FanDuel NHL: Monday Targets

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Published on June 14, 2021

SLATE PREVIEW

The Golden Knights eliminated the Avalanche in convincing fashion, but what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object in the brick wall they call Carey Price?

Betting odds heavily favour the Knights, but the Habs have defied all expectations, and even though they don't have a superstar player, they may have the most balanced lineup from top to bottom. The two franchises are tied by the trade that sent then Habs captain Max Pacioretty to the Knights for a package including Nick Suzuki and Tomas Tatar, and both franchises have clearly reaped benefits.

This will be just the seventh time the two franchises have met with the Habs winning five of their six meetings, including twice in overtime and once in a shootout.

Puck drop is at 9 p.m. EDT.

As with all FanDuel showdown formats, no goalies are available for selection and a Captain can be designated for 1.5x fantasy points. The remaining roster spots are not restricted by position.

VALUE PLAYS

Alex Tuch, VGK vs. MON ($8,000): Tuch ranks second with a 57.88 5v5 CF% among all Knights regulars in the playoffs, and it's a good sign if he's matched up against the Habs' bottom two lines, which have been effective but not very good at controlling play. Both Josh Anderson and Joel Armia, big wingers similar to Tuch, rank near the bottom in 5v5 CF% on their team.

Cole Caufield, MON at VGK ($7,000): The Habs' four-line rotation means they'll probably offer more value plays than the Knights, who lean heavily on their top two lines. Caufield has yet to score a goal but has provided four helpers and an offensive spark on a team lacking dynamic scorers, and if the game is close, Caufield has proven time and again that he pulls through in the clutch.

LINE STACKS

William Karlsson (C - $10,000), Reilly Smith (W - $8,500), Jonathan Marchessault (W - $14,500)

I suspect Mark Stone's line will see a lot of Phillip Danault and Shea Weber, which leaves Karlsson with much easier matchups. The Knights are at home so they will have last change and no one has a hotter hand right now than Marchessault, who scored a team-leading five goals in six games against the Avs.

DEFENSEMEN

Shea Theodore, VGK vs. MON ($9,000): Alex Pietrangelo has been arguably the Knights' best player in the playoffs but Theodore's offensive upside is still higher even though he's struggled to score points. Scoring won't be easy against the Habs, but Theodore's one of the few defensemen who can generate offense as consistently as any forward and currently ranks third among defensemen in the playoffs with 37 shots.

Erik Gustafsson, MON at VGK ($6,500): Gustafsson's still a power-play specialist but at least he's starting to produce, scoring three points in his past five games, including a PPG in Game 4 against the Jets. Without any position requirements, Gustafsson could be considered a value play because of his usage, often seeing the ice only when there are offensive opportunities.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.