After Tuesday, the NHL will be on a Christmas break. That leaves us with a busier Sunday than usual, so let's enjoy it. There are seven games on the DFS slate with the first pucks dropping at 7 p.m. EST. Here are my lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
A packed Saturday followed by a busy Sunday means a lot of teams will be on the second leg of a back-to-back. In fact, it's easier for me to go through those that didn't play on Saturday. Utah and Winnipeg will face each other, the Stars host the Leafs, and the Devils welcome the Sabres.
GOALIES
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. TOR ($8,000): Oettinger has gotten back in gear by posting a 2.23 GAA and .922 save percentage over his last nine starts. The Leafs rank top-10 in average goals, but they played Saturday in Nashville while the Stars were off. Dallas also sit second in offense, so there's a decent chance Oettinger gets the goal support and earns a win.
Karel Vejmelka, UTA vs. WPG ($7,100): Vejmelka enters with an .895 save percentage paired with a 2.69 GAA as the Mammoth have only allowed 25.1 shots per game. The Jets have averaged 2.91 goals and 26.6 shots, both which are subpar. Vejmelka has a .913 save percentage from his last 10 appearances, so I see him doing well on Sunday.
VALUE PLAYS
Jason Robertson, DAL vs. TOR ($7,700): Robertson has a knack for scoring goals and for putting pucks on net as he's currently at 22 on 139 shots. As noted, the Leafs skated on Saturday. They have a couple good goalies, yet are also bottom-three in shots allowed that should play to Robertson's advantage.
J.T. Miller, NYR at NAS ($6,000): Miller can still produce points with 22 of them for a Rangers team that's struggled to score. He's also recorded at least three shots during seven of his last nine outings. The Preds are bottom-five in GAA while Justus Annunen has particularly struggled with an .860 save percentage through 10 appearances. Miller banged up his shoulder on Saturday, so his possible absence could leave Vincent Trocheck ($5,900) - with his goal on four shots Saturday - as a decent replacement.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Devils vs. Sabres
Cody Glass (C - $4,600), Timo Meier (W - $6,700), Connor Brown (W - $4,800)
This is one of the two Sunday matchups where a rested team is going up against one that played Saturday. The Sabres are bottom-eight in both GAA and shots allowed. While Jersey's second line isn't one of the league's better secondary trios, it's worth a shot in this matchup and with a fairly reasonable combined salary.
It's too late for Glass to justify once being drafted sixth overall, though he's a viable NHL player who's posted four points and 14 shots in his last six games. Meier is set to return to the lineup after missing five outings after tallying 23 points and 93 shots. Brown has previously shown a penchant for going in scoring runs and he's currently on one having racked up six points from his last six appearances.
Golden Knights at Oilers
Mitch Marner (C - $6,400), Ivan Barbashev (W - $5,400), Braeden Bowman (W - $5,300)
Jack Eichel and William Karlsson are both hurt, so the Golden Knights have shuffled the lineup. While both clubs are on the second leg of a back-to-back, the Oilers have already lost newly-minted netminder Tristan Jarry to an injury Connor Ingram was called up from the AHL and is in line to start Sunday. He posted an .882 save percentage for Utah last season with an .856 across 11 minor-league appearances.
Marner usually operates on the wing, yet is an elite passer and should work well as a fill-in center having supplied 75 assists last year in Toronto and currently at 28 assists. Barbashev has notched two 20-goal campaigns (one with St. Louis and the other on Vegas) and has so far potted 11 alongside 14 assists. The rookie Bowman has cooled down, but still lists 11 points through 17 matchups with four points and 12 shots from his last eight.
DEFENSEMEN
Charlie McAvoy, BOS vs. OTT ($5,500): There's a concern rostering a heavy-minutes defender on the second leg of a back-to-back, though I think McAvoy is worth it. Boston is at home for both and he's produced eight power-play points in 24 games. The Sens maintain a bottom-three penalty kill that probably won't be in better form on a second straight night.
Esa Lindell, DAL vs. TOR ($4,800): Lindell has tallied between 24 and 26 points during each of his last four seasons and is currently at 15, with five coming during his last six outings. He's also blocked 85 shots. And as previously noted, the Stars didn't play on Saturday while the Leafs did.
