The Chalk

Name FD Salary/Position DK Salary/Position Estimated Ownership
Jamie Benn $10,400 / LW $8,300/ W 15-20%
Tyler Seguin $8,700/ C $8,700 / C 15-20%
Valeri Nichushkin $3,400 / RW $3,400 / W 5-10%

This line was reunited a couple games ago, after seeing some success together in Nichushkins' rookie campaign last year. In just over 30 minutes on ice together this year (via Puckalytics), they have a Corsi For % (CF%) of 62%, but haven't seen the goals go in with a combined shooting percentage of 4.76%, well below the league average. That number can only go up, and the match up tonight is a juicy one. Cam Ward is expected to be in net for the Hurricanes, who are also playing their fourth game in six nights. Wards' adjusted save percentage 5 on 5 is an abysmal 90.52% (Via War On Ice), good for one of the worst marks in the league. That isn't a good recipe against a well rested Stars team that will also have a huge special team advantage in their favor. The Stars third ranked power play should get ample opportunities against the 26th ranked penalty killing unit of the Hurricanes. If you don't want to pay up for Benn and Seguin, there is huge value in the following players if you want a cheaper piece of the Dallas pie; Jason Spezza, John Klingberg, Cody Eakin, Patrick Sharp and Mattias Janmark.

Name FD Salary/Position DK Salary/Position Estimated Ownership
Kevin Shattenirk $6,000 / D $5,300/ D 10-15%
Paul Stastny $5,300/ C $5,200 / C 7-12%
Vlad Tarasenko $8,100 / RW $7,700 / W 12-17%

Magnus Paajarvi was moved onto the top line five on five with Stastny and Tarasenko, and he makes a good value play if you need to save some salary. The three above play on the top power play unit that I expect to feast tonight. Shattenkirk is my top defenseman play of the night, slightly edging out Klingberg and Brent Burns. Mike Smith gets the call for the Coyotes tonight, who will also be playing their fourth game in six nights against a well rested Blues team looking to get back on track. Smith, like Ward above, has an abysmal adjusted 5 on 5 save percentage, with a 91.45% mark that puts him in the bottom 15% of goalies who qualify. He should see a lot of rubber tonight, as the Blues rank 7th in shots on goal per game, while the Coyotes give up the 5th most per game at 30.7. Other Blues skaters to consider include, David Backes, Alex Pietrangelo, Alex Steen and Troy Brouwer.

Contrarian Corner

Name FD Salary/Position DK Salary/Position Estimated Ownership
Milan Lucic $6,500 / LW $4,700/ W 5-10%
Jeff Carter $8,100/ C $6,400 / C 5-10%
Tyler Toffoli $5,900 / RW $5,900 / W 10-15%

You could make the argument this line should be in the chalk segment, but I think they could go overlooked tonight with such a large slate of games to choose from and some seemingly better matchups to exploit. Not many lines have been hotter this year, and the Kings are coming off a 6-0 home stand where this line contributed in a big way. Over their last ten games, they've combined for 7 goals, the second most for any line over that span. Toffoli's price point is ridiculous on both sites, and he should be a staple of all your cash games lineups. All three play on the power play as well, that was struggling at the start of the year for the Kings but really woke up on their recent home stand. On the season, this line has an impressive CF% of 56.1%, and has only been on the ice for five goals against, so the +- worry on Fanduel isn't there for this trio.

Name FD Salary/Position DK Salary/Position Estimated Ownership
Teuvo Teravainen $4,900 / LW $3,900/ W 0-5%
Jonathan Toews $8,100/ C $6,100 / C 2-7%
Marian Hossa $6,400 / RW $5,100 / W 2-7%

Joel Quenneville finally put Toews back with some offensively gifted players, and the returns were immediate. Hossa and 'Turbo' scored both goals for Chicago in a 3-1 win over the Jets on Sunday night. I really like this move from Coach Q, Toews and Hossa have always been great together, and putting Teravainen with them gives that line additional speed that creates a lot of space. Normally, I don't target players against Nashville, who have a fantastic goalie in Pekka Rinne and are one of the best defensive teams in the league. This is why I like this line tonight, as their ownership levels will be very low, and the Predators could be a bit weary due to some tough scheduling. This will be their fourth game in six nights, third game in four nights, and also played a physical game last night against the Bruins. Most will target the Kane line if they are playing Chicago, but they should see a heavy dose of the Shea Weber-Roman Josi pairing. Duncan Keith is also a great play on defense tonight for the Hawks.



Comments
JasonG4s
Great breakdown Ryan, love the Blues tonight. The Kings are always a team I can never get right haha.
When will there be another NHL article?