This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals is set for tonight as Edmonton hosts Dallas. The Oilers hold a 2-1 series lead going into the matchup. If you want to build a FanDuel lineup for tonight's action, the rules are that you'll have a $60,000 budget to spread out over six players. Five of those will be utility players and one MVP, who will cost 1.5 times his regular price but also produce 1.5 times the points.
SLATE PREVIEW
FanDuel's odds paint Edmonton as sizable favorites at -152 on the Moneyline. Tonight's over/under is 6.5 goals with a +106 for the over. An over of 6.5 would have been correct in Games 1 (6-3 for Dallas) and 3 (6-1 for Edmonton), though Edmonton earned a 3-0 victory in Game 2 on Friday.
MVP
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. DAL ($16,500): It feels weird to take a defenseman in the MVP slot, but of course, Bouchard isn't your typical blueliner. He's tied for fourth among all players in postseason points with 17, including six goals, across 14 appearances. He's showing no signs of slowing after supplying two goals and 10 points over his past eight outings, and Bouchard is on a three-game point streak. Naturally, Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl would also be great options for this slot, but they cost $21,300 and $21,000, respectively, so taking either would eat into your depth. On the flip side, you could take the red-hot Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who would cost $12,900 in the MVP slot. Both are excellent choices, but I view Bouchard as a mildly safer bet to show up on the scoresheet, and when I attempted to build a lineup around Nugent-Hopkins as the MVP, I didn't find myself taking advantage of the extra savings, which led to me settling back in with Bouchard at this spot.
UTIL
Connor McDavid, EDM vs. DAL ($14,200): McDavid's an easy one to recommend. He has five goals and 22 points across 14 playoff outings this year, including two goals and five points in the Western Conference Finals. You can swap him out for Draisaitl at $14,000 if you want, but the savings would be minimal, and their numbers have been nearly identical in the playoffs -- six goals and 21 points across 14 outings for Draisaitl -- so it just comes down to which player you like more. For me, that's McDavid, but it's close enough that it's just a personal choice.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM vs. DAL ($8,600): Nugent-Hopkins has been providing tremendous value at this price point with two goals and seven points across his past three appearances. It certainly helps that Nugent-Hopkins is expected to play alongside McDavid at both even strength and the power play, but it needs to be noted that McDavid has shown up on the scoresheet for just two of Nugent-Hopkins' past seven points. Nugent-Hopkins is having a tremendous run in his own right rather than riding the coattails of one of Edmonton's superstars.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL at EDM ($8,200): If Dallas' offense enjoys a resurgence tonight, then Heiskanen will likely be a part of it. He had a goal and four points across four outings from May 13-21 after returning from a knee injury. Like the rest of the Stars, he didn't get anything going over the past two games, but Heiskanen is a high-end offensive defenseman, so it's hard to keep him silent for long.
Esa Lindell, DAL at EDM ($6,400): Lindell is primarily on the squad to balance out the budget. He tends to be a steady source of shots -- he's recorded at least one in 11 straight games -- and blocked shots -- 39 across 16 playoff outings this year -- which makes him a decent bet to provide some value for his price. Keep an eye on Mattias Ekholm ($6,200), who is questionable due to an undisclosed injury. If Ekholm makes his return tonight, then I'd rather take him over Lindell.
Brett Kulak, EDM vs. DAL ($6,000): Kulak isn't a major offensive force, but he is clicking at the moment with a goal and an assist across his past two outings, which makes him a nice value play. It helps that he's also registered 27 blocked shots across his past 12 outings, so he's a good bet to at least give you some points at a lower salary even if his offense dries up.
