This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The Western Conference Finals continue Wednesday. The only game on the schedule is Game 4 between the Stars and Oilers at 8:30 p.m. ET. You can still play DraftKings NHL DFS by entering a one-game Showdown contest. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Stars were the NHL's best road team in the regular season and continued that success in this series, taking Game 3 in Edmonton for a 2-1 series lead. The Oilers are slight home favorites in Game 4, which has an over/under of 6.0 goals. Your DraftKings Showdown contest lineup will consist of one Captain, who has a 1.5X multiplier on both his cap hit and his fantasy points, as well as five Flex spots. There are no positional requirements for your lineup. The below breakdown will follow the usual format.
GOALIES
Jake Oettinger, DAL at EDM ($9,800): Oettinger allowed three goals apiece in Games 1 and 3 while limiting the damage to just one goal in Game 2. It can be hard to predict which skaters will step up in Dallas' deep offense, but Oettinger's strong play in net is the backbone of the Stars' success. He's an appealing Captain if you believe the Stars continue their strong road play. Oettinger is 10-6 with a 2.09 GAA and a .923 save percentage this postseason.
Stuart Skinner, EDM vs. DAL ($9,600): Skinner surrendered four goals on just 21 shots in Game 3, snapping a streak of four consecutive starts with two or fewer goals allowed since retaking the starting job after being pulled in favor of Calvin Pickard ($9,600) in Game 3 against the Canucks. Edmonton's defense has been strong in front of Skinner, but he's by far the least impressive of the four starting goalies left in the playoffs. He's 8-5 with a 2.76 GAA and an ugly .885 save percentage this postseason.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Leon Draisaitl, EDM vs. DAL ($10,000): Draisaitl and Connor McDavid ($11,000) are pricey but they are the obvious Captain choices on the Oilers. The two stars are back to skating on separate lines at even strength after being reunited earlier in the playoffs, but they form a formidable duo on the power play. Draisaitl is tied with McDavid for the postseason lead with 25 points. Only teammate Zach Hyman (13) has scored more goals in these playoffs than Draisaitl's nine. The German's prolific production includes 12 power-play points, one ahead of McDavid for the postseason lead.
Jason Robertson, DAL at EDM ($8,200): Robertson came into Game 3 mired in a 10-game goal drought but he broke out with a hat trick to carry the Stars to a 5-3 victory and the series lead. He was still making an impact even while the puck wasn't going in the net, as his three goals in Game 3 were preceded by eight assists in Robertson's previous eight games. Robertson skates on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit. The talented winger exceeded 40 goals in each of the previous two regular seasons before dropping to 29 goals in 2023-24.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers vs. Stars
Connor McDavid (C - $11,000), Zach Hyman (W - $9,400), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W - $7,600)
This has been the most productive line in this year's Stanley Cup playoffs, as all three of its members rank in the top 10 among all skaters in points. McDavid's tied for first with 25, Nugent-Hopkins is tied for sixth with 17 and Hyman is tied for ninth with 16. Hyman's point total includes a postseason-high 13 goals, four of which have come in the past five games. McDavid is an obvious choice for your Captain spot if you can find enough bargains elsewhere, but Hyman's also a sensible choice if you want more lineup flexibility.
Stars at Oilers
Wyatt Johnston (C - $8,600), Jamie Benn (W - $7,000), Logan Stankoven (W - $5,400)
Dallas' lines have been put in a blender on numerous occasions, and the latest shake-up has produced this intriguing trio, which mixes the leadership and experience of team captain Benn with the skill and youthful exuberance of the 21-year-old Johnston and rookie Stankoven. Johnston leads the Stars with eight goals in 16 games this postseason, and his 14 points are two back of Robertson's team-leading total. Benn has a 2-4-6 line during his current four-game point streak, bringing him just one point back of Johnston this postseason. Stankoven has added a 3-4-7 line in the playoffs, including an assist in Game 3.
DEFENSEMEN
Miro Heiskanen, DAL at EDM ($8,000): While Dallas has gotten balanced scoring up front, Heiskanen has been the team's clear No. 1 option on the blue line. His 15 points are second-most among Stars skaters and tied for second-most among all defensemen this postseason, trailing only Evan Bouchard's 22. If you use Heiskanen as your Captain, you'll have significantly more cap space left over compared to using the likes of Oettinger or McDavid in that spot.
Brett Kulak, EDM vs. DAL ($3,600): Bouchard ($8,800) is the obvious top play on Edmonton's blue line, but Kulak is a nice value if you're looking for a bargain play to round out your lineup and complement some of the pricey stars in action Wednesday. Kulak has blocked multiple shots in five of the last eight games while dishing out a helper in three of the last six, notching at least 7.8 fantasy points four times over the latter stretch.
