FanDuel NHL: Monday Targets

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Published on July 5, 2021

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After a surprising run to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Canadiens are one loss away from becoming the first team in the cap era to be swept, and the first since 1998 when Scotty Bowman's Red Wings swept the Capitals.

Habs coach Dominique Ducharme said any lineup changes will have to wait until puck drop, but Jeff Petry was spotted on the top PP unit at practice, replacing Erik Gustafsson, who may sit in favor of Alexander Romanov. Carey Price is expected to start because, well, he's carried them so far and in an elimination game he's still a better choice than Jake Allen.

If the Lightning complete the sweep, it'll be their third title in franchise history and the second time a team has won back-to-back titles in the cap era. The front-runner for the Conn Smythe should be Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has been brilliant in elimination games, though he's also often had good goal support.

Puck drop is at 8 p.m. EDT. All fancy stats courtesy Natural Stat Trick.

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

Brendan Gallagher, MON vs. TB ($9,000): Gallagher had five shots on goal and collected an assist but based on 5v5 xGF numbers he's still underperforming. That extends to also Phillip Danault ($8,000), who finally snapped his drought last game, and also Artturi Lehkonen ($6,500), who is also a potential value play but doesn't get shots on goal like Gallagher. They've got tough matchups and lack finishing ability, but they've been consistently good at generating chances with their net drives.

Cole Caufield, MON vs. TB ($9,500): Caufield is the best finisher on the Habs and his three-game goal drought is the longest since the semis. The diminutive winger has a flair for the dramatic, and in an elimination game in front of the home crowd, he's as likely as any Hab to score a big goal. Caufield ranks fourth among Habs forwards in 5v5 CF% and fifth in 5v5 xGF.

LINE STACKS

Brayden Point ($14,500), Nikita Kucherov ($15,500), Ondrej Palat ($9,500)

Expect the Lightning's big line to pull through as they've done the entire postseason. Kucherov and Point have combined for 55 points while the Habs' top five scorers have totaled just 57. Palat has really joined in on the fun, too, riding a three-game point streak, his longest of the postseason.

Nick Suzuki ($14,000), Tyler Toffoli ($13,000), Cole Caufield ($9,500)

Suzuki has emerged as the Habs' best player this postseason, a shot-generating machine whose slick playmaking skills has made life easier for both Toffoli and Caufield. He's scored a goal in two straight games with 11 shots on goal. The drawback is Toffoli, who has not scored a goal since Game 2 against Vegas, though he continues to be dangerous around the net, registering a shot in every game this postseason.

DEFENSEMEN

Jeff Petry, MON vs. TB ($10,000): Petry's had a quiet playoffs after a brilliant regular season and still has yet to score a goal despite ranking second among Habs defensemen in shots. There are hints that he'll be moved back onto the top power play as the Habs desperately search for answers against Vasilevskiy and that gives him some added fantasy value.

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.