FanDuel NHL: Thursday Targets

FanDuel NHL: Thursday Targets

This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.

SLATE PREVIEW

We only have three games to sift through in this slate. There are two divisional contests and one cross-conference clash between the Devils and Predators. We also have three teams in the midst of back-to-back games, as the Kings and Coyotes both played last night while the Preds will face the Devils' fresh legs. 

GOALIES

With three teams on the latter half of back-to-back outings, the only team without a goalie confirmation is the Canadiens, and we essentially know they'll be rolling out Carey Price ($8,700) against the Sabres. Price has been impressive over the last five contests with a 4-1-0 record and .952 save percentage, and he's the chalk against the struggling Sabres, who rank last in the league with 1.52 xG/60 at even strength in January, per Natural Stat Trick.

Carter Hutton's ($7,500) certainly a solid contrarian play, though. He will take over as the starter with Linus Ullmark out, and Hutton has game-breaking abilities, finishing six of 17 starts at or above a .952 save percentage. 

Adin Hill ($8,200) doesn't come at the bargain we would hope as a third-string tendy, but he's bolstered his price tag by accruing a .917 save percentage over eight NHL appearances this year. He's another top-tier play because the Kings rank 30th over the last month with 1.52 GF/60 at even strength.

Pekka Rinne ($7,600) has been better on the road -- he has a .914 save percentage -- than MacKenzie Blackwood ($7,400) has been at home -- an .896 save percentage -- this year, so the former is a superior value play. 

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS

Blake Coleman ($4,800) has rattled off six goals over the last seven contests, and he fires with a purpose, accruing 32 shots on net in that span. This is an appealing matchup for him to answer the bell on the power play, too, because the Preds rank 28th with a 74.0 penalty-kill percentage. 

If Max Domi (illness) can't go, Ryan Poehling ($3,100) could be in line for a second-line gig alongside Nick Suziki and Ilya Kovalchuk. Poehling only has one NHL point this season, but the 2017 first-round pick showcased his offensive upside in college and in the AHL ranks and comes at a bargain. 

Zemgus Girgensons ($3,800) flanks superstar Jack Eichel on the top line, and he's performing well with the top dogs. He's accrued three goals, including a shorthanded marker, and a helper over the last six games. 

FORWARD LINE STACKS

Arizona Coyotes (TOTAL: $17,000)

C - Christian Dvorak ($4,600)
W - Taylor Hall ($7,900)
W - Conor Garland ($4,500)

This unit has been a regular on the scoresheet lately, racking up eight goals and nine assists over the last five outings. This is Arizona's second game in as many nights, and the Kings are in the same position. All three forwards work on the first power-play unit as well. 

Nashville Predators (TOTAL: $16,000)

C - Ryan Johansen ($5,200)
C - Matt Duchene ($6,200)
W - Mikael Granlund ($4,600)

This line isn't flashy but it's arguably the most productive Predators unit. This comes down to matchup more than anything, and Blackwood has a 3.49 GAA in January and a 2.97 mark at home this year. Every player on this line will get a chance to execute against New Jersey's suspect penalty kill (79.3 percent) as well. 

Montreal Canadiens (TOTAL: $14,200)

C - Max Domi ($5,300)
W - Ilya Kovalchuk ($4,700)
W - Nick Suzuki ($4,200)

Domi is a game-time decision due to an illness, so make sure to keep an eye out for his status before the puck drops at 7:00 p.m. ET. Kovalchuk's immediate production with the Habs drives this lines' value, as he's stacked up eight points over nine games. Domi and Suzuki combined for a modest six points in that stretch, but they've also generated 39 shots for a solid floor. 

DEFENSEMEN

Rolling out Roman Josi ($6,600) never hurts your bottom line. He's posted at least 8.0 fantasy points in every game since Nov. 29, and he hasn't landed in the negative since Oct. 5. The 29-year-old blueliner has 22 points over the last 17 games, and he's fired a whopping 61 shots in that stretch.

Sami Vatanen ($4,500) leads the Devils' blue line with 10 power-play points (one goal, nine assists), and he'll face off against the Preds' faulty penalty kill. Over the last month, it has yielded 12.73 G/60 -- the second-most in the league. 

Los Angeles hasn't killed penalties well lately, either, allowing 10.46 G/60 -- sixth-most in that span. It's basically a toss-up between Oliver Ekman-Larsson ($4,800) and Alex Goligoski ($4,200), as both have three power-play points since the Taylor Hall acquisition while sporting similar floor. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Jordan Mazzara plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Mazz30 Yahoo: Mazz30 DraftKings: Mazz30.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jordan Mazzara
Jordan has produced NFL and NHL content for RotoWire since 2017. He's the beat writer for the St. Louis Blues and Seattle Seahawks.
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