DraftKings NHL: Sunday Breakdown

DraftKings NHL: Sunday Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.

After a stuffed Saturday of hockey, Sunday is a light slate. Only two games are taking place. The first one starts at 5 p.m. ET, so you'll have to get your lineups in a bit earlier than usual. Here are some DFS recommendations to help with that.

SLATE PREVIEW

Three of these four teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back. The Red Wings and Ducks flip from the road to being at home, and both also get a little extra time between games since they both played afternoon contests Saturday. Anaheim hosts Boston, who is doing the classic Kings-and-Ducks doubleheader this weekend. Only Calgary didn't play Saturday, which is to its benefit.

GOALIE

Jacob Markstrom, CGY at DET ($8,200): The Red Wings have been flying on offense this season, which I've appreciated as a fan of the team. However, when you're on the second leg of a back-to-back and your opponent is rested, that's never easy. Jacob Markstrom has had three good starts this season, but also one bad one, which has an outsized impact on his overall numbers so early in the campaign. Other than that trip to Pittsburgh, though, he's looked primed for a rebound season.

VALUE PLAY/ONE-OFF

Elias Lindholm, CGY at DET ($6,800): Lindholm has been carrying the Flames offensively, with six points and 16 shots on net through five games. He's all over the ice, too, with both a power-play assist and shorthanded goal to his name. James Reimer will get the start for the Wings, and while he blanked the Blue Jackets in his one game this year, he's a veteran with a long track record, and that track record includes a career .911 save percentage.

FORWARD LINE STACK

Bruins at Ducks: Pavel Zacha (C - $5,600), David Pastrnak (W - $9,700), Jake DeBrusk (W - $6,200)

The Ducks actually have to travel further than the Bruins for this one, though they also get to be at home. Of course, the defensive issues and goaltending woes of the Ducks make them a fortuitous matchup in all scenarios. Since the start of last season, they are last in shots on net allowed per game, and John Gibson keeps getting work in net for whatever reason. Over the last five seasons he has a 3.31 GAA and .902 save percentage.

Zacha doesn't have a point yet as Boston's new first-line center, but he managed 57 points last year without Pastrnak on his wing, so I think he'll be just fine. Plus, he gets first-unit time on the power play now as well, and the Ducks have a bottom-five penalty kill since the beginning of last season. Pastrnak remains in the running to be considered the best goal scorer in the NHL, and also one of the most-prolific shooters of the puck. He managed 61 goals and 407 shots on target last season, both remarkable numbers, and he has five goals already this year. DeBrusk missed a team meeting and thus got scratched for Saturday's game, but I am assuming he'll be back in his first-line role Sunday. He's coming off back-to-back 25-goal seasons, and has nine shots on net to start this campaign.

DEFENSEMAN

Moritz Seider, DET vs. CGY ($5,700): Hopefully the 22-year-old defenseman's legs are feeling up to the task of a back-to-back. The German is looking to pick things up after taking a step back last year after his Calder season. Seider has five points in his last four games, so that's a good sign. Were Markstrom an elite goalie, I may not risk the Red Wings defenseman, but his track record is erratic, and even this year he does have that one bad start.

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. Chris Morgan plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: cmorgan3, DraftKings: cmorgan3.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Morgan
Chris Morgan is a writer of sports, pop culture, and humor articles, a book author, a podcaster, and a fan of all Detroit sports teams.
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