This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are 12 games on the NHL schedule Thursday. The Islanders visit Buffalo, Carolina hosts Florida, Ottawa faces Columbus, Arizona is in Detroit, Boston takes on Montreal, Pittsburgh hosts San Jose, the Rangers visit Tampa Bay, Toronto plays in Philadelphia, New Jersey travels to Dallas, Minnesota hosts Anaheim, Vegas plays in Calgary and Seattle hosts Washington. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIES
Tristan Jarry, PIT vs. SJ ($7,300): I like taking the goaltender playing a weak team, so Jarry is the call Thursday. He is only 1-4-1 with a 3.48 GAA and an .898 save percentage in his last six appearances, but he seemed to be coming out of his slump last game, giving up two goals on 39 shots in a 2-1 overtime loss to Ottawa on Tuesday. Jarry stopped 24 shots in a 10-2 win over the Sharks earlier in the season. Should Alex Nedeljkovic get the start, play him.
Ilya Samsonov, TOR at PHI ($8,200): Samsonov has won his last three starts, turning aside 85 of 91 shots (.934 save percentage). He split the net with Joseph Woll last week – Woll got the tough pair of starts versus Boston – and Samsonov will get his second straight start Thursday. Samsonov is 17-5-6 with a 3.10 GAA and an .887 save percentage, as his play at the first three months of the season was so bad, the Maple Leafs placed him on waivers and sent him to the minors. Samsonov was solid in his only appearance versus the Flyers this season, stopping 29 shots in a 4-3 victory.
VALUE PLAYS
Timo Meier, NJ at DAL ($6,000): Meier has not had a good season, scoring 18 goals and adding 16 assists in 52 games. But he has been very hot of late, finding the back of the net eight times, while chipping in with four assists in his last nine games. He is back on the top line with Nico Hischier and Ondrej Palat, as well as seeing first unit power-play time. Keep him in your fantasy lineup while he continues to be hot.
Ryan Hartman, MIN vs. ANA ($5,200): Hartman has goals in each of his last two games, and has seven assists and nine points in his last 10 contests. He has 17 goals and 37 points in 61 games this season, as he is headed for his second-best year in his NHL career. He moves to the top power-play unit, as Joel Eriksson Ek is out of action with an undisclosed injury.
Matty Beniers, SEA vs. WAS ($4,400): It has been a tough sophomore season for Beniers, who won the Calder Trophy last year with 24 goals and 57 points in 80 appearances. Beniers has only nine goals and 18 assists in 59 tilts in 2023-24, but he has been coming out of it of late, scoring once and adding two assists in his last four games. Beniers is centering the top line, as well as playing on the first power-play unit, where he has two goals and seven points with the man-advantage.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Wild vs. Ducks
Kirill Kaprizov (W-$9,500), Marco Rossi (C-$5,300), Matt Boldy (W-$7,600)
Kaprizov has been on fire during his five-game point streak, scoring seven times while adding three assists. The 26-year-old star has 33 goals and 73 points in just 59 games, as he has been the heart of the Wild offense this season. Rossi is expected to replace Joel Eriksson Ek, who will miss a few games with an undisclosed injury. Rossi has gone 10 straight games without a point, but that should change with the move to the top line. Rossi has 17 goals and 33 points in 66 appearances this season. Boldy rounds out the unit. He has 24 goals and 52 points in just 59 contests this season. The Wild play a weak Anaheim team, who are allowing 3.62 goals per game, 31st in the NHL.
Senators at Blue Jackets
Brady Tkachuk (W - $8,600), Shane Pinto (C - $7,000), Drake Batherson (W - $6,300)
Tkachuk leads the Senators in goals with 27, as he is the heart-and-soul of the team. Tkachuk has 52 points in 62 games, including seven goals and six assists with the man-advantage. Pinto has gone pointless in his last two games, but is still having a good season with six goals and 12 assists in 22 outings. Pinto missed the first 41 games of the season due to a suspension, but he is showing that he deserves to be a top-six forward with the Senators. Batherson rounds out the top line. He has 23 goals and 48 points this season, including the overtime winner Tuesday in a 2-1 victory over Pittsburgh. Batherson has six goals and nine points in his last 10 tilts. The Senators will face the Blue Jackets, who are giving up 3.60 goals per contest, 30th in the league.
DEFENSEMEN
Erik Karlsson, PIT vs. SJ ($6,300): Karlsson plays against his former Sharks teammates. His first contest was very successful as he had a pair of assists and was a plus-five in San Jose on Nov. 4. It hasn't been the best of seasons for Karlsson, who has eight goals and 44 points in 64 games, after an outstanding 2022-23 campaign, in which he had 25 goals and 101 points. Karlsson snapped a seven-game pointless streak Tuesday, setting up the tying goal with 23 seconds remaining in the third period, in a 2-1 overtime loss to Ottawa. Look for a big game out of Karlsson on Thursday.
Jake Sanderson, OTT at CLS ($5,700): Sanderson is on a three-game point streak, coinciding with Thomas Chabot's lower-body injury. Sanderson has a goal and three helpers in the four games, giving the 21-year-old blueliner eight goals and 31 points in 60 appearances. Sanderson had 32 points in his rookie season last year, and is poised to set a career high, perhaps as early as Thursday in Columbus.
Bowen Byram, BUF vs. NYI ($4,300): Byram has excelled his trade from Colorado to Buffalo for Casey Mittelstadt on Mar. 6. Byram has three goals and an assist in three games with the Sabres, as he is showing why he was selected fourth overall in the 2019 Draft. Byram has 11 goals and 24 points in 58 games this season. He is seeing plenty of time on the first power-play unit with Buffalo, averaging 3:08 – after seeing only 52 seconds on the Avalanche's second unit – and that bodes well for the future.
