This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
You'll have to get your lineup in early Sunday for NHL DFS purposes. The Lightning host the Rangers at 3 p.m. ET. A little afternoon hockey before some evening basketball. You have $50,000 in salary for your lineup on DraftKings. Your Captain provides you with 1.5 times the points, but their salary is also elevated as a result. Here's a lineup to consider for this matinee matchup.
CAPTAIN
Steven Stamkos, TAM vs. NYR ($13,800): As this series moves to Tampa, I'm turning to Stamkos as my captain. He provides as much upside as any forward in this series, but with a bit of salary saved over some other options, which matters with your captain. I'm not exactly taking a shot in the dark here. Stamkos had 41 goals and 106 points this season, and in the playoffs he's added 10 more points. He even had two points in the first game off this series, when only two goals were scored by Tampa.
FLEX
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM vs. NYR ($10,800): The Lightning had not lost two playoff games in a row since 2019 prior to dropping Game 2. At home, I simply don't see them losing a third game in a row. That would mean a win for Vasilevskiy, who tends to play a key role in playoff victories down in Tampa anyway. The reigning Conn Smythe winner had allowed a mere four goals over his last five starts before this series.
Mika Zibanejad, NYR at TAM ($9,600): Zibanejad has been powering New York's offense in the postseason. He's on a seven-game point streak and has a goal in both games of this series. A key part of his success is staying active, as he's put 50 shots on net in 16 playoff outings, and he's also averaged 3:10 per game on the power play.
Nick Paul, TAM vs. NYR ($6,000): After spending a lot of salary on my top-three players, I have to look for some value with my other three selections. Paul had a goal on four shots on net in Game 2, but what intrigues me the most is his current spot in the lineup. With Brayden Point out Paul is centering the second line for the Lightning, and recently that has meant skating alongside Stamkos as well.
Filip Chytil, NYR at TAM ($5,200): Centering New York's Kid Line, Chytil has started 63.0 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. That's second highest on the team behind only linemate Alexis Lafreniere. This has paid off for both player and team, as the 22-year-old is on a four-game point streak, and he has 14 shots on net in those games.
K'Andre Miller, NYR at TAM ($4,600): I took a flyer on Miller as a low-salary player with upside prior to Game 2, and it paid off. Miller scored a goal, giving him a three-game point streak. Skating alongside Jacob Trouba on New York's second pairing, Miller has averaged 23:54 per game in ice time, and those kind of minutes can yield opportunity. At this salary, a single point is all it takes to pay off.
