This article is part of our FantasyAces NHL series.
Two matchups stand out Thursday.
The Sharks have a nice spot to stay hot against the Oilers. Edmonton dives into the Shark Tank with a 5-14-3 record and an average of 3.23 goals allowed per road tilt.
Also, Ryan Miller will make his first start since Dec. 20, against Washington. Not only are the Capitals the No. 1 team in the league, they're also 16-3-1 at home and average 3.35 goals per game in their building.
There are enough budget options to load up some big boys from both teams.
Player Recommendations
G: Calvin Pickard, COL vs. NJ ($6,250): This is a savings and matchup play. Pickard has won his only start this season, and he posted a .932 save percentage through 16 games last year. The matchup is the real juice, though. New Jersey is playing without Michael Cammalleri and averaging just 1.2 goals per game over its past five.
C: Joe Thornton, SJ vs. EDM ($5,250): The veteran is up to five goals and 11 helpers over his past 12 games and averaging 4.38 FantasyAces points per game over his past 10. Plus, Thornton has been held without a score-sheet appearance just once during the 12-game stretch.
C: Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS vs. VAN ($5,200): There are savings here, and while Kuznetsov is a hit-or-mss option, who isn't at his price point? The intrigue is the matchup paired with Kuznetsov's multi-point upside. He has found the scoresheet at least twice in 11 games this season, after all.
W: Joe Pavelski, SJ vs. DET ($5,650): With two goals and three assists over his past five games, Pavelski continues to be a target-worthy option in the plus-matchup. For the season, he averages 3.63 FantasyAces points per game, an impressive mark that ranks fourth among all skaters in the player pool Thursday.
W: Justin Williams, WAS vs. VAN ($4,500): The shot-volume uptick is noteworthy, as Williams has 10 shots over his past two games. He also has two goals and an assist during the span, and given the plus-matchup and his current form, Williams is an excellent value play paired with Kuznetsov.
W: Mikkel Boedker, ARI vs. DET ($4,300): While plus-minus is an obvious concern, Boedker is just minus-2 at home, and he has 16 points -- five goals -- with 55 shots through 20 games in the desert. At his cap hit, and with Arizona rolling offensively (3.2 goals per game over its past five), Boedker is a solid value option with huge upside. He also has two hat tricks and eight multi-point games this season, remember.
W: Robby Fabbri, STL vs. CAR ($3,750): The rookie hasn't looked out of place and his offensive game passes the eye test, especially his opportunistic vision. The stats back it up, too, as he has 10 goals through 40 games playing primarily in a bottom-six role. Now, Fabbri is skating with Vladimir Tarasenko and Jori Lehtera, which is a huge value boon. One other positive, Fabbri's average ice time has increased in each month of the season.
D: Brent Burns, SJ vs. EDM ($5,700): At this point, it's difficult to view Burns as a defenseman. Over his past 29 games, Burns has 15 goals, 17 assists and 124 shots on net. Separate your team from the pack by spending up at defense with the crowd typically choosing to look for savings at the position. To put Burns' run in perspective, Alex Ovechkin has 23 points -- 18 goals -- and 149 shots through his past 29 games.
D: Matt Niskanen, WAS vs. VAN ($4,350): As long as John Carlson is out, Niskanen is a great daily option. He has five assists, 14 shots, 12 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating over his past seven games. Manning the blue line on No. 1 power-play unit is another plus, especially with Vancouver penalty killing below 80 percent for the season.
