The NHL playoffs are heating up in the second round, with two games on tap for Tuesday’s slate. The New Jersey Devils will look to even their series at two apiece against Carolina, while the Seattle Kraken can jump out to a 3-1 lead at home against the Dallas Stars during Tuesday’s late-night puck drop.

The Devils once again fell into an 0-2 series deficit, but came out aggressive in Game 3, routing the Hurricanes 8-4 during their first game in Newark, New Jersey. Jack Hughes (C – Devils) scored a pair of goals to end his five-game drought, while Timo Meier (LW – Devils) ended his slump with the opening goal of the game. On the opposite coast, it was all Kraken in Game 3, as the scoreless first period opened up with six goals in the second period, ending 5-1 in Seattle’s favor, while going on to win 7-2. Seven different players scored for the Kraken, showcasing their depth and relentlessness on the ice.

Will we see both of these Game 4s result in tied series on Tuesday night? Or will Carolina and Seattle take a commanding 3-1 lead ahead of Game 5? With such high stakes hockey underway, we’re getting some great value on Tuesday’s DFS slate. I’ve identified eight of my favorite prospects to prioritize when constructing DraftKings and FanDuel lineups ahead of the opening puck drops on Tuesday night. Best of luck, and let’s cash out some contests!

Check out today’s One-Timer contest from FanDuel

Recommended Plays: DraftKings

DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000

Jack Hughes (C – Devils): $8,200
After a two-game point drought, star center Jack Hughes notched a four-point outing, including two goals, in a dominant 8-4 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Hughes and the Devils will run it back at Prudential Center again on Tuesday night against the Hurricanes, who play notably worse on the road. Hughes is the most expensive player on this slate but his ceiling is enormous, so let’s invest accordingly with the goal of Hughes finishing with another goal or a couple of assists.

Seth Jarvis (RW – Hurricanes): $5,300
Skating on Carolina’s first line attack, Seth Jarvis has logged at least one point in four of his past five games, including a two-point performance in Game 3. His shot volume tends to fluctuate but Jarvis is an integral part of the top line in Carolina and provides a stable floor, so at $5,300 on DraftKings, he becomes a clear value to acquire in lineups ahead of Tuesday night.

Vince Dunn (D – Kraken): $4,800
Vince Dunn has logged an assist in every game of the series against Dallas so far and he’ll be looking to extend this streak in front of a raucous home crowd in Seattle during Game 4 on Tuesday night. Dunn scored 15 goals this season, but surpassed 50 assists, so he’s a machine when it comes to setting up scoring possessions. The shot volume tends to be low and while the blocked shots aren’t consistent, Dunn’s ability to find the open Kraken attacker is what makes him so valuable. At under $5,000, inserting Dunn into lineups is a no-brainer.

Vitek Vanecek (G – Devils): $8,000
New Jersey is dealing with inconsistent goaltending from both of their netminders but Vitek Vanecek is back in the crease after recording 26 saves against 30 shots in Game 3. It’s a risky investment based on Vanecek’s poor outing during the previous Round 1 series against the New York Rangers, but he was very good during the regular season, so let’s pay up to get Vanecek facing a Carolina team that tends to underperform on the road.

Recommended Plays: FanDuel

FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000

Sebastian Aho (C – Hurricanes): $7,000
Sebastian Aho is a must-add player in DFS lineups ahead of Game 4. Aho is the primary goal scorer and offensive force for Carolina and he has a six-game point streak intact entering Tuesday’s road contest against New Jersey. Aho ended his two-game scoring drought in Game 3 despite taking only one shot on goal, but he tends to take three to four shots on goal and always winds up with an assist if he doesn’t score a goal. $7,000 isn’t as high as it could be on FanDuel, so let’s lock Aho into lineups.

Jordan Eberle (RW – Kraken): $5,300
Seattle has a deep roster with a lot of playoff experience due to the number of players that expansion teams are allowed to pluck from other teams during their roster construction. As such, Jordan Eberle has become a force on the Kraken’s first attack line, scoring a goal in every game of the series against Dallas. Eberle takes anywhere from two to four shots on goal and logged a multi-point outing in Game 1. At $5,300, we’re landing a huge value prospect here with Eberle, so confidently insert him into FanDuel lineups during Tuesday’s home game against the Stars.

Brett Pesce (D – Hurricanes): $3,900
If you’re looking for a high floor defenseman with the ability to show up in the score sheet, look no further than Brett Pesce. Carolina’s defenseman recorded four points across his last six games, including a goal during Game 1 against the Devils. Pesce averages two blocked shots per game to counter his lack of shot attempts on goal, but at $3,900, we’re getting roughly 8.4 FPPG locked into our FanDuel lineups. He’s a solid commodity to roster, so pay the cheap salary to acquire Pesce ahead of Game 4.

Philipp Grubauer (G – Kraken): $7,500
Goaltending is key in DFS because the netminder on the winning team receives an additional flurry of points to boost your lineups in contests. Philipp Grubauer has been playing up to the massive contract that he signed ahead of the 2021-22 season with Seattle, averaging 2.5 GAA and 13.7 FPPG. He is 2-1 in the series against a potent Stars offense, allowing eight goals in the first two games before buttoning up the crease with 24 saves against 26 shots. Grubauer is the cheapest goaltender on the slate, so let’s not overthink this one and insert him into FanDuel lineups.