This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Sunday's schedule technically starts at 12:00 p.m. ET, but that game is the Capitals taking on the Bruins. I feel like that game doesn't have the greatest upside from a DFS perspective. The Bruins are strong defensively but also super top heavy. There are, like, five forwards at most worth considering on that team, and that's if you belief in the potential of a Taylor Hall renaissance. Additionally, a game between the Leafs and Canucks originally scheduled for Saturday has been tentatively moved to Sunday. However, I do not want to run the risk of selecting a player from that game, given all the issues Vancouver has faced. Oh, and the Avalanche-Kings game has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues as well. Not the most delightful of Sundays, but there are four games I can look at to give you a few recommendations.
GOALIES
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK at ANA ($8,000): Hey, at least there is a no-brainer goalie option Sunday, at least if you are willing to pay the salary. Fleury and Robin Lehner have been rotating starters, and it's Fleury's turn Sunday. He has a 2.09 GAA and .925 save percentage. The Ducks are last in the league in goals per game. It all adds up to making Fleury as reliable of an option as you'll find.
Casey DeSmith, PIT at BUF ($8,400): Jarry got the start when these teams played Saturday, so now it's DeSmith's turn. DeSmith only has a .912 save percentage, but with a 2.40 GAA. Buffalo, meanwhile, ranks 29th in goals scored and no longer have Hall, Jack Eichel, or Kyle Okposo around.
Alexandar Georgiev, NYR at NJD ($7,900): Georgiev has started one game in April, but my guess is he gets a second start Sunday. These two teams also played Saturday, and Igor Shesterkin was in net. New Jersey is 28th in goals scored, and much like the Sabres they have decidedly-fewer offensive options now than when the season began thanks to trades involving the likes of Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Bryan Rust, PIT at BUF ($6,900): Rust exploded last season, seeing him ice time jump to 19:46 and getting to play alongside Sidney Crosby. That helped him tally 56 points in 55 games. He's still playing with Crosby, and this year he has 34 points in 44 contests. Linus Ullmark and Carter Hutton are both hurt for the Sabres and Jonas Johansson was traded. That leaves the Sabres down to their fourth-and-fifth-string goalies right now for a team that is already bottom-five in GAA.
Chandler Stephenson, VGK at ANA ($4,500): The Golden Knights decided to give Stephenson a shot to center their top line between Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty, and it's working out well for him so far. The 26-year-old has six points in his last five contests. Over in Anaheim, John Gibson has a 2.94 GAA and .905 save percentage, and he's faced a whopping 222 shots in his last six starts.
Chris Kreider, NYR at NJD ($5,300): Kreider tallied nine of his 24 goals on the power play last season, and this year he's added nine more power-play goals out of 18. The Devils have the league's worst penalty kill, and being on the second day of a back-to-back Sunday definitely won't help that.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Islanders vs. Flyers
Travis Zajac (C - $3,100), Mathew Barzal (W - $6,300), Jordan Eberle (W - $5,100)
The Islanders are getting a chance to square off with a Flyers team that played Saturday while they were off. Oh, they are also a Flyers team that ranked second-to-last in GAA. New York may not have the most-dynamic offense, but they don't really need to. Zajac was dealt over from the Devils and has recently found himself centering the Islanders' top line, moving Barzal over to the wing. He has one goal in five games since making the move. Barzal has been steady as ever, and he has 13 points in his last 10 games. He's never had fewer than 60 points in a season, so he's a proven commodity at this point. Eberle has started 60.4 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Islanders, and has 14 goals and 14 assists.
Penguins at Sabres
Jeff Carter (C - $4,900), Jared McCann (W - $5,500), Jason Zucker (W - $3,300)
Usually, you might not look past the Penguins' top line. However, this matchup is so good I thought this was an opportunity for a less-expensive stack. It's possible we might see Michael Houser in net for the Sabres on Sunday. They might have to play Dustin Tokarski on back-to-back days. You can step down from the likes of Crosby in terms of salary and still find a lot of upside. Carter is new to the Penguins and now starting as their second-line center. He's had some bad puck luck, as he has a 6.7 shooting percentage, but he had 17 goals in 60 games last year and has more talent around him now. McCann has really excelled since being moved up to Pittsburgh's second line, notching 12 points in his last 12 contests. That includes eight power-play points, as he's now also on the top power-play unit. Zucker has struggled this year, but he has three points in nine games since returning from injury and maybe skating with Carter and McCann on this "Triple J" line will help.
DEFENSE
Shea Theodore, VGK at ANA ($6,100): It's time for a Shea Theodore revenge game. He has 33 points in only 40 games, and he's been plenty active offensively for a few years. In fact, the former Duck has had over 200 shots on net in each of his last two seasons. He won't get there this year, but he does have 123 shots on goal. The Ducks are in the bottom 10 in shots allowed per game, and with Gibson posting a .905 save percentage that's not good.
Nick Leddy, NYI at PHI ($3,200): Leddy doesn't have a point in his last eight games, but I think that could change Sunday. The Flyers are 30th in GAA, after all, and 29th in penalty-kill percentage. They are also on the second leg of a back-to-back, of course. Leddy was playing well earlier this season, so he does have 25 points in 44 games. He's also notched 2:20 per contest with the extra man.
K'Andre Miller, NYR at NJD ($2,800): For a long time Miller has been considered one of the best defensive prospects in the NHL. The 21-year-old rookie still hasn't exploded onto the scene, but he has upside, and he has 10 points on the year. He also has a spot on New York's second power-play unit. This is a bit of a longshot, but the salary here is worth a roll of the dice against the league's worst penalty kill. You can save some money here to spend elsewhere on your roster but still bet on Miller's potential.
