NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Top Plays and Strategy for Tuesday, May 26

Tuesday's top NHL DFS options on DraftKings' single-game slate include Cale Makar, as the Colorado Avalanche try to avoid being swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals.
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Top Plays and Strategy for Tuesday, May 26

With only one game scheduled for Tuesday, lineups will consist of one Captain, who carries a 1.5x multiplier, and five flex slots. The salary cap is $50,000. There are no positional requirements, and goaltenders are available for selection. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Try our DraftKings NHL Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool, set exposure percentage and mass-enter DFS lineups.

SLATE PREVIEW 

Colorado is a road favorite on the Moneyline for Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against Vegas. The Golden Knights hold a 3-0 series lead over the Avalanche. The over/under for the matchup is 6.5 goals. 

CAPTAIN 

Cale Makar, COL at VGK ($12.900): After missing two straight games due to an upper-body injury, Makar recorded three shots on goal and six blocked shots in Sunday's 5-3 loss to Vegas. He hasn't earned a point in his last five appearances, but he had four goals, eight shots, one assist and eight blocks in three outings before that stretch. While he is still clearly not fully healthy, the Avalanche need Makar to step up offensively to stave off elimination. 

FLEX/VALUE PLAYS 

Carter Hart, VGK vs. COL ($9,600): Hart has stopped 162 of 171 shots during his five-game winning streak. Sunday's Game 3 victory over the Avalanche was the first time he allowed more than two goals in a game during that span. However, he still made 32 saves in the contest. The Avalanche will probably pepper him with shots in Game 4, and Hart could be a solid play if he continues to pile up saves.  

Mitch Marner, VGK vs. COL ($9,000): Marner has generated three assists, including two on the power play, and eight shots on goal through three games of the Western Conference Finals. He continues to lead all players in playoff production with 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) across 15 appearances. 

Gabriel Landeskog, COL at VGK ($8,200): Landeskog has lit the lamp in two of the last three games. He has one power-play tally and 12 shots on net over that time. Landeskog has 10 points, including five goals, in 12 appearances this postseason. 

Nazem Kadri, COL at VGK ($7,400): Kadri has accounted for one goal, one assist and five shots on target in his past two outings. He has accumulated three goals and eight points through 12 contests in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

William Karlsson, VGK vs. COL ($5,000): Karlsson notched one goal and one assist in Game 3 on Sunday. He has five points, including four helpers, 12 shots on net and nine blocked shots in nine appearances this postseason. Karlsson could be a solid stack option alongside Marner for Monday's slate. 

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. Corey Abbott plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: armchair_gm, DraftKings: thenext1, Yahoo: Why.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Corey Abbott is an avid sports fan who has been writing fantasy hockey for 15-plus years.
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