This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
We have something of a robust lineup in place Tuesday night. That's something we haven't seen much, what with all the afternoon games and slimmed-down game slates. Here are some players to consider for your DFS contests. If your New Year's resolution was to win more at DFS, hopefully I can help.
SLATE PREVIEW
There was only one game Monday, so it perhaps is not surprising that there are no teams on a back-to-back Tuesday. Also, two games were postponed that were originally slated for the day: Capitals-Canadiens and Islanders-Kraken. Given how bad Montreal and Seattle are, we may be missing out here.
GOALIES
Linus Ullmark, BOS vs. NJD ($8,400): A lot of the best goaltenders are on the road Tuesday, and I wanted to get one team at home. The Bruins use both Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman a fair amount, but Ullmark has a .919 save percentage and Swayman has a .920 save percentage, so it doesn't really matter who they start. They are getting strong goaltending either way. The Devils are smack dab in the middle of the league in goals per game, but I like Ullmark (or Swayman) at home behind a healthy Bruins squad.
Darcy Kuemper, COL at CHI ($8,300): After changing teams, Kuemper got off to a bit of a slow start. However, it seems like maybe he's finding his footing. Over his last five starts the former Coyote has a 2.42 GAA and .925 save percentage. He's also won all five of those games because he gets offensive support from the top goal-scoring team in the NHL. The Blackhawks, meanwhile, manage a mere 2.22 goals per game.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at ARI ($8,200): The Jets face the team that used to call Winnipeg home. Arizona did not bring any offense with them from the Great White North. The Coyotes rank last in both goals (2.10) and shots on net (26.4) per game. Hellebuyck has a solid .915 save percentage after having a .916 save percentage last season, and a solid goalie is all you need in a matchup like this.
VALUE PLAYS
Rickard Rakell, ANA vs. PHI ($5,600): Rakell has started a whopping 67.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. That's only fourth on the Ducks, but it would be tops on a lot of teams. He's also put 69 shots on goal in only 25 games. The Flyers, meanwhile, have allowed 35.0 shots on net per contest. Carter Hart will be coming off the COVID-19 list, and he hasn't played since December 16. A lot of goalies have looked rusty in returning to action recently.
Taylor Hall, BOS vs. NJD ($4,900): Hall has picked it up recently, with five points in his last six games. Sure, there was a big gap in there, but he has a point in each of his outings since the NHL's pause ended. He's also put eight shots on goal in his last two games. Mackenzie Blackwood has struggled in net for Hall's former team. He has a 3.22 GAA and .897 save percentage.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Lightning at Blue Jackets: Brayden Point (C - $6,600), Alex Killorn (W - $4,500), Anthony Cirelli (W - $3,900)
The Lightning have gotten healthier, and even with Nikita Kucherov still out they are spoiled for choice. Point is centering the second line and has bumped Cirelli to the wing. Also, both Point and Killorn are currently on the top power-play unit. The Blue Jackets have been porous defensively. In fact, they've allowed a league-high 35.2 shots on net per contest. That's a big reason why they have a 3.47 GAA. Elvis Merzlikins has a 4.26 GAA and .879 save percentage over his last eight games, and he's also banged up right now.
Point has looked entirely like himself since returning to action. He has five points and 15 shots on goal in four games. Killorn has racked up 20 assists to go with nine goals, and he has six points in his last six contests. Cirelli, for his part, has nine goals and nine assists in 29 games.
Jets at Coyotes: Mark Scheifele (C - $6,800), Nikolaj Ehlers (W - $6,900), Paul Stastny (W - $3,500)
I mentioned earlier that the Coyotes rank last in goals scored per game. Guess what? They also rank last in GAA. Arizona has allowed 3.80 goals per game, not to mention 32.9 shots on net. The Coyotes also rank 30th on the penalty kill. Winnipeg's top line is impressive, and a matchup like this is worth attacking, even if you may have to splash some cash on salary.
Scheifele has put a slow start behind him, as since the start of December he has six goals and six assists in nine games. Also, he still has a 13.8 shooting percentage, which would be his lowest since the 2014-15 season. Ehlers has been throwing shots on net. He's racked up 126 in 21 games, and since November 16 he has one game where he's had fewer than three shots on goal. The 36-year-old Stastny can't shoulder the load he used to, but he does have 16 points in 23 games, including four in his last two.
DEFENSE
Neal Pionk, WPG at ARI ($5,900): Pionk has 16 points in 24 games before missing three games with a concussion. Since returning he doesn't have a point, but he has 13 shots on goal in four contests. The points will come. Plus, he's averaged 2:56 on the power play, and the Coyotes have the 30th-ranked penalty kill.
Brent Burns, SAN at DET ($5,700): Burns is still shooting a lot, even if he has perhaps slowed down a bit. Still, 87 shots on net in 33 games from a defenseman is noteworthy. What's also notable is that he has a point in four of his last five contests. Meanwhile, the Red Wings have a 3.39 GAA and have given up 33.4 shots on net per game.
Hampus Lindholm, ANA vs. PHI ($4,800): I mentioned earlier that the Flyers have allowed 35.0 shots on net per game. Lindholm has 72 shots on goal in 35 games, which is third most on the Ducks. That's helped him to 14 points on the season.
