DraftKings NHL: Saturday Breakdown

DraftKings NHL: Saturday Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

SLATE PREVIEW

We have 12 games firing up Saturday. We're going to focus on the 10 starting at 6 p.m. EST. Five of the teams playing tonight also played last night, and another three play Sunday. Make sure to keep an eye out for goalie confirmations for the teams not playing on back-to-backs.

GOALIES

Semyon Varlamov, NYI at NJ ($8,200): Between Varlamov and Andrei Vasilevskiy ($8,500), take the former. Varlamov is a hair cheaper, and he's 5-0-1 over his past six starts, recording a .936 save percentage and a 1.95 GAA in that stretch. The Devils simply don't have the firepower to crack the Islanders' defense or Varlamov himself.

Mikko Koskinen, EDM at VAN ($8,100): We've seen the tale of two worlds with Koskinen this year. He hasn't gotten a real chance to prove himself of late because Mike Smith has played well, but he's put up a .927 save percentage and a 3-2-0 record over his past five games. Meanwhile, the Canucks simply don't generate many chances at even strength, ranking last in the league with 1.69 xGF/60.

Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK at STL ($7,300): Fleury shouldn't be available at this salary range, and perhaps it's because he's not projected to start. The Blues are quite banged-up, and they've generated just 2.01 xG/60 at even strength since Feb. 27 -- 16th in the league. Make sure he's the confirmed starter, but it's tough to pass up on Fleury's .943 save percentage. 

VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS

T.J. Oshie, WAS at PHI ($5,000): Oshie's back in the top six following Tom Wilson's suspension, and he's recorded four points in as many games. The Flyers are struggling in net with both Carter Hart and Brian Elliott, so Oshie gets a major boost at a reasonable price tag. 

Zach Hyman, TOR vs. WPG ($4,800): Hyman continues to be a strong complement to the Maple Leafs' offense, stacking up four goals on 24 shots over the past seven games, adding an assist in the process. He bounces around the lineup a bit, but he averaged nearly 20 minutes per game in that stretch with limited power-play time. The Jets are vulnerable at even strength, though, giving up 2.62 G/60 over the past two weeks -- 12th most in the league. 

Anthony Beauvillier, NYI at NJ ($4,300): There's a decent chance that Beavillier gets promoted to the first line following Anders Lee's lower-body injury. If that happens, that means he'll play next to Mathew Barzal against a struggling Devils defense. A 2015 first-round pick, Beauvillier has plenty of upside with at least 18 goals in each of the past three seasons. 

Dillon Dube, CGY vs. MON ($3,300): Dube has moved up to the first line, and he's generating solid offense with six shots on net over the last two games. The 22-year-old has a high ceiling -- he posted a hat trick last week -- and skating with Matthew Tkachuk makes him even more valuable at this salary level. 

LINE STACKS

Oilers at Canucks

Connor McDavid (C - $9,200), Leon Draisaitl (W - $8,600), Kailer Yamamoto (W - $5,200)

The McDavid-Draisaitl tandem broke the slate Wednesday night, as they combined for four goals and four assists. It's a hefty price tag, but they're always a threat to dominate, especially when they're on the same line. Thatcher Demko has been impressive lately, but the Canucks' defense allows a ton of high-percentage opportunities, as it ranks 27th in the league with 2.58 xGA/60 since the start of March. 

Penguins at Sabres

Evgeni Malkin (C - $6,200), Kasperi Kapanen (W - $4,500), Evan Rodrigues (W - $3,000)

Malkin took a bit to get going, but he's red-hot of late, and it hasn't mattered who his linemates are. The 34-year-old has recorded three goals and six assists across the last six games. Kapanen has eight points in that stretch; Rodrigues is a new addition after Jared McCann (upper body) went down. Buffalo ranks 30th over the last two weeks with 2.68 xGA/60 at even strength, so there's little impediment for this trio to keep rolling. 

Panthers vs. Blackhawks

Alexander Wennberg (C - $3,100), Jonathan Huberdeau (W - $5,900), Patric Hornqvist (W - $6,200)

Huberdeau continues to be severely underrated, but he's starting to get some more screen time due to his five-game, eight-point streak. Hornqvist can't quite drive the offense anymore, but he still manages to wisely put himself into positions where he can score. The Blackhawks have had plenty of defensive letdowns of late, too, giving up 3.8 goals per game over the last seven contests.

DEFENSEMEN

Kris Letang, PIT at BUF ($6,400): Letang logs big minutes regardless, but John Marino's (upper body) absence only solidifies his role further. The 34-year-old Letang has put up five goals and as many assists over the last 11 games, and he fired 30 shots on net in that stretch. 

Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. WPG ($5,600): Rielly has notched three assists across the first two games against the Jets in this series. Most importantly, he gets valuable time on PP1 with Auston Matthews as they take aim at the Jets' 22nd-ranked PK (76.6 percent). 

Shea Theodore, VGK at STL ($5,500): With Alex Pietrangelo (lower body) out, Theodore is the clear No. 1 blueliner, and he's going to man the first power-play unit as well. He's endured some slumps this year, but overall, he shoots with consistent volume and has accrued 15 points -- four with the man advantage. The Blues' PK (73.6 percent) ranks 27th in the league, and there's a good chance Ville Husso starts on the second half of back-to-back games. 

Kevin Shattenkirk, ANH vs. SJ ($4,100): Shattenkirk is starting to heat up with two goals and five points over the last three games. The Sharks' defense and goaltending situation is a travesty considering the dollars they've injected into the positions. That only raises Shattenkirk's ceiling Saturday.

Nick Leddy, NYI @ NJ ($3,800): Scott Wedgewood had one good game for the Devils in net last week. Otherwise, it's been tough sledding. Leddy brings 17 points -- eight with the man advantage -- through 27 games to the table, so he comes at an immense value tonight. 

Alexander Romanov, MON at CGY ($2,900): Romanov is starting to handle more responsibility. He skated with Shea Weber during Thursday's loss to the Flames. The 21-eyear-old has just five points this season, but he's a willing shooter that hops in front of pucks, too.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Jordan Mazzara plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Mazz30 Yahoo: Mazz30 DraftKings: Mazz30.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jordan Mazzara
Jordan has produced NFL and NHL content for RotoWire since 2017. He's the beat writer for the St. Louis Blues and Seattle Seahawks.
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