This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There is one game Thursday as Florida and the hometown New York Rangers will attempt to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals. Your lineup will consist of five players, including a Captain spot, which scores 1.5 times as many fantasy points. You get a $55,000 salary cap.
CAPTAIN
Matthew Tkachuk, FLA at NYR ($14,000): Tkachuk has been a stud for the Panthers during the playoffs. He has five goals and 19 points in 15 games, including three assists and 10 shots on goal in his last two games at home versus the Rangers. Tkachuk has 301 points in 241 regular-season games over the last three seasons, including three straight seasons with at least 62 assists. Florida made a brilliant trade with the Flames during the 2022 offseason, as Tkachuk has been the heart of the Panthers ever since.
UTILITY
Aleksander Barkov, FLA at NYR ($12,000): If Tkachuk is the heart of the Panthers, Barkov is the one who drives the team. Barkov went four games without a point for the Panthers, but he snapped the scoreless streak two games ago and has a goal and four points in his last two appearances. Barkov has been a streaky scorer in the playoffs thus far and has six goals and 17 points in 15 contests. He is on a hot streak that is expected to continue for Game 5 in New York.
Alexis Lafreniere, NYR vs. FLA ($10,500): Lafreniere has three goals in his last two games, giving the 22-year-old seven goals and 13 points in 14 playoff games this season. Lafreniere is fourth on the Rangers in scoring, six behind the surprising Vincent Trocheck, but only one point in arrears from stars Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. Lafreniere is well worth the price Thursday in FanDuel.
Chris Kreider, NYR vs. FLA ($11,000): Kreider has been in a slump of late with zero points in his last four games (all against Florida), but the winger is more than capable of breaking out with a huge game. He still has seven goals and 10 points in 14 Stanley Cup playoff games this season, including a hat trick in the series-clinching Game 6 versus Carolina in Round 2. Kreider had a huge regular season with 39 goals and 75 points in 82 appearances and has continued his success into the playoffs.
Evan Rodrigues, FLA at NYR ($7,500): I had a choice to round out my team between Rodrigues and Aaron Ekblad, and went with the forward. Rodrigues sees action on the second line with Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. That is a good enough reason to add Rodrigues to your lineup. He has three goals, four assists, 29 shots on goal and 43 hits in 15 postseason contests.
