This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The Avalanche's wait may be over. If the Tampa Bay Lightning win Saturday night, they are headed to yet-another Stanley Cup Finals. Now, as an impartial viewer, I'm hoping for a Game 7. Also, as a DFS enthusiast, I am hoping for a Game 7. For now, though, let's focus on Game 6. For DFS, you have $50,000 to spend on your roster of six players. One is your captain. They provide 1.5 times the points to you, but their salary is also elevated. For perhaps the last time in this series, here is my recommended lineup.
CAPTAIN
Steven Stamkos, TAM vs. NYR ($13,800): Given the elevated salary element of picking your captain, Stamkos provides the best bang for your buck. Centering Tampa's top line, the team's actual captain has 13 points and 50 shots on net in 16 playoff games. That comes after he notched 106 points during the regular season. The top line drives things for the Lightning, especially if Brayden Point remains out.
FLEX
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM vs. NYR ($11,000): Look, I'd love to see a Game 7, but I have to be realistic. The Lightning are at home with a chance to clinch, and series clinchers are where Vasilevskiy historically shines. Even though he struggled in Game 1 of this series — which was on the road — he has an 1.71 GAA and .950 save percentage over his last 10 games. Anything other than the Russian netminder excelling in goal Saturday would surprise me.
Nikita Kucherov, TAM vs. NYR ($9,600): Kucherov is the steady hand at the side of Stamkos. The Russian is on a four-game point streak, and he also has 22 points in 16 playoff games. He's peppered Igor Shesterkin with shots — 21 in this series — and that kind of activity is how he provides so much fantasy value.
Chris Kreider, NYR at TAM ($8,400): If the Rangers are going to remain alive, somebody is going to have to get goals. If you want goals, you look toward Kreider, who had 52 this season. He just saw a six-game point streak end, but clearly Kreider has been on his game. Also, he had 26 power-play goals this season, and the Lightning had the 11th-ranked penalty kill. When you are considering playoff teams, that's less foreboding.
Alexis Lafreniere, NYR at TAM ($5,000): Lafreniere has started 67.2 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Rangers. At this salary, that's enough to provide some real upside. The 20-year-old did tally 19 goals during the regular season, all at even strength. While he hasn't scored a goal since the first round, Lafreniere does have four assists in his last seven games.
Patrick Maroon, TAM vs. NYR ($2,000): A player at this low of a salary is how I managed to fit in the three big Lightning players. Though he's on the fourth line, the "Big Rig" does feel like the kind of veteran that steps up randomly in a key game. He did have a goal in Game 4, and he played 1:28 on the power play in Game 5. If Maroon does anything in this game, he's going to really pay off.
