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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 NBC Sports EDGE’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, 2W, 2D, 2UTIL 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).
There are seven games scheduled for Thursday.
Forwards:
Auston Matthews (Toronto) – C - $10,400 FanDuel, $9,700 DraftKings, $34 Yahoo
Matthews is expensive, but it’s hard to argue with the price when he’s playing so well. He’s recorded multiple points in each of his last five games, giving him six goals and 12 points over that span. He’s also been one of the league’s top performers this season with 31 goals and 53 points in 40 contests.
Bryan Rust (Pittsburgh) – W - $9,100 FanDuel, $7,100 DraftKings, $30 Yahoo
Rust has been limited to 25 games this season, but when he’s been available, he’s been one of the NHL’s best forwards. He has 15 goals and 34 points, which puts him a tie for sixth place with Jonathan Huberdeau when it comes to points-per-game this season. Rust has also been on a roll lately with five goals and six points in his last three contests.
Mitchell Marner (Toronto) – W - $8,500 FanDuel, $6,900 DraftKings, $29 Yahoo
At the risk of leaning too heavily on the Maple Leafs stars, Marner has been at the top of his game lately. He’s on an eight-game goal scoring streak that dates back to Jan. 15. He leads the league over that span with 10 goals and 19 points, making him genuinely the hottest forward in the league at this time.
Patrik Laine (Columbus) – W - $7,000 FanDuel, $4,500 DraftKings, $19 Yahoo
Laine tends to be a streaky player, but when he’s hot, it’s hard to match him. He’s recorded multiple points in each of his last four games and multiple goals in three consecutive contests. That’s pushed him up to 12 goals and 24 points in 25 contests. He’s worth considering on all sites, but he’s particularly well priced on DraftKings and Yahoo.
Bargain Bin: Alex Tuch (BUF) - $6,500 FanDuel/$5,100 DraftKings/$19 Yahoo, Andrew Mangiapane (CAL) - $6,100 FanDuel/$3,500 DraftKings/$17 Yahoo, Tage Thompson (BUF) - $5,700 FanDuel/$5,100 DraftKings/$18 Yahoo, Brayden Schenn (STL) - $5,600 FanDuel/$4,300 DraftKings/$19 Yahoo, Brandon Saad (STL) - $5,500 FanDuel/$3,200 DraftKings/$18 Yahoo, Blake Coleman (CAL) - $5,400 FanDuel/$3,600 DraftKings/$19 Yahoo, Gustav Nyquist (CBJ) - $5,200 FanDuel/$3,300 DraftKings/$17 Yahoo, Nick Paul (OTT) - $4,900 FanDuel/$2,800 DraftKings/$18 Yahoo
Defensemen:
Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay) - $7,300 FanDuel, $6,400 DraftKings, $25 Yahoo
Hedman has been one of the more reliable defensemen when it comes to offensive production. He’s recorded at least a point in seven of his last nine games, and he hasn’t been held off the scoresheet for more than two straight games at any point this season. With 10 goals and 47 points in 46 games, he’s tied for first place in the defensemen scoring race.
Morgan Rielly (Toronto) - $6,700 FanDuel, $6,000 DraftKings, $21 Yahoo
Rielly has a goal and 11 points in his last eight games, making him one of the league’s best defensemen over that span. He’s also having a terrific campaign overall with five goals and 40 points in 43 contests. He’s well on his way to challenging his career-high of 72 points.
Bargain Bin: Damon Severson (NJD) - $5,900 FanDuel/$4,500 DraftKings/$16 Yahoo, Torey Krug (STL) - $5,100 FanDuel/$5,400 DraftKings/$18 Yahoo, Noah Hanifin (CAL) - $4,900 FanDuel/$3,200 DraftKings/$14 Yahoo, Nick Holden (OTT) - $4,700 FanDuel/$2,500 DraftKings/$14 Yahoo
Goaltenders:
Frederik Andersen (Carolina) - $8,200 FanDuel, $7,500 DraftKings, $36 Yahoo
Andersen is coming off a rough loss to Toronto, but he’s having a fantastic season overall with a 24-6-1 record, 2.08 GAA, and .927 save percentage in 31 contests. He’ll also be facing the Boston Bruins tonight, which is usually a bad thing, but with Brad Marchand suspended and Patrice Bergeron unavailable due to an upper-body injury, the Bruins’ offense looks significantly less impressive right now.
Bargain Bin: Tristan Jarry (PIT) - $7,900 FanDuel/$8,200 DraftKings/$32 Yahoo
