This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate includes six games after 7:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are a few lopsided matchups to build around Wednesday. The largest favorites are the Stars at home against the Coyotes, though the Rangers in Philadelphia and Capitals in Anaheim are also clear favorites. Washington's game is tied with Maple Leafs-Oilers for the slate-high over/under of 6.5 goals.
GOALIES
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. ARI ($8,500): Wins have been hard to come by lately for Oettinger, who is 3-1-6 in his last 10 decisions, but the 24-year-old Dallas starter is still 24-8-10 with a 2.30 GAA and .923 save percentage overall. He's likely to get back in the win column against a Coyotes team that has a bottom-five offense and is just 7-20-7 on the road in 2022-23.
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at PHI ($8,300): Shesterkin had been slumping recently with at least three goals allowed in seven consecutive outings before posting a sharper effort last time out by limiting the Kings to two goals on 28 shots. With the star goalie regaining his concentration and the Rangers improving the team in front of him with their acquisition of Patrick Kane – who unfortunately isn't usable in Wednesday's contests – Shesterkin is poised for a strong performance against a bottom-five Flyers offense that remains without leading scorer Travis Konecny (upper body).
Adin Hill, VGK vs. CAR ($7,600): Goals will likely be hard to come by in this battle of stout defensive teams, as this game checks in with a slate-low over/under of 5.5 goals. Hill's 14-6-1 with a 2.52 GAA and .910 save percentage, while the Hurricanes' lack of elite snipers can lead to high shot totals with few goals. That's what happened in Carolina's previous game, when the Hurricanes scored only twice on 53 shots to fall 3-2 to John Gibson and the Ducks.
John Gibson, ANH vs. WAS ($7,200): Gibson's better than his poor season stats suggest, and he's been one of the best goalies on the planet over the last week-plus. The leaky Anaheim defense has continued to surrender plenty of shots, but Gibson has been undeterred by the volume, racking up 143 stops on 151 shots (.947 save percentage) en route to a 2-0-1 record over his last three starts. He's a tempting value play at just $7,200 against a Capitals team that's 1-7-0 in its last eight games.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Nathan MacKinnon, COL vs. NJ ($9,300): If you aren't going to build around Connor McDavid ($9,800) here, MacKinnon's the clear second choice. MacKinnon has lit the lamp in all but one game of his current eight-game point streak, producing an even eight goals and eight assists over that span. New Jersey isn't an easy opponent, but Colorado controls matchups on home ice and can thus keep MacKinnon away from two-way center Nico Hischier while matching him up with 175-pound Jack Hughes, whom the 200-pound MacKinnon can simply overpower.
Mika Zibanejad, NYR at PHI ($7,100): Kane will get plenty of attention in his Rangers debut and would be a strong play if he were usable, but Zibanejad should find plenty of success here himself. While no individual Zibanejad moment against Philadelphia can match Kane's Stanley Cup-winning overtime goal against the Flyers in 2010, the Rangers' first-line center has been a consistent thorn in Philly's side in recent years. Zibanejad has three points in two meetings with the Flyers this season, giving him a 9-15-24 line in 14 games against Philadelphia over the past three seasons.
Troy Terry, ANH vs. WAS ($5,400): Terry has posted a three-game goal streak since returning from an upper-body injury, discovering the form that helped him pot 37 goals last season. The Capitals have allowed 27 goals in their last six games, including one to Terry in a 4-2 Ducks win last Thursday, so the winger's in position to build on his recent success here.
Ryan O'Reilly, TOR at EDM ($4,300): O'Reilly has a 5-3-8 line in eight games since returning from a foot injury, including a 3-2-5 line in five games since coming to Toronto via trade. At just $4,300, the Maple Leafs' new second-line center's a nice value play in a game that should feature plenty of offense.
Dawson Mercer, NJ at COL ($4,100): Mercer has a six-game goal streak going, during which he's racked up an 8-2-10 line. While Sharks fans are still left wondering how Timo Meier (upper body) ended up in New Jersey without Mercer donning teal in return, fantasy managers can continue to capitalize on Mercer's top-six role in the Devils' potent offense. Even against the stout Colorado defense, the red-hot Mercer's worth plugging in at just $4,100.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Stars vs. Coyotes
Roope Hintz (C - $6,300), Jason Robertson (W - $8,100), Joe Pavelski (W - $6,000)
An Arizona team that's surrendering 3.48 goals per game should have no answer for one of the most productive lines in the NHL, especially with the Coyotes playing their second game in as many nights. With a 35-38-73 line, Robertson's one point shy of ranking top 10 league-wide in both goals and points. Hintz is averaging a point per game at 25-27-52 in 52 appearances, and Pavelski has added a 14-37-51 line in 60 games.
Oilers vs. Maple Leafs
Connor McDavid (C - $9,800), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W - $6,300), Kailer Yamamoto (W - $3,000)
Whether due to his own play or worse defense in front of him, Toronto goalie Ilya Samsonov ($7,900) has been markedly worse outside the friendly confines of Scotiabank Arena, as he's just 5-5-1 with a 2.83 GAA and .904 save percentage on the road. This line led by the best player in the world figures to add to Samsonov's road struggles. McDavid easily leads the league in both goals (50) and points (115) and continues to be worth building around on a near-nightly basis. Nugent-Hopkins is also enjoying a career year, with a 28-44-72 line in 61 games. Three of Yamamoto's five goals this season have come in his last 10 games, and he'll have some bargain bin appeal as long as he's on McDavid's line.
Capitals at Ducks
Evgeny Kuznetsov (C - $4,800), Alex Ovechkin (W - $8,700), Tom Wilson (W - $3,900)
Despite Gibson's recent success, it's hard to pass up Ovechkin's line against a Ducks team that's allowing a league-high 4.08 goals per game. Ovechkin's averaging a point per game in 57 appearances, and 33 of those 57 points are goals. Kuznetsov's questionable due to a non-COVID illness, but if Ovechkin's countryman suits up, he will be looking to build on a 2-3-5 output over the previous two games. The physical Wilson has cashed in three goals over the last five games, making him a nice value at his sub-$4,000 valuation, regardless of Kuznetsov's status.
DEFENSEMEN
Adam Fox, NYR at PHI ($6,100): The Rangers are as stacked up front as they have been all year, but they are currently missing two key pieces on the blue line in K'Andre Miller (suspension) and Ryan Lindgren (upper body). As a result, Fox is likely to see even more ice time than his team-high average of 24:47. The longer he's on the ice, the more opportunities the elite playmaker will have to generate offense and add to his total of 56 points in 60 games, which ranks sixth among defensemen.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. ARI ($5,600): Heiskanen's an essential piece of any Stars stack. The team's clear No. 1 blueliner has a 7-35-42 line and ranks third on the Stars with 19 power-play points, trailing only the 25 of Robertson and 20 of winger Jamie Benn ($5,900), who's also a strong play in this favorable matchup.
Alec Martinez, VGK vs. CAR ($3,900): The Hurricanes average the third-most shots per game (35.2), and their desire to put the puck on net as often as possible should lead to plenty of shot-blocking opportunities for the league's most proficient shot blocker. Martinez has blocked 15 shots over the last three games, averaging 12.2 fantasy points over that stretch and bolstering his league-leading blocked shot total to 176.
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. TOR ($3,500): With Tyson Barrie having been traded to Nashville, Bouchard's likely to move up to the top power-play unit. Given Edmonton's league-best 31.9 percent conversion rate on the man advantage, that's the most coveted point spot in the NHL, and Bouchard's valuation has yet to reflect that change in role. Barrie racked up 28 power-play points with Edmonton, which leads all NHL defensemen.
