FanDuel NHL: Tuesday Targets

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Published on May 17, 2022

SLATE PREVIEW

It's Day 1 of Round 2 featuring the opening games for Blues at Avalanche and Lightning at Panthers. The Avs will be the most rested of them all after sweeping the Predators in Round 1, while the Lightning are coming off short rest after a gruelling seven-game series against the Maple Leafs. The Panthers and Blues are coming off six-game series, though the Panthers struggled for stretches in their matchup and looked on the verge of being upset.

GOALIES

Darcy Kuemper, COL vs. STL ($8,500): Sure, the Avs may have some rust, but as captain Gabriel Landeskog noted, at this time of the year, any extra rest is appreciated. It shouldn't be difficult for the Avs to find their groove, and Kuemper has had ample time to recover from a scary eye injury that kept him out of the series-clinching game against the Predators. The Avs enter Round 2 with 5.25 GF/GP, the highest mark in the league, providing Kuemper with ample goal support should he need it.

Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. TB ($7,600): It should be a long series but note the two most recent teams who have attempted a threepeat, the Red Wings and the Penguins, were both ousted in the second round. The Panthers held a slight edge in the season series with a 2-1-1 record and Brayden Point is doubtful for Game 1, which will take some oomph out of the Lightning offense.

VALUE PLAYS

Nick Paul, TB at FLA ($3,900): The big power winger was a big difference maker in Game 7, scoring two goals to clinch the series after a quiet start. He's earned Jon Cooper's trust and has seen his ice time tick upwards, and he will be a tough assignment for the Panthers defense due to his size, strength and scoring touch.

Anthony Cirelli, TB at FLA ($4,600): If Point is unavailable, look for Cirelli to play more minutes. He scored just one shorthanded goal in the series against the Leafs and has also experienced some poor puck luck, having failed to be on the ice for a single goal scored at 5-on-5 despite a 2.86 xGF, according to naturalstattrick.com.

LINE STACKS

Avalanche vs. Blues

Nathan MacKinnon (C - $10,100), Mikko Rantanen (W - $8,100), Valeri Nichushkin (W - $6,400)

Rantanen finished the first series without a single goal and he's far too talented to keep off the board. He will find twine sooner than later, while Nichushkin helps keeps this line stack low even though he scored a consecutive games to close out the Preds. Jordan Binnington enters the series as one of the league's hottest goaltenders but it will be near impossible to keep the Avs' top line off the board with their league-best offense.

DEFENSEMEN

Devon Toews, COL vs. STL ($6,500): Cale Makar ($7,900) will be a popular pick and in all likelihood will be one of the top scorers, which gives defensive partner Toews a ton of chances to pick up a few points. He scored at least a point in every single game and finished the series with 15 shots.

Scott Perunovich, STL at COL ($3,700): Perunovich gets minimal playing time as the seventh defenseman, but his offensive prowess is evident and has taken over some of the power play minutes vacated by Torey Krug, who is expected to miss more time due to injury. The Blues power play is very good while the Avs penalty kill is very average, making Perunovich a sneaky value play if the Blues can get some power play chances.

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.