This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
February has concluded. No Leap Day this year! Here are my recommendations for your NHL DFS lineups. There are eight games starting at 7 p.m. EST or later on Saturday's slate. Here's hoping you start the month on a high note with some DFS success.
SLATE PREVIEW
Only one team is on the second leg of a back-to-back, but the goaltending situation there will be making a difference. The Kings' Darcy Kuemper started on Friday against the Stars, leaving David Rittich to play Saturday against the Blues. And Rittich isn't on the same level as Kuemper.
Among the teams on the first leg of a back-to-back, most are playing in the afternoon and not on this DFS docket.
GOALIES
Lukas Dostal, ANA vs. CHI ($7,900): John Gibson is still day-to-day, so Dostal could be primed for another start. His 2.90 GAA and .910 save percentage are reflective of a hot start, though this matchup is favorable enough as Chicago has only averaged 2.66 goals and 24.8 shots. The Ducks allow plenty of pucks, but that may not be as much of an issue on Saturday.
Joey Daccord, SEA vs. VAN ($7,300): Though Daccord's last outing went poorly, he still has a 2.55 GAA and .914 save percentage. He's been slightly better at home with a 2.52/.916 line. Without J.T. Miller, the Canucks have fallen to 27th in offense. They're also 31st in shots, so you might argue they're lucky to even be that productive.
VALUE PLAYS
Drake Batherson, OTT vs. SAN ($6,300): A 60-point player in each of the last two seasons, Batherson has notched 46 so far. He's also supplied 31 shots through 11 outings. The Sharks are last in GAA and shots allowed per contest, so Batherson has a decent chance of adding to his scoring haul if he remains active putting pucks on net.
JJ Peterka, BUF vs. MON ($6,100): Peterka has recorded a point in all three Buffalo games since the NHL returned to action. Throw in his play before the break and he's produced 12 alongside 31 shots across 11 appearances. Jakub Dobes is projected to start Saturday for the Canadiens. He started the season well, but things have taken a turn with a 4.31 GAA and .866 save percentage during his last four outings.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Ducks vs. Blackhawks
Ryan Strome (C - $5,500), Frank Vatrano (W - $6,400), Troy Terry (W - $6,000)
Anaheim's offense is lacking for luster. They have little depth and even this trio hasn't been producing like the glory days of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Bobby Ryan, much less Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne. That being said, the Blackhawks rank 30th in GAA and shots allowed and Petr Mrazek has an .890 save percentage. The Ducks are at home, so stacking their first line offers opportunity at a reasonable combined salary.
Strome has registered 10 points from his last 14 games with multiple shots in each of his last eight. Since Chicago has given up an average of 31.7 shots, I like his odds of repeating that Saturday. Vatrano has directed 50 pucks on net from his last 15 with seven goals in 12. Terry has gotten close to a point-a-game level again this year with 45 points through 53. He's also on a four-game point streak, including three last time out.
Hockey Club vs. Devils
Logan Cooley (C - $6,800), Clayton Keller (W - $8,000), Nick Schmaltz (W - $6,600)
The Hockey Club has a legitimately-good top unit, at least now that Cooley is healthy again. Jacob Markstrom is still out for the Devils. Jake Allen has posted a .900 save percentage over his last five seasons. He's also recorded two shutouts in his last eight outings, but has also allowed at least three goals during each of the other six - including five on Wednesday.
Cooley has managed at least one point in all three games since returning from injury to give him 47 overall. Keller just went off for five points against the Wild, but that's only his latest notable performance as he's produced 23 from the last 32. Schmaltz registered three points on Thursday with 47 on the year and a 9.3 shooting percentage that's likely to improve.
DEFENSEMEN
Owen Power, BUF vs. MON ($5,100)): Defensemen don't tend to take quite as long as goaltenders to develop into NHL-caliber players, though they're slower than forwards. As such, allow me to note that Power is still only 22 and the one-time first-overall pick has only appeared in 220 NHL games. It seems like this season he's truly taken it up another level with 31 points, including nine with 33 shots from his last 13 outings. Speaking of netminders having to acclimate to NHL play, Jakub Dobes has a 4.31 GAA and .836 save percentage over five matchups.
Colton Parayko, STL vs. LOS ($5,000): Parayko has put 114 shots on net through 59 games, which is solid for a defenseman and also third on the Blues. And that's helped him pot 14 goals. The Kings don't allow many shots and rank second when it comes to defensive stinginess. However, they're on the road for the second game of a back-to-back and David Rittich with his 2.60 GAA and .888 save percentage projected to start.
