This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are 13 NHL games Tuesday, and only four of them are divisional matchups -- all in the Western Conference. Just as intriguing, the Predators and Jets are squaring off, while the Blackhawks and Wild start at the same time. All four of these teams are within four points in the standings, and it looks like they'll compete for a wild-card spot down the stretch. Get your lineup in before 7:00 p.m. ET with the tips laid out in this article.
GOALIES
Ilya Samsonov ($8,400) had his seven-game win streak snapped by the Penguins on Sunday, but there's an argument for him to be a Calder finalist. He's 16-3-1 and has taken over the starting job with a .923 save percentage. Against the bottom-feeding Kings, there's no question he's a strong play.
Vancouver is a top-10 scoring offense over the last month, so Tuukka Rask ($8,800) should be faded properly. The Golden Knights, however, haven't been as fierce, but Andrei Vasilevskiy's ($9,200) game has shown more vulnerability lately.
Pekka Rinne ($7,500) has had his fair share of struggles this year, but he's a high-upside contrarian play. The Jets have been short on chances over the last month, ranking 29th with 1.83 xG/60 at even strength, per Natural Stat Trick.
The Sharks are missing their top-two forwards, and they already looked lost before Tomas Hertl went down, as they rank 23rd with 1.97 GF/60 since Logan Couture went down. Look for David Rittich ($7,500) to take advantage here.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Alex DeBrincat ($5,800) has hit double-digit power-play points for the third time in as many NHL seasons. The Wild's penalty kill is atrocious over the last three weeks, yielding 21.65 G/60. Dominik Kubalik ($5,200) has plenty of value, too.
The Jets have been carved up since the calendar flipped to 2020, yielding 3.35 G/60 at even strength. During that timeframe, Rocco Grimaldi ($3,700) leads Nashville forwards in goals and points, making him a superb value.
The Blues have allowed four goals in five of the last six games. That Stanley Cup hangover may finally be kicking in. Fire up Justin Williams ($3,500), who has two goals and a helper over four games since returning.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Tampa Bay Lightning (TOTAL: $24,000)
C - Brayden Point ($7,100)
W - Steven Stamkos ($8,500)
W - Nikita Kucherov ($8,400)
The ceiling is enormous. This unit has racked up 13 goals and 17 assists over the last seven games, and only two of those points have come on the power play. It's sustainable, and the potential raises against Vegas, which has let up 11.36 power-play G/60 in 2020 -- third-most in the league.
Buffalo Sabres (TOTAL: $17,600)
C - Jack Eichel ($8,200)
W - Sam Reinhart ($6,100)
W - Jimmy Vesey ($3,300)
Eichel and Reinhart are both at point-per-game paces in the new year, and they've combined for 49 goals this year. Vesey is more of a placeholder on the left side, but he helps bring the price tag down. The Colorado crease has been a bit faulty lately, allowing 12 goals over the last three games.
Montreal Canadiens (TOTAL: $13,800)
W - Ilya Kovalchuk ($4,900
W - Joel Armia ($4,400)
W - Nick Suzuki ($4,500)
Kovalchuk has 10 points through 12 games since coming to Montreal, and Suzuki rides a four-game, six-point streak into this contest. They're all wingers, but the upside is massive at this bargain, as the Devils have allowed 4.0 G/60 over the last three weeks.
DEFENSEMEN
You're going to get a solid floor out of Roman Josi ($7,000). He shoots a ton, blocks enough shots and sports a whopping plus-22 rating. Up against the Jets' struggling defense, Josi's ceiling soars.
Erik Gustafsson ($4,400) is heating up. He's stacked up six points over the last four games, and he leads Chicago's blue line in power-play points. The aforementioned Wild penalty kill won't stand in his way.
Neal Pionk ($4,600) and John Klingberg ($5,200) both have double-digit power-play points and will be up against bottom-five penalty kills (over the last month). Zach Werenski ($6,500) is in that position as well, but you'll have to spend top dollar for him.
