,500
I’m willing to pay up for Dougie Hamilton’s skill set, as he surpassed 50 assists and chipped in 22 goals for the Devils during the regular season. The veteran isn’t afraid to be a volume shooter when New Jersey is in a lull, while he has a nose for setting up passes that often wind up lighting the lamp. Yes, we’re paying a premium for Hamilton in our FanDuel lineups, but he recorded an assist with five shots on goal against Shesterkin in their last matchup, so don’t feel anxious about spending up on the high floor we’re landing by rostering Hamilton at a $6,500 salary.

Ilya Samsonov (G – Maple Leafs): $7,800
My favorite goaltender on Tuesday’s slate is Ilya Samsonov. The 26-year-old netminder has recorded a shutout and allowed two or fewer goals in five consecutive starts, so he has plenty of momentum and confidence ahead of a home ice tilt against a perennial playoff team such as Tampa Bay. The Lightning have yet to face Samsonov this season despite several matchups played, so combined with their 1-4 finish down the stretch of the regular season, there’s little reason to fade a talent such as Samsonov.