This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL slate begins at 7:00 p.m. EST and features 13 games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup for this busy slate.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are plenty of directions to take your lineup with 26 teams to choose from, but focusing on the biggest favorites and highest-scoring games should help maximize your ability to pinpoint top performers. Dallas is the largest favorite at home against Detroit, with Colorado a close second hosting San Jose, and Nashville (vs. Chicago) coming in third. As far as the highest-scoring games go, Rangers-Sabres, Oilers-Jets and Maple Leafs-Flames all share the evening's highest over/under at 6.5.
GOALIES
Anton Khudobin, DAL vs. DET ($8,500): Khudobin should be worth paying up for as this slate's priciest netminder. He posted a stellar 2.22 GAA and .930 save percentage last season before leading the Stars to the Stanley Cup Finals with a strong playoff performance, and Khudobin has been equally as sharp to begin his 2021 campaign. The Russian goalie brings a 2-0-0 record, 1.00 GAA and .961 save percentage into this meeting with a Red Wings team that's scoring only two goals per game.
Brian Elliott, PHI at NJ ($8,000): Elliott recorded a 40-save shutout in his only other start this season, and Philadelphia's veteran backup has a nice opportunity to maintain his stingy ways against a Devils team that has scored more than two goals only once through five games. With 12 other goalies priced at $8,000 or more, Elliott's in position to deliver solid bang for the buck.
Vitek Vanecek, WAS vs. NYI ($7,300): Vanecek stands out as a bargain option in net if you prefer to spend big on skaters. He has performed admirably in Ilya Samsonov's (COVID-19) stead, going 2-0-2 with a 2.87 GAA and .912 save percentage, including 45 saves against the Sabres last time out. The visiting Islanders are tough to crack defensively, but they're averaging the fewest goals in the league (1.80).
Antti Raanta, ARI vs. ANH ($6,500): Digging even deeper into the bargain bin, Raanta would be a steal if he comes off IR in time to face the Ducks, who are scoring the second-fewest goals per game in the NHL (1.83). The risk of Raanta's undisclosed injury hampering him in this one is encapsulated in his affordable valuation, while Darcy Kuemper ($8,000) would be a safer, albeit pricier, option if he gets the nod in Arizona's net instead.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Leon Draisaitl, EDM at WPG ($7,100): Draisaitl has a three-game goal streak going, including the last-second game-winner against Winnipeg on Sunday. Last year's leading scorer (43-67-110 in 71 games) also registered an assist in that game, giving Draisaitl a 3-6-9 line through seven games. Despite his established elite track record, Draisaitl's available for $7,100, coming in $1,400 cheaper than teammate Connor McDavid and below 15 other skaters as well.
Andrew Copp, WPG vs. EDM ($4,100): Copp has been tremendous since being promoted to a top-six role, as he brings a four-game point streak into this matchup with an Oilers team that's allowing 3.29 goals per game. The affordable winger has posted a 2-3-5 line and 16 shots during his hot streak and is showing no signs of slowing down, making Copp a premier value option here.
Patric Hornqvist, FLA at CLS ($4,000): He's facing the solid Columbus defense, but Hornqvist's hard to ignore at just $4,000 given his hot start with the Panthers. While Florida hasn't played in a week, Hornqvist made a tremendous first impression in the Sunshine State prior to the layoff, totaling a 3-1-4 line through two games, including two goals and an assist on the power play.
Eric Staal, BUF vs. NYR ($4,600): Staal's starting to get acclimated to life in Buffalo, with 12 shots over his last three games and a goal in each of the last two. The veteran second-line center should keep rolling against a Rangers team that's off to a 1-3-1 start.
Kaapo Kakko, NYR at BUF ($2,600): On the other side of what's expected to be a high-scoring clash of New York-based teams, Kakko has quietly put together a promising start to his sophomore season, with two goals through five games. The second overall selection from the 2019 draft has been rewarded with more ice time, topping 15 minutes in each of the last two games after coming up short of that mark in each of his first three this year. If Kakko's role keeps growing, he won't be available for just $2,600 much longer.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Stars vs. Red Wings
Joe Pavelski (C - $6,100), Alexander Radulov (W - $5,900), Andrew Cogliano (W $2,500)
Dallas was the last team to start its season, but the Stars have exploded out of the gate like a supernova, outscoring Nashville 10-2 en route to a 2-0 start. Pavelski and Radulov have led the way in the early going, with 3-4-7 and 2-1-3 lines, respectively. It appears both veteran scorers still have some juice left in the tank, and they should build on their strong start against a Red Wings team that's 2-4 after bringing up the rear in the league standings last season. The affordable Cogliano will get the next crack at the third spot on this line, making him an enticing cheap filler given his deployment and the matchup.
Predators vs. Blackhawks
Ryan Johansen, (C - $4,000), Filip Forsberg (W - $6,600), Viktor Arvidsson (W - $5,400)
Nashville hasn't gotten much secondary scoring through five games, but the top line has done its job in the early going, as Arvidsson leads the Predators with five points and Forsberg leads the team with four goals. Johansen is tied for third on the club with two points, but the five-time 60-point scorer is primed to join his linemates in a productive outing against the defensively challenged Blackhawks. Chicago held the lowly Red Wings to three goals over a two-game sweep over the weekend, but the Blackhawks had gone winless through four games while allowing 20 goals prior to beating up on Detroit.
Golden Knights vs. Blues
Chandler Stephenson (C - $4,100), Max Pacioretty (W - $6,700), Mark Stone ($6,200)
Among the 26 teams in action Tuesday, only the Blackhawks (3.83) are allowing more goals per game than the Blues (3.67). A Vegas top line that features two of the league's top early performers should add to St. Louis' defensive struggles. Stone has a 2-6-8 line through six games and had a 21-42-63 lines in 65 appearances last season, while Pacioretty's among the league leaders with 24 shots and has a 3-1-4 line after leading Vegas in both goals (32) and points (66) over 71 games in 2019-20. Stephenson has contributed a respectable 1-2-3 line early and offers substantial upside as long as he remains in between Vegas' top two wingers.
DEFENSEMEN
Ryan Ellis, NSH vs. CHI ($5,700): Ellis has been among the league's top fantasy scorers on the blue line despite dishing just one helper thus far, carving out a tremendous floor with 3.6 shots and 2.8 blocks per game. The offense will come before long considering Ellis has scored at least 38 points in three of the past four seasons despite being limited to fewer than 50 games twice in that span, and this matchup with the defensively challenged Blackhawks presents the perfect opportunity for Ellis to get going.
Morgan Rielly, TOR at CGY ($5,600): Rielly dished out three helpers when these teams met Sunday, and that performance should help the offensively gifted blueliner get going after a slow start to the season. Considering he has 103 points in 136 games (.76 points/game) since the start of the 2018-19 campaign, the top source of blue-line offense for the high-scoring Maple Leafs remains a relative bargain with 15 other defensemen priced above him.
Bowen Byram, COL vs. SJ ($2,900): Cale Makar has become a household name since being picked fourth overall in the 2017 draft by Colorado, and it may not be long until 2019 fourth overall pick is just as well-established. For now, Byram can be had for $3,200 cheaper than Makar, though the rookie blueliner has flashed some promising potential with an assist and seven shots through three games. Byram's ice time has also climbed with each subsequent contest, reaching 18:32 in his last game.
Anthony DeAngelo, NYR at BUF ($2,900): DeAngelo is a strong buy-low candidate on the blue line. He was scratched for two of New York's first five games for disciplinary reasons and hasn't recorded a point in the other three, but DeAngelo's among the league's most prolific scorers among defensemen when he's rolling, as evidenced by last season's 15-38-53 line.
