This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
I usually focus on the evening slate in my articles, which means games starting no earlier than 7 p.m. ET. However, there are three earlier contests today and none start before 4 p.m. ET. Even somebody on the West Coast can probably get a DFS lineup in by then, and that gives me 12 matchups worth of players to choose from. FanDuel lets you play all-day contests, so I'm rolling with it. And you can obviously use some of these recommendations for the main slate.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are no teams on the second leg of a back-to-back Saturday. To be fair, there were only two games Friday. And if you were expecting the Rangers to be visiting the Senators, you'll have to make an adjustment as that was postponed due to Ottawa's ongoing COVID-19 issues.
GOALIE
Vitek Vanecek, WAS at SAN ($8,300): Vanecek has posted a mediocre .911 save percentage along with an impressive 2.39 GAA. That's because the Capitals have only allowed 27.4 shots on net per game. The Sharks have only managed 28.6 shots per contest, so it could be a light day for Vanecek.
Alex Nedeljkovic, DET at ARI ($7,300): After shining with a .932 save percentage last season, there was skepticism if "Ned" could do it again this year. Giving up seven goals in the opener was a concern, though he's produced a 2.47 GAA and .922 save percentage since. The Coyotes aren't notching seven goals up on anyone as they've recorded a mere 1.76 goals per game, which ranks last in the league by a comfortable margin.
Juuse Saros, NAS at MON ($7,200): Saros has made the transition from the Pekka Rinne era a smooth one with a 2.25 GAA and .927 save percentage across the last two campaigns. The Habs carry no offensive punch with only 2.00 goals per game. That puts them 31st in the NHL.
VALUE PLAYS
Matt Duchene, NAS at MON ($6,300): Duchene has racked up 16 points in 16 games, and that's after a slow start. The last eight outings have looked even better with seven goals and four assists. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are in the bottom-five in GAA and penalty-kill percentage.
Teuvo Teravainen, CAR at LOS ($6,100): Teravainen has produced 12 points over 15 games, even though he only has a 7.5 shooting percentage. His career mark is 9.9, which isn't great, but still means he's been a bit unlucky. But not on the power play, where Teravainen already has seven points. The Kings enter with the 26th-ranked penalty kill, and that's with Jonathan Quick and his .940 save percentage. This from a goalie who logged an .896 save percentage from the three previous seasons.
Ondrej Palat, TAM vs. NJD ($5,700): Palat is in his usual spot on Tampa's top line and has posted four goals and six assists in 10 games. That's with him having zero points with the extra man. He accumulated 20 last year, so that will likely change. New Jersey comes in with a 2.93 GAA and the 25th-ranked penalty kill. And since Mackenzie Blackwood returned to action, he's recorded a 3.04 GAA despite a .923 save percentage. He's facing a ton of shots, and remember his career save percentage is .912.
LINE STACKS TO CONSIDER
Oilers vs. Blackhawks: Connor McDavid (C - $9,700), Zach Hyman (W - $6,800), Jesse Puljujarvi (W - $5,500)
The Blackhawks carry a 3.31 GAA, and that number is only that good because they just faced the Kraken and Coyotes. I'm going with Edmonton's top line, which will cost a pretty penny but it's worth it. You don't just get the first trio, you also get two from the top power-play unit. Not just for the Oilers, but in the NHL.
I don't need to sell McDavid, the NHL's best player, but he's already at 30 points and 66 shots on goal in 16 games. Hyman's move from Toronto is going well with 13 points, including five on the power play. Puljujarvi is the one guy who isn't on the first power play, but he hasn't really needed it with six goals and eight assists.
Red Wings at Coyotes: Dylan Larkin (C - $6,800), Lucas Raymond (W - $5,400), Tyler Bertuzzi (W - $5,000)
As a Wings fan, I'm happy to be able to say their first line is finally a legitimate top unit in the NHL. Of course, this isn't a matchup you need to be McDavid to take advantage. The Coyotes maintain a 3.82 GAA, highest in the NHL. They've allowed an average 32.2 shots on goal and rank in the bottom-three on the penalty kill. Even on the road, the Wings could clean up.
There was a COVID-19 scare with Larkin, but ended up not missing any time. That's good, because he's on a four-game point streak consisting of six total. Raymond has proven he belongs in the NHL even though he's only a 19-year-old rookie with 18 points in 19 contests to go with 48 shots on goal. Bertuzzi opened the season with a four-goal game and has racked up 13 points on the season.
DEFENSE
Roman Josi, NAS at MON ($7,000): Any time a defenseman notches a four-point game, it's notable. Josi has already done that twice this season. The Swiss blueliner has racked up 16 points in 16 appearances, including eight with the extra man. He's truly one of the league's elite offensive D-men and will be facing a Habs team with a 3.53 GAA.
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK vs. CLM ($6,800): Pietrangelo got off to a glacial start, but has recorded 10 points over his last 10 games supplemented by 48 shots on net. It's the shots that entice me the most, as the Blue Jackets have allowed 33.8 shots on goal per game. Also, there's a chance Pietrangelo will catch Joonas Korpisalo and his .897 save percentage in net.
Nick Leddy, DET at ARI ($3,700): Leddy doesn't shoot much, but has produced six assists in 19 games while averaging 2:02 on the power play. The Coyotes register a bottom-three penalty kill, so that could benefit Leddy. If you're going to go with a Josi or a Pietrangelo, also having someone on a lower salary can be beneficial to building your lineup.
