This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
There are three games scheduled after 7:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Blues are surprisingly looking up at the Blackhawks in the standings, but St. Louis has won three in a row and will try to close that gap as a road favorite in Chicago. The Sabres have dropped six straight and will be finishing up a back-to-back set in Ottawa, so it's not surprising that the Senators are similar favorites to the Blues. Sabres-Senators has the most expected goals with an over/under of 7.0, but Wednesday's last game features plenty of offensive talent, as Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers will host the Kings in a rematch of Edmonton's playoff series win in May.
GOALIES
Jordan Binnington, STL at CHI ($8,100): Binnington has been streaky to start the season, but he's been locked in of late, stopping 106 of 113 shots for a .938 save percentage during his current three-game winning streak. He'll face a Blackhawks team that averages 2.53 goals per game – second-fewest in the league.
Cam Talbot, OTT vs. BUF ($8,000): Buffalo's poor defense deserves most of the blame for the Sabres' recent losing ways, but the offense has cooled off as well after leading the league prior to the start of the team's tailspin. Talbot (2.51 GAA, .921 save percentage) has far better ratios than Anton Forsberg (3.60 GAA, .899 save percentage), but either $8,000 Ottawa goalie will be well positioned for a win thanks to high expected goal support against a struggling and tired Sabres team that's dropped six straight, including a 5-4 home loss to the Canucks on Tuesday.
Arvid Soderblom, CHI vs. STL ($7,300): St. Louis has corrected course recently after a dreadful start, but the Blues are still averaging a league-low 2.43 goals per game overall. Soderblom's affordability in this favorable home matchup makes him an enticing option, and the 23-year-old Swede has played well early on, posting a 2-2-1 record, 2.60 GAA and .931 save percentage.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Leon Draisaitl, EDM vs. LA ($8,600): Draisaitl deserves lineup consideration every time he takes the ice, whether by himself or alongside fellow Oilers star Connor McDavid, who costs $1,200 more at $9,800. The German's 9-19-28 through 16 games has him second league-wide in points, trailing only McDavid's 32.
Jonathan Toews, CHI vs. STL ($5,500): Toews leads the Blackhawks with seven goals through 15 games while no teammate has mustered more than four. The captain continues to generate chances with five-plus shots in two of his last three games, and Toews plays a prominent role in all situations for a Chicago team that's been surprisingly competitive so far. He's poised to keep rolling against a Blues team that's surrendering 3.57 goals per game.
Jeff Skinner, BUF at OTT ($5,400): Skinner's two-goal game Tuesday gave him a 5-7-12 line over his past 10 games, and the top-line winger has supplied 32 shots on goal over that span. Given that recent production, he's a bargain at $5,400 against a Senators team that's giving up 3.53 goals per game.
Kevin Fiala, LA at EDM ($5,200): Fiala has surged into the Kings' point lead, as he's averaging a point per game through 18 thanks to an active three-game goal streak during which he has thrown in an assist as well. Despite leading his new team in scoring, the offseason acquisition remains valued below three other Kings forwards for this matchup with an Oilers team that's surrendering 3.63 goals per game – most among teams playing Wednesday.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers vs. Kings
Connor McDavid (C - $9,800), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W - $5,900), Jesse Puljujarvi (W - $3,600)
Paying up for McDavid has been worth it more often than not, as he leads the league in both goals (15) and points (32) through 16 games, and a Kings team that's allowing 3.50 goals per game is unlikely to contain him. Nugent-Hopkins has thrived while sharing the ice with McDavid at even strength and on the power play, producing an 8-9-17 line. Puljujarvi's a low-risk, high-reward option at $3,600. The former fourth overall pick has struggled in 2022-23 after averaging .55 points per game last season, but Evander Kane's wrist injury has allowed Puljujarvi to move back into the top six, where he has a much better chance of replicating last season's production.
Senators vs. Sabres
Tim Stutzle (C - $6,200), Brady Tkachuk (W - $7,800), Claude Giroux (W - $5,500)
Ottawa's top line is primed for a productive night against a Buffalo team that's allowing 3.56 goals per game overall and 4.83 during its six-game losing streak. Buffalo's skid has coincided with a run of elite productivity for this trio. Stutzle has a 4-5-9 line over his past six games, Tkachuk has scored only one goal on 32 shots in his last eight games, but he has made up for the poor shooting luck with nine helpers over that span. Giroux's the most affordable member of this trio but has actually been the hottest lately, as he's riding a nine-game point streak and has produced a 6-5-11 line in the last seven games.
Blues vs. Blackhawks
Brayden Schenn (C - $3,900), Jordan Kyrou (W - $4,900), Ivan Barbashev (W - $3,000)
St. Louis has some of the league's best forward depth when healthy, as all three members of this affordable third line have spent significant time playing top-six roles in recent years. Chicago is the only team playing Wednesday that isn't among the 10 worst in goals allowed per game, but this trio still has plenty of against-the-grain appeal. Schenn mustered 58 points in 62 games last season and has 12 through 14 games this year. Kyrou has a goal in two of the last three games and at least four shots in four of five, as the speedster's starting to regain the form from last season's 75-point breakout campaign. Barbashev also enjoyed a breakout season with 60 points last year, so he's more capable offensively than his 2-3-5 line lets on.
DEFENSEMEN
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF at OTT ($8,000): If Buffalo's going to finally snap its skid, Dahlin will likely have to play a key role. The 2018 first overall pick is off to a Norris Trophy-worthy start, with a 7-11-18 line and 60 shots through 15 games. He ranks second among all defensemen in goals, third in points and third in shots. If you don't pay up for one or both of Edmonton's stars up front, consider ponying up for Buffalo's standout on the back end.
Tyson Barrie, EDM vs. LA ($4,800): Barrie's riding a four-game point streak and lit the lamp twice in his last appearance to boost his season line to 3-9-12 through 16 games. His ceiling remains high thanks to his spot on Edmonton's elite No. 1 power-play unit, and a matchup with the Kings' 74.6 percent penalty kill – seventh-worst in the NHL – should allow Barrie to build on his recent success.
Colton Parayko, STL at CHI ($4,200): Parayko's well-rounded skill set gives him a high floor at $4,200. He has at least three shots on goal in five of his last 10 games and blocked four shots in two of the other five games. Parayko has only three assists through 14 goalless games, but the offense should pick up eventually, as he notched 35 points last season, reaching that mark for the third time.
Erik Brannstrom, OTT vs. BUF ($2,600): With Thomas Chabot sidelined by a concussion, Brannstrom slid up to the top power-play unit in the Senators' most recent game and finished with a season-high 22:31 TOI. Brannstrom has averaged 0.7 points per game in his AHL career, so the affordable blueliner has the offensive skills to capitalize on his enhanced usage, making him a nice value against the defensively challenged Sabres, who have the league's fourth-most generous penalty kill (71.4 percent).
