As is the case with every FanDuel Fades, we are going to look at some players who you should think twice about placing in your lineup or who you should avoid using entirely. Remember to check back on this page later in the day for confirmations on starting goalies and keep an eye on Rotoworld's daily blurbs for all your fantasy hockey needs.
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Ryan Miller G (Vancouver) - $7,700
Miller is expected to be back in goal for the Canucks on Thursday for the first time Dec. 20. He has struggled this season, while sporting a 10-11-6 record along with a .909 save percentage and a 2.74 goals-against average. Miller and the Canucks will have their hands full trying to contain the NHL-leading Washington Capitals at Verizon Center. If you are looking for cheap goalie options then Calvin Pickard and Brian Elliott are less expensive than Miller and have far better upside.
Brock Nelson LW (New York Islanders) - $6,000
Nelson amassed three goals and one assist in Tuesday's 5-2 win over Columbus. That gave him 16.6 fantasy points, but expecting anywhere close to a repeat will leave you disappointed. Nelson posted two points or less on FanDuel in each of his previous seven outings and the Rangers are a much tougher opponent. He was held scoreless against them back on Dec. 2 and finished with a minus-1 rating in a 2-1 shootout loss.
Gustav Nyquist LW (Detroit) - $5,400
Nyquist isn't expensive and there's a good reason for that. He hasn't scored a goal in his last 10 games and he has only two assists during that span. Nyquist also has just 16 shots over that time and seven of them came in one game. His confidence is low and my faith in him is low as well right now.
Henrik Zetterberg C (Detroit) - $7,100
Zetterberg has one goal and two assists in his last nine outings. The veteran has been struggling to produce and the team's power play has been cold, with one goal in their last 13 chances. Arizona has been hot lately and Detroit could be in store for more scoring difficulties in the desert.
Radim Vrbata RW (Vancouver) - $5,800
Vrbata has found the back of the net one time in his past 14 contests and he has three assists over that span. He has gone goalless in nine appearances and he has posted one shot in four of his last five. I don't like his chances of snapping out of his slump against Braden Holtby and the Washington Capitals.
Patrick Marleau C (San Jose) - $6,200
Marleau has failed to post one fantasy point in three of his last four matches and he hasn't scored a goal in six consecutive contests. He is playing between Joel Ward and Matt Nieto, which makes it unlikely that he will hit his value even if he helps set up a goal against Edmonton.
Justin Faulk D (Carolina) - $5,800
Faulk has picked up an assist in each of his last two games, but he hasn't scored a goal since Dec. 27, which amounts to a span of eight straight matches. He also has one power-play point over his past 11 contests and Carolina will be facing the third-ranked penalty kill in the league on Thursday night versus St. Louis.
Dustin Byfuglien D (Winnipeg) - $6,000
Byfuglien has zero goals and two assists in 11 games. He does have four shots in two of this last three games, but he also has a minus-4 rating over that time and he hasn't been piling as many shots as he normally does during his present slump. Byfuglien is the second-highest priced defender on Thursday, which means there are plenty of options available further down the salary chain.
Goaltenders
New York Rangers (Henrik Lundqvist) confirmed @ New York Islanders (Jaroslav Halak) confirmed
Vancouver (Ryan Miller) confirmed @ Washington (Braden Holtby) confirmed
Chicago (Corey Crawford) confirmed @ Montreal (Mike Condon) confirmed
Carolina (Eddie Lack) confirmed @ St. Louis (Brian Elliott) confirmed
Nashville (Pekka Rinne) @ Winnipeg (Connor Hellebuyck) confirmed
New Jersey (Cory Schneider) @ Colorado (Calvin Pickard) confirmed
Detroit (Petr Mrazek) confirmed @ Arizona (Louis Domingue) confirmed
Edmonton (Cam Talbot) confirmed @ San Jose (Martin Jones) confirmed