This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL slate consists of the one-game showdown contest for Game 1 of the Western Conference Final between Edmonton and Colorado after 8:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Western Conference Final between the Oilers and Avalanche features plenty of star power on both sides. Colorado's favored to get off to a hot start on home ice in a game with an over/under of 7.0 goals. Your lineup will consist of six players, including a Captain spot that costs 1.5 times as much and scores 1.5 times as many fantasy points.
GOALIES
Darcy Kuemper, COL vs. EDM ($9,800): Kuemper hasn't provided much fantasy value recently despite Colorado's winning ways, as he has faced light workloads with the Avalanche tilting the ice away from him. He'll be a risky option against an Oilers offense that carved up the supposedly stout Flames defense in the previous round.
Mike Smith, EDM at COL ($9,400): Neither goalie looks like a particularly appealing value given all the scoring expected in this one. Smith was excellent against the Flames, but Colorado's averaging 4.3 goals per game this postseason.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Nathan MacKinnon, COL vs. EDM ($10,600): MacKinnon's one of the few players who can challenge Connor McDavid for the title of best player in the world. Colorado's No. 1 center has eight goals, five assists and 55 shots through 10 games this postseason and is worth building around if you like Colorado in Game 1.
Jesse Puljujarvi, EDM at COL ($2,000): Puljujarvi's the most affordable member of either team's top-six forward group, as Artturi Lehkonen ($4,800) is the only other guy with a sub-$7,000 valuation. You'll need to save cap space somewhere if you want to lock in either team's pricey stars, and one way to do so is by also deploying Puljujarvi, who scored a goal in Edmonton's most recent game.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers at Avalanche
Connor McDavid (C - $10,800), Leon Draisaitl (W - $9,200), Evander Kane (W - $8,400)
If Edmonton's going to pull off the upset, it will almost certainly be because of this top line. McDavid has posted multiple points in 10 of 12 games this postseason en route to a 7-19-26 line. Draisaitl has an identical line this postseason after notching a whopping 17 points in five games against Calgary in the second round. The German winger's a tempting Captain spot option since he offers clear cap savings over McDavid or McKinnon. Kane has thrived on this dominant top line, scoring five goals on 14 shots over his last three games.
Avalanche vs. Oilers
Nazem Kadri (C - $8,000), Mikko Rantanen (W - $8,200), Valeri Nichushkin (W - $7,000)
Depending on how Colorado chooses to play matchups at home, there's a good chance MacKinnon will be deployed against McDavid's line, leaving more favorable matchups for this second line to exploit. Kadri and Rantanen would be top-line players on most teams. Both have easily outpaced a point per game all season, and the former has a 4-2-6 line in his last four games while the latter has racked up 11 points in 10 games this postseason. Nichushkin has chipped in a 3-4-7 line in the playoffs after a 25-goal regular season.
DEFENSEMEN
Evan Bouchard, EDM at COL ($6,200): Bouchard has scored a goal in three of Edmonton's last five games, and he has averaged four combined shots and blocks per game over that stretch, providing a nice baseline to go with his scoring upside. He's no stranger to finding the scoresheet, racking up 51 points in 93 games between the regular season and playoffs.
Bowen Byram, COL vs. EDM ($2,000): Cale Makar ($9,000) is the most productive member of Colorado's defense corps, but Byram offers the best value among the group. Byram has stepped up in a larger role following Samuel Girard's playoff-ending broken sternum. Over the last three games, Byram has dished out five assists to go with 10 shots on goal.
