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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 three games scheduled for tonight.
Forwards:
Auston Matthews (Toronto) – C - $10,200 FanDuel, $9,000 DraftKings, $34 Yahoo
Matthews is expensive, but he’s also by far the best center available tonight. He’s excelled this season with 23 goals and 37 points in 31 games and has only gotten better as the campaign has progressed. From Nov. 24 onward, he’s scored 16 goals and 22 points in 14 contests. That puts him in first place in goals scored over that span despite playing in fewer games than most of his competition. The next two best players in goals from Nov. 24 onward are Filip Forsberg, who has 14 goals in 17 games and Tomas Hertl, who has 13 goals in 19 games, so you can see that there’s a decent gap there.
William Nylander (Toronto) – W - $8,400 FanDuel, $7,300 DraftKings, $28 Yahoo
Nylander is another star forward for the Maple Leafs who has been playing some amazing hockey lately. Over his last 14 games, he’s scored nine goals and 20 points. That’s pushed him up to 16 goals and 36 points in 34 contests in 2021-22, making him well worth the asking price.
Jason Robertson (Dallas) – W - $7,800 FanDuel, $7,200 DraftKings, $19 Yahoo
Robertson is a particularly appealing option in Yahoo leagues, but he’s worth considering on all sites. He’s recorded at least a point in each of his last seven games, scoring four goals and 10 points over that span. He’s also been consistent throughout the campaign, never being held off the scoresheet for more than two games in a row. He has 12 goals and 30 points in 26 contests in 2021-22.
Joe Pavelski (Dallas) – W - $6,600 FanDuel, $6,800 DraftKings, $21 Yahoo
Pavelski has been on a roll too, scoring four goals and nine points over his last six contests. That gives him 13 goals and 30 points in 32 contests in 2021-22. If you can only afford one of Pavelski or Robertson tonight, I recommend grabbing Pavelski on FanDuel where he’s significantly cheaper, but Robertson is the better option on DraftKings and Yahoo.
Bargain Bin: Clayton Keller (ARI) - $6,300 FanDuel/$5,000 DraftKings/$18 Yahoo, Taylor Hall (BOS) - $5,900 FanDuel/$4,800 DraftKings/$18 Yahoo, Ilya Mikheyev (TOR) - $5,800 FanDuel/$3,900 DraftKings/$18 Yahoo, Ondrej Kase (TOR) - $5,700 FanDuel/$4,200 DraftKings/$20 Yahoo, Lawson Crouse (ARI) - $5,000 FanDuel/$3,300 DraftKings/$17 Yahoo, Alexander Kerfoot (TOR) - $4,800 FanDuel/$3,400 DraftKings/$18 Yahoo
Defensemen:
Shayne Gostisbehere (Arizona) - $5,700 FanDuel, $5,600 DraftKings, $16 Yahoo
Gostisbehere fell out of favor in Philadelphia, but he’s played a big role with the Coyotes and has been productive offensively as a result with six goals and 23 points in 33 games. He’s been particularly good lately with two goals and six points in his last five contests. Keep in mind that the Maple Leafs are expected to start backup goaltender Petr Mrazek tonight, so Arizona should have an easier time scoring than they otherwise would have.
Bargain Bin: Miro Heiskanen (DAL) - $5,600 FanDuel/$6,400 DraftKings/$17 Yahoo, John Klingberg (DAL) - $4,900 FanDuel/$5,800 DraftKings/$18 Yahoo
Goaltenders:
Linus Ullmark (Boston) - $8,100 FanDuel, $8,100 DraftKings, $34 Yahoo
While the attention in Boston right now is naturally on Tuukka Rask, it’s Ullmark that’s expected to start tonight and he’s worth taking in daily leagues. Ullmark has been solid this season with an 11-5-0 record, 2.57 GAA, and .917 save percentage in 16 games. He’s poised to face the struggling Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.
Bargain Bin: Jake Oettinger (DAL) - $7,800 FanDuel/$7,800 DraftKings/$28 Yahoo
