Key Skaters
C Connor McDavid (EDM)
- Columbus continues to allow a high rate of scoring chances and the fifth-highest expected goals per 60 rate at 5v5. McDavid has gone pointless in two straight games and hasn’t had a goal in his last five. This is a good spot for him to explode.
C Steven Stamkos (TB)
- The Senators are coming off an eight-goal explosion in a win against the Florida Panthers but that doesn’t take away the fact that they’ve been one of the worst defensive teams in the league to this point. Tampa will look to shake off a 4-0 defeat to Ottawa on December 12 and Stamkos will lead the charge in doing so.
W Mark Stone (VGK)
While his teammate Max Pacioretty ($8,800) is the most unstoppable player in hockey right now, Stone comes into a great matchup with points in nine straight games (four goals, 11 assists) and is just $5,500. New Jersey allows just over 29 scoring chances per 60 minutes at 5v5.
Favorite Line Stacks
Tampa Bay Lightning
Steven Stamkos, Ondrej Palat, Alex Killorn, Victor Hedman
- With this four-some from Tampa you get a combination of the first even strength line with Stamkos and Palat along with two skaters who join them on the top power-play unit in Killorn and Hedman. Palat and Killorn offer some value off of the high-priced Stamkos and Hedman in a game that Tampa could very well boat race Ottawa in.
Montreal Canadiens
Nick Suzuki, Mike Hoffman, Jonathan Drouin
- This is a solid value-stack from Montreal, a team that faces the Flyers who allow the most scoring chances per 60, high-danger scoring chances per 60, and have the highest expected goals against rate per 60 at 5v5. Suzuki and Hoffman skate on the top even-strength line while Drouin joins them on the top power-play unit. Consider adding Cole Caufield ($3,100) as a value sniper skating on the third line and running one of the points on the top power-play unit.
Also Consider
Vegas Golden Knights: Chandler Stephenson, Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty
San Jose Sharks: Tomas Hertl, Timo Meier, Jonathan Dahlen, Brent Burns
Boston Bruins: Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, Taylor Hall
Top Positional Skaters
*Not mentioned in “key skaters'” section. Last skater at each position is my favorite value
Center
- Nathan MacKinnon (COL)
- Anze Kopitar (LA)
- Dylan Larkin (DET)
- Claude Giroux (PHI)
- Logan Couture (SJ)
- Nick Suzuki (MTL)
Wing
- Max Pacioretty (VGK)
- Kirill Kaprizov (MIN)
- Filip Forsberg (NSH)
- Viktor Arvidsson (LA)
- Jonathan Marchessault (VGK)
- Mike Hoffman (MTL)
- Jesse Puljujarvi (EDM)
Defense
- Roman Josi (NSH)
- Victor Hedman (TB)
- Brent Burns (SJ)
- Drew Doughty (LA)
- Tyson Barrie (EDM)
- Shea Theodore (VGK)
- Ben Chiarot (MTL)
- Ryan McDonagh (TB)
Goalies
- Andrei Vasilevskiy (TB)
- Robin Lehner (VGK)
- Frederik Andersen (CAR)
- Mikko Koskinen (EDM)
- James Reimer (SJ)
NOTE: All pricing references pertain to DraftKings
GOOD LUCK!!