This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
Cam Ward, CHI vs. OTT ($8,200): Allowing five goals on 30 shots in Saturday's loss gives us pause, but Ward should still be a relatively safe pick against the Sens. The Hawks have won eight of their last 10 and gone 4-1-0 at home in their past five, and their red-hot power play will surely feast on the Sens' 26th-ranked penalty kill. Marc-Andre Fleury ($7,800) has struggled lately not nearly as much as their opponent.
CENTER
Logan Couture, SJ vs. BOS ($6,000): There's a glut of elite centers but Couture offers a nice mix of value and production. He's scored four points in his past three games and comes slightly cheaper than teammates Tomas Hertl ($6,400). He's low-key having another solid season and the Sharks just have a little more depth to give them the edge, especially on home ice where Peter DeBoer can deploy Couture a little more strategically.
Dylan Strome, CHI vs. OTT ($5,400): We're picking Strome on the strength of Chicago's power play alone, because that's where he's managed to pile up most of his points. He's been an excellent addition and nearly a point-per-game player since arriving from Arizona, and their power play has become one of the league's best. Ottawa, on the other hand, has shaky goaltending and ranks near the bottom of the league in killing penalties.
WING
Artemi Panarin, CLS vs. TB ($7,300): It'll be a tough test for the Jackets, but if you had to back one of their players there's no question it should be Panarin. The crafty winger has seven points in his past four games and once again is showing that he doesn't need a lot of help to score points. The Jackets should get Boone Jenner back and they've won five of their past six.
Alex DeBrincat, CHI vs. OTT ($6,700): Stacking DeBrincat with Strome is like having a poor man's version of Toews and Kane, but the good thing is that all four play on the top power-play unit. DeBrincat is one goal shy of 30 and since December has scored 35 points in 33 games. The Sens allowed four goals the last time they played the Blackhawks.
Jakub Vrana, WAS at LA ($4,500): He's scored seven points in his past eight games, giving him 35 points this season and showing signs of a breakout. Playing on a line with Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie, Vrana is getting a chance to showcase his ability in the top-six after jumping ahead of Andre Burakovsky, and the early returns have been good. The Kings may want to play a stingy game but they don't have the personnel to do it. Vrana scored a goal in a 6-4 win when the two teams met on Feb. 11.
DEFENSE
Erik Karlsson, SJ vs. BOS ($6,500): He logged 24 minutes and an assist in a tight one-goal win against the Canucks after taking nearly a month off, so the $700 discount to Brent Burns feels a lot bigger than it actually is. Prior to his injury, Karlsson was starting to find his groove, and over his past 22 games has scored 29 points. The Bruins are playing well but Tuukka Rask is still prone to the occasional bad game.
Shea Theodore, VGK at COL ($4,600): He scored a goal and was a plus-3 against the Predators, and after a tough stretch of games seems to have taken a step back in the right direction. The silky smooth skater should be able to cut through an Avs team that lacks quality defensemen, and expected starter Semyon Varlamov continues to struggle down the stretch.
