This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL slate features 10 games after 7:00 p.m. EDT. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below are pulled from DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are a few mismatches, at least on paper, among Tuesday's matchups. The Blue Jackets are the largest home favorites against Arizona, while the Panthers in Chicago, Wild in Montreal and Golden Knights in San Jose are all projected to cruise to victory on the road. Stars-Bruins (6.0) is the only game without an over/under of 6.5 goals Tuesday.
GOALIES
Logan Thompson, VGK at SJ ($8,300): The Sharks are actually tricky to stack against due to their penalty killing prowess, but San Jose's the obvious team to target when it comes to playing matchups in net. San Jose's almost half a goal behind 31st-place Nashville (2.29), averaging a league-low 1.88 goals per game en route to a 2-6-0 start. Meanwhile, Thompson has played well behind Vegas' robust defense, going 3-2-0 with a 2.03 GAA and .931 save percentage.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB at LA ($7,800): Vasilevskiy has been solid thus far, with a 2-2-0 record, 2.52 GAA and .922 save percentage. Even if the Lightning take a step back in front of him this year, he'll likely wind up among the league leaders in most goaltending categories by season's end, and Vasilevskiy's $7,800 valuation makes him an appealing goalie option Tuesday against a Kings team that ranks near the middle of the pack in both goals (3.29) and shots (32.6) per game.
Jake Oettinger, DAL at BOS ($7,400): Oettinger's worth a look at his affordable $7,400 valuation despite a tricky matchup in Boston. He's been as good as any goalie in the league to begin the campaign, winning each of his first four outings while posting a 1.25 GAA and .959 save percentage. The Bruins are 5-1-0 to begin the year, but playing without Brad Marchand (hip) and Charlie McAvoy (shoulder) could catch up to Boston sooner or later.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Matthew Tkachuk, FLA at CHI ($7,800): Tkachuk has made an instant impact after coming over in an offseason blockbuster, as he leads the Panthers in both goals and points through six games with a 3-5-8 line. The power forward should be worth paying up for against a Blackhawks team that was projected to be among the league's worst coming into the season. Chicago's off to a solid 3-2-0 start, but reality should set in soon enough considering the Blackhawks are getting out-shot 32.0-25.0 on average.
Mats Zuccarello, MIN at MON ($7,000): Zuccarello's game has aged like a fine wine. The diminutive winger racked up a career-high 79 points last season and is on an even better pace to begin the 2022-23 campaign at age 35. His 4-6-10 line through five games includes at least one point in every contest, and Zucc has added 22 shots on goal. Plus-minus rating isn't a consideration in DraftKings scoring, so don't sweat his minus-7 mark.
Valeri Nichushkin, COL at NYR ($6,600): Speaking of impressive starts, Nichushkin has opened the season with a 6-5-11 line through six games. He has at least one point in every game and five of the six games have included a goal and at least three shots from the hulking winger. Igor Shesterkin's capable of stonewalling any offense, but a lapse-prone Rangers defense hasn't made life easy for the star goalie, which is why New York's giving up 3.33 goals per game overall.
Tage Thompson, BUF at SEA ($5,100): Buffalo's a step or two ahead of Seattle in its rebuild, though to be fair to the Kraken, the Sabres have had a decade-long head start since they last made the playoffs in 2010-11. Be that as it may, the Sabres rank second in goals per game (4.40), while the Kraken allow the sixth-most (3.86). Thompson has a modest 1-2-3 line through five games, but he'll likely heat up soon after leading the team in both goals (38) and points (68) last season, so this is a nice buy-low opportunity.
Jesper Bratt, NJ at DET ($4,800): Bratt continues to fly under the radar despite borderline elite production. He has a 1-8-9 through six games and has scored at least 12.3 fantasy points in all but one game, showing that last year's 26-47-73 output across 76 games is sustainable.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Blue Jackets vs. Coyotes
Boone Jenner (C - $6,100), Johnny Gaudreau (W - $7,300), Gustav Nyquist (W - $4,100)
Columbus should dominate the lowly Coyotes, who are allowing the second-most goals per game this season (5.20) after surrendering the third-most last season (3.77). Gaudreau has a 4-3-7 line through seven games. Jenner has supplemented his 1-3-4 line with 23 shots and 13 blocks, while Nyquist has a 2-1-3 line. Gaudreau scored 40 goals for the Flames last season, while Jenner's a former 30-goal scorer and Nyquist has potted at least 27 twice.
Canadiens vs. Wild
Nick Suzuki (C - $5,500), Cole Caufield (W - $5,500), Sean Monahan (W - $3,700)
Montreal has gotten solid production from its affordable top line, and the Canadiens as a whole continue to be overlooked despite looking vastly improved relative to last year's league-worst outfit. Speaking of league-worst, that's what the visiting Wild have been defensively, allowing 5.40 goals per game, so Minnesota's unlikely to slow down this line's momentum. Suzuki has a 3-4-7 line through six games and is currently riding a four-game point streak. Caufield has four goals on 21 shots, and Monahan's on a three-game point streak.
Red Wings vs. Devils
Dylan Larkin (C - $7,000), Dominik Kubalik (W - $4,700), Lucas Raymond (W - $4,600)
The Devils are giving up 3.33 goals per game after surrendering 3.68 last season, and Detroit's top line has the scoring touch to add to New Jersey's defensive struggles. Larkin has a 3-4-7 line through five games, picking up where he left off with last year's 31-38-69 output in 71 games. Kubalik has a 3-5-8 line in his last four games, as a change of scenery has helped him rediscover the form from his 30-goal rookie season with Chicago in 2019-20. Raymond had 57 points as a rookie last year, so he's likely to pick up the pace after totaling only two assists thus far.
DEFENSEMEN
Zach Werenski, CLS vs. ARI ($6,900): If you're stacking Blue Jackets against Arizona, make sure to include Werenski. The stat-stuffing blueliner has added 26 shots and 16 blocks to his 2-1-3 line, including 21 shots over the past five games.
Brandon Montour, FLA at CHI ($5,200): Montour has stepped into a top pairing role with Aaron Ekblad sidelined by a lower-body injury. He's putting on his best Ekblad impression with a 1-2-3 line, seven shots and nine blocks in only four games, and Montour should remain a two-way force here with Florida comfortably favored in Chicago.
Mikhail Sergachev, TB at LA ($4,100): Tampa Bay's top-heavy roster construction means the team relies on heavy minutes from its top defensemen, and there's one less established option with Ryan McDonagh no longer in town. Sergachev has done well to pick up the slack on both ends, averaging two blocks per game while dishing four helpers through six games. He has a high floor, scoring at least 9.9 fantasy points in every game, and facing a Kings team that's allowing 4.43 goals per game raises Sergachev's ceiling.
Matt Grzelcyk, BOS vs. DAL ($3,500): In two games since coming off injured reserve, Grzelcyk has played a key role for a Boston defense corps that remains without McAvoy. Grzelcyk has dished out two helpers to go with seven shots and four blocks, and he's unlikely to be available at just $3,500 for much longer, so lock in this value while you can.
