This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Friday's features NHL slate begins at 7:00 p.m. EDT and includes four games. Oilers-Canucks was also scheduled for this slate but has been postponed with Vancouver's return to action put on hold. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Defense figures to reign supreme in this slate, with no games with an over/under above 5.5 and even one game at 5.0 (Islanders-Bruins). While that low-scoring affair is a toss-up, the other three games all feature heavy favorites, with the Avalanche hosting the Kings, the Golden Knights visiting the Ducks and the Wild playing host to the Sharks. Nailing your pick in net will be key to finding success in what projects to be a small, low-scoring slate.
GOALIES
Robin Lehner, VGK at ANH ($8,300): Lehner's a stellar 7-0-1 in his last eight starts, and he's allowed only 16 goals in this stretch. He should be the chalk goalie play against Anaheim's 30th-ranked offense (2.27 goals per game).
Devan Dubnyk, COL vs. LA ($8,300): Dubnyk won his Avalanche debut Wednesday in St. Louis, and now the recent trade acquisition will be the main man in Colorado's net with Philipp Grubauer placed in COVID-19 protocols. Given the stacked group of skaters in front of him, Dubnyk's favored to cruise to victory against a Kings team that has nine regulation losses in its last 12 games and hasn't scored more than two goals in any of those nine defeats.
Ilya Sorokin, NYI at BOS ($7,600): Even after beating the Islanders on Thursday, Boston has still been outscored 14-9 over its last four games. The affordable Sorokin has a stellar 11-3-1 record, 2.17 GAA and .915 save percentage, and he should fare better in Friday's rematch than Semyon Varlamov did Thursday.
Cam Talbot, MIN vs. SJ ($8,000): Talbot has been excellent in Minnesota's net this season, producing a 13-6-3 record, 2.43 GAA and .923 save percentage. He's been especially effective on home ice, with a 9-1-0 record, 1.85 GAA and .937 save percentage. He'll look to keep that home success going against a visiting Sharks team that's been outscored 12-3 in losing its last three games.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Timo Meier, SJ at MIN ($5,800): Meier has been noticeable recently, even with the Sharks' offense in a rut. Over the past five games, he has a 1-2-3 line and 19 shots. The skilled winger has an 8-17-25 line in 40 games overall, and his average of 9.9 fantasy points per game is third among San Jose's skaters behind Evander Kane (12.2) and Brent Burns (10.4).
Taylor Hall, BOS vs. NYI ($5,300): Perhaps rumors of Hall's career's demise were greatly exaggerated after all. He has notched three shots in each of his two games with the Bruins and lit the lamp in the second one, scoring against the Islanders on Thursday. The trade deadline acquisition from Buffalo specifically wanted to go to Boston, so perhaps playing in his desired destination will unlock the extra gear that's been missing from Hall's game for the last couple years.
Mathew Barzal, NYI at BOS ($6,100): Barzal has four assists over an active three-game point streak and a 4-9-13 line in his last nine games. A beat-up Bruins blue line will have trouble keeping Barzal from using his elite speed to create high-danger scoring opportunities, both for himself and others.
Dustin Brown, LA at COL ($4,800): Brown should take advantage if Dubnyk falters in Colorado's net. The veteran winger leads the Kings with 16 goals and ranks third behind Anze Kopitar (43) and Drew Doughty (30) with 26 points, and Brown has a respectable 1-3-4 line in the last four games, even with the team struggling to score.
Alexander Volkov, ANH vs. VGK ($2,500): Acquired in a minor trade with Tampa Bay, Volkov has brought an offensive spark to Anaheim with a 3-1-4 line in his last two games. At just $2,500, it could be worth seeing whether the 23-year-old Russian's able to stay hot despite the daunting matchup.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Avalanche vs. Kings
Nathan MacKinnon (C - $8,900), Mikko Rantanen (W - $8,000), Gabriel Landeskog (W - $7,200)
With Edmonton's top line no longer in the mix, this should be the go-to line to build around in this slate. The struggling Kings have surrendered 25 goals in their last six games, and facing arguably the best line in hockey is hardly a recipe for breaking out of a defensive funk. MacKinnon's 17-36-53 line in 39 games includes a 7-11-18 line during his active 11-game point streak. Rantanen has a 5-4-9 line over his active six-game point streak and a 26-26-52 output overall, while Landeskog has long put his slow start behind him with a 9-14-23 line in his last 16 games.
Golden Knights at Ducks
Tomas Nosek (C - $3,700), Alex Tuch (W - $4,200), Mattias Janmark (W - $2,900)
Vegas' third line offers excellent potential bang for the buck against a Ducks team that's bringing up the rear in the West Division. Nosek has quietly delivered an outstanding 6-8-14 line in his last 16 games, including a goal and two assists when Vegas last played Wednesday. Tuch lit the lamp in each of his last two games and has a 15-12-27 line in 41 appearances overall — a 30-goal, 82-game pace. Janmark was brought in at the trade deadline and notched a helper in his Golden Knights debut, raising his season line to 10-10-20 through 42 games between Chicago and Vegas.
Wild vs. Sharks
Ryan Hartman (C - $3,500), Kevin Fiala (W - $5,500), Marcus Johansson (W - $2,500)
Fiala's the hottest forward on the Wild, and one of the hottest across the NHL, with a 5-7-12 line in his last nine appearances. Hartman has gone three games without a point but notched a 2-2-4 line in the two games before that, while Johansson is one of this slate's top bargains with three assists in the last two games and a 1-4-5 line in his last five. This affordable trio should find success against a Sharks team that's allowing 3.31 goals per game.
DEFENSEMEN
Shea Theodore, VGK at ANH ($6,000): Theodore continues to thrive offensively, with four assists and 21 shots in his last five games. He has a 6-27-33 line in 39 games overall and should add to it against a Ducks team that's allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to defensemen.
Cale Makar, COL vs. LA ($5,700): Like Theodore, Makar's an elite offensive blueliner facing a team that's generous to opposing defensemen. Makar has been held without a point just once in his last eight games while producing 31 points in as many appearances. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is allowing the third-most fantasy points to defensemen.
Matt Dumba, MIN vs. SJ ($3,500): Dumba's offensive numbers have been modest (6-8-14 in 36 games), but the four-time double-digit goal scorer is getting into a groove with a goal and an assist over the past two games. Considering Dumba's goal-scoring ability, he's a high-upside blue line bargain at just $3,500.
Mike Reilly, BOS vs. NYI ($3,300): Like Hall, Reilly has played well in two games since being acquired by the Bruins via trade. Ottawa's second-leading scorer from the blue line behind Thomas Chabot has an assist and eight shots through two games with Boston. That assist came Thursday against the Islanders, and a repeat effort would make Reilly a terrific value option at just $3,300.
