NHL Plays will highlight the best and the most underrated daily fantasy options among forwards, defensemen and goaltenders.
Please note, these players were chosen early in the day, so make sure to check Rotoworld’s player news for any lineup changes, injuries and potential changes in the crease for starting goaltenders.
Additionally, it is worth reminding everyone that FanDuel allows you to roster nine players (2C, 4W, 2D, 1G) with a salary cap of $55,000, while DraftKings has a cap of $50,000 for nine players (2C, 3W, 2D, 1G, 1UTIL) and Yahoo has a $200 budget for nine players (2C, 3W, 2D, 2G).
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Thursday night has nine games scheduled.
Don’t forget, for everything NHL, check out Rotoworld’s Player News, and follow @Rotoworld_ HK and @CoreAbbott on Twitter.
Forwards:
Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay) - W - $8,600 (FanDuel), $7,400 (DraftKings), $33 (Yahoo)
Kucherov has compiled six goals and 13 assists in the last 11 games. That includes four goals and eight helpers during a six-game point streak going into Thursday night’s action. He has four multi-point performances during that span. Surprisingly, he has a great price on DraftKings, which should make him a popular selection.
Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers) - W - $8,100 (FanDuel), $8,100 (DraftKings), $28 (Yahoo)
Panarin makes his return to Columbus on Thursday night for the first time since signing with the Rangers in the summer. He has amassed seven goals and 23 points in the past 16 games. Panarin has been held without a point three times during that span, including the last two. This is a big game for him, so a return to the scoresheet wouldn’t be a surprise.
Sebastian Aho (Carolina) - C - $7,000 (FanDuel), $5,900 (DraftKings), $26 (Yahoo)
Aho has supplied seven goals and 11 points in the last 11 games. He has been held off the scoresheet in three of his last four outings, but a return to home ice should help. Aho has six goals and five assists in 13 matches at home this year. Additionally, he has three goals and five points in seven contests versus San Jose in his career.
Kyle Connor (Winnipeg) - W - $6,800 (FanDuel), $5,600 (DraftKings), $20 (Yahoo)
Connor has produced five goals and five assists in the last eight games. He had one goal and two helpers against Dallas on Tuesday night to give him eight markers and 13 points in 13 career matches versus the Stars.
David Krejci (Boston) - C - $6,700 (FanDuel), $6,800 (DraftKings), $22 (Yahoo)
Krejci is still seeing time alongside David Pastrnak, which gives him plenty of value. He has four goals and 10 assists in the past 11 contests. Krejci has been held off the scoresheet in just one appearance during that stretch.
Bargain Bin: Scott Laughton (PHI) - W - $3,800 (FanDuel)/$2,500 (DraftKings)/$14 (Yahoo), Joonas Donskoi (COL) - W - $4,500 (FanDuel)/$5,900 (DraftKings)/$17 (Yahoo), Jake DeBrusk (BOS) - W - $5,200 (FanDuel)/$4,300 (DraftKings)/$21 (Yahoo), Anthony Cirelli (TB) - C - 4,700 (FanDuel)/$4,100 (DraftKings)/$16 (Yahoo)
Defensemen:
Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay) - $6,500 (FanDuel), $5,800 (DraftKings). $23 (Yahoo)
Hedman has been a consistent scoring threat from the back end this campaign, with 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in 23 games. He has one goal and two assists during a three-game point spree going into Thursday night’s action. He has two power-play helpers during that span along with eight shots on goal.
Ivan Provorov (Philadelphia) - $5,500 (FanDuel), $5,200 (DraftKings), $18 (Yahoo)
Provorov checks in with plenty of bang for the buck upside, as he has eight points (three goals, five assists) in the last 11 games. That includes one goal and three assists over a four-game point streak. He also leads the Flyers with 45 blocks.
Bargain Bin: Torey Kurg (Boston) - $5,600 (FanDuel)/$5,400 (DraftKings)/$22 (Yahoo), Jacob Trouba (NYR) - $4,600 (FanDuel)/$5,700 (DraftKings)/$18 (Yahoo), Henri Jokiharju (BUF) - $3,500 (FanDuel)/$2,900 (DraftKings)/$11 (Yahoo)
Goaltenders:
Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg) - $8,500 (FanDuel), $7,200 (DraftKings), $36 (Yahoo)
Hellebuyck is having a great season and he has been superb between the pipes of late. He has a 4-0-0 record in his last four outings. In his last three starts, he has stopped 83 of 85 shots with a .976 save percentage and one shutout. That includes a 5-1 win over Dallas on Tuesday when he blocked 27 shots.
Brian Elliott (Philadephia) - $7,600 (FanDuel), $8,100 (DraftKings), $28 (Yahoo)
Elliott has plenty of bang for the buck upside on FanDuel and Yahoo. He has posted three wins in a row, while stopping 100 of 108 shots with a .926 save percentage. Elliott owns a 7-2-2 record this season for the surging Flyers.
Bargain Bin: Malcolm Subban (VGK) - $7,200 (DraftKings)/$22 (Yahoo), David Rittich (CGY) - $7,800 (FanDuel)/$7,900 (DraftKings)/$33 (Yahoo)
