This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL slate features nine games after 7:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are four teams worth building around Tuesday, not to mention a few intriguing options with which to supplement your lineup. The Penguins are expected to dominate on home ice against the Flyers, while two of the league's top teams aren't far behind, as the Lightning will be in New Jersey and the Avalanche are heavy home favorites despite facing a decent opponent in the Stars. The Flames are also heavy favorites against visiting Columbus, as Calgary's looking to extend a league-best six-game winning streak. Additionally, the Oilers-Kings matchup should provide plenty of offense, as it's tied with Lightning-Devils for Tuesday's highest over/under (6.5 goals).
GOALIES
Tristan Jarry, PIT vs. PHI ($8,500): Jarry's in the midst of by far the best season of his career, with a 25-8-6 record, 2.20 GAA and .925 save percentage. He'll be a pricey but safe option at home against a reeling Flyers team that's averaged only 2.51 goals per game — sixth-fewest across the NHL.
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. CLS ($8,400): You won't find a goalie more locked in than Markstrom, who has gone 7-1-0 in his last nine appearances while holding seven of those opponents to two goals or fewer. The Swede's pair of shutouts in that stretch give him eight on the season, and he'll be searching for his ninth against a middling Blue Jackets team.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. BOS ($7,800): The Rangers are finally back in action following a two-week layoff, and they'll face a Bruins team that's without two thirds of its top line due to Brad Marchand's suspension and Patrice Bergeron's upper-body injury. Shesterkin was the best goalie in the league in the first half of the season, with a 22-5-2 record, 2.10 GAA and .937 save percentage, and he has a nice chance to pick up right where he left off.
Matt Murray, OTT vs. STL ($7,300): Murray has been an excellent value play of late, topping 20 fantasy points in five of his last six appearances, including each of the past four. The Senators have failed to provide him with much goal support recently, but Murray has allowed just eight goals in his last six starts — two or fewer in every game — heading into this visit from the Bluee.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Brayden Point, TB at NJ ($7,200): Nikita Kucherov might still be getting back up to speed after his latest absence, but Kucherov's presence on Point's line opens up more space for the highly skilled center, who has a two-game goal streak since Kucherov's return and at least one point in 12 of his last 14 games generally. Point should continue his productive ways against a Devils team that's allowing the fourth most goals per game (3.51).
Jeff Skinner, BUF vs. NYI ($4,400): Skinner's coming off a monstrous four-goal, five-point performance, which was his third multi-goal game in the last 12. Even with the last game doing a lot of heavy lifting, Skinner's 6-4-10 line and 29 shots over the last seven games are nonetheless impressive. At this rate, Skinner could soon shed the label of worst contract in the league, and a home date with an Islanders team that's been outscored 8-3 in its last two games could help him take another step towards doing so.
Andrew Mangiapane, CGY vs. CLS ($3,600): Mangiapane has been lighting the lamp regularly all year, and he's a massive bargain at just $3,600 given his recent form. A 5-2-7 line in his last five games has boosted Mangiapane's season goal total to 24 in 45 games, and a Blue Jackets team that's allowing 3.61 goals per game will likely struggle to keep him off the scoresheet.
Pavel Buchnevich, STL at OTT ($4,500): He's not quite a Mangiapane-level bargain, but Buchnevich is a nice value option at just $4,500, even given Ottawa's recent stout defensive play. He's just shy of a point-per-game pace with a 15-23-38 output in 40 games, and Buchnevich plays a key role on a Blues power play that's second in the league at 27.7 percent.
Alexis Lafreniere, NYR vs. BOS ($2,600): Lafreniere was heating up before the Rangers' two-week break, as he had a two-game goal streak going while skating on the top line. Boston's defense will undoubtedly shade towards Mika Zibanejad and NHL goals leader Chris Kreider, leaving plenty of room for the 2020 first-overall pick to keep showing off his skills. If you're saving cap room for stars elsewhere, Lafreniere's an excellent choice at just $100 above the minimum valuation.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Penguins vs. Flyers
Sidney Crosby (C - $7,400), Jake Guentzel (W - $7,100), Bryan Rust (W - $7,000)
One of the league's most productive lines should dominate against a Flyers team that's giving up 3.36 goals per game. Crosby has 44 points in 37 games, including 10 during his active six-game point streak. Guentzel also has a six-game, 10-point streak going en route to team-leading totals in goals (24) and points (50). Rust has been the most effective of these three on a per-game basis, needing just 27 appearances to compile a 17-20-37 line.
Avalanche vs. Stars
Nazem Kadri (C - $8,000), Valeri Nichushkin (W - $4,300), Andre Burakovsky (W - $3,600)
Rather than paying through the nose for Colorado's top line, it makes sense to lock in the much more affordable yet productive second line. Kadri's been the most productive player on the high-powered Avalanche, ranking fourth around the league in points with a 20-42-62 line in 43 games. Nichushkin has quietly turned into a consistent contributor, notching a 3-5-8 line and 30 shots in his last eight games. Burakovsky has a 14-22-36 line in 44 games, so he's a low-risk, high-reward option at $3,600 against a Stars team that's just 8-12-1 on the road.
Oilers at Kings
Connor McDavid (C - $9,200), Zach Hyman (W - $4,400), Jesse Puljujarvi (W - $4,200)
Improved defensive play has been the biggest reason for Edmonton's 2-0 start since Jay Woodcroft took over behind the bench, but this top line's production is a close second. McDavid has a 1-2-3 line and 10 shots in two games under Woodcroft, bringing him within one point of Leon Draisaitl's league lead with 64 in 45 games. Hyman has a goal on eight shots and Puljujarvi has a goal on seven shots in those two games, as they're getting plenty of opportunities while flanking one of the league's premier setup men.
DEFENSEMEN
Noah Hanifin, CGY vs. CLS ($3,800): Calgary's underrated defense corps has been extremely productive of late, and Hanifin has led the charge with five points in his last three games and 10 in the last 10. He's a no-brainer at just $3,800 against a Blue Jackets team that's allowing the most fantasy points in the league to defensemen.
Noah Dobson, NYI at BUF ($5,500): Dobson has been terrific for a while now, even as the Islanders continue to struggle around him. He scored a goal on three shots in the last game while blocking seven, and Dobson has a 2-3-5 line in his last seven games heading into this trip upstate.
Drew Doughty, LA vs. EDM ($5,400): If this game turns into a higher-scoring affair, Doughty should lead the charge on the Kings' side. He has a 5-19-24 line in 28 games overall, and Doughty has put at least three pucks on net in eight of his last nine games.
Mikhail Sergachev, TB at NJ ($4,500): Sergachev has stuffed the stat sheet lately. He has 11 shots in the last two games, blocked four shots three different times in the last five and dished out five assists in the last eight. Given his ability to contribute on both ends of the ice, Sergachev should provide plenty of value against the lowly Devils.
