This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Blue Jackets have been playing one-goal games all season and without John Tavares they might be able to keep it close against the Leafs in Toronto. The Leafs have scored at least three goals in each of their past four games, while the BJ's have limited their opponents to three goals or less in their past six games.
The Flyers will try to snap their four-game losing streak as they host the Knights, who have won four of their last five, including a 3-0 win in Pittsburgh on Saturday. With the win, the Knights became the seventh team to record 100 wins since their inaugural season in 2017-18, which shows how dominant they've been since entering the league. Despite a promising start, the Flyers have been wildly inconsistent, and captain Claude Giroux is still looking for his first goal.
The Avs' unbeaten-in-regulation streak is on the line in St. Louis, where the Blues are looking to bounce back after being thoroughly outplayed by the Habs in a 5-2 loss. What's most encouraging about the Avs right now is their depth scoring; the big line has scored nine goals but the rest of the team has scored 26 (74%), a much higher share than last year (59%).
After a disastrous start to the season, the Stars will try to string two wins together hosting the Senators, the first game of a four-game homestand. The Senators have scored just four goals in their past three games.
GOALIES
Marc-Andre Fleury ($9,100) will start for the Knights and if he wins, he'll move ahead of Terry Sawchuk for sixth place on the all-time wins list. Fleury and Frederik Andersen ($8,800), who bailed out the Leafs against Boston, are the safest picks. They're both facing teams that have had trouble scoring.
Just $200 separates Jordan Binnington ($7,900) and Philipp Grubauer ($8,100) and both goalies have been rather pedestrian of late, both allowing three goals or more in each of their last three starts. It's a tough matchup but FanDuel Sportsbook has the Blues as the slight favourite and I see no reason to argue with that.
What is more interesting is the Stars being heavily favoured. Ben Bishop ($8,400) looked very good in his last start in Philadelphia with 38 saves. Bishop has always been a bit of late bloomer, historically posting better stats in the mid to later stages of the season. He lost three of his first five starts before finishing second in Vezina voting last season. He's the most ideal play for Monday's games.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Alex Kerfoot ($4,600) has moved up into Tavares' spot and he's making the most of his opportunity with a goal and two shots in 16 minutes against the Bruins. Mitch Marner practised on Kerfoot's line Sunday but don't read much into it; Mike Babcock still intends to play Marner with Auston Matthews a lot and where Marner plays will also depend on Andreas Johnsson's availability.
With another goal Saturday against Arizona, Vladislav Namestnikov ($5,100) now has five points five games as a Senator and currently leads the team in scoring. His shooting percentage is high (21.4%), his expected goals scored (2.85) is lower than his actual goals scored (4), and his Corsi For (51.64%) is just slightly above average, according to Natural Stat Trick, indicating his current pace is unsustainable. However, he's also getting more opportunities than ever averaging 19 minutes per game. He'll play on the second line, while Connor Brown will play with Brady Tkachuk and Colin White, who have struggled as a pair in recent games.
The Stars were gushing about Denis Gurianov ($3,200) before the season but he's had a lackluster start like the rest of the team, though he's picked it up recently with an assist and two shots against the Flyers in 11 minutes of ice time. You're banking on power-play points with Gurianov, who plays on the second unit but on the fourth line at even strength. The Sens allow the third-most shots per game and boast a very mediocre penalty kill.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Dallas Stars (TOTAL: $16,700)
C – Roope Hintz ($5,600)
W – Jamie Benn ($6,900)
W – Corey Perry ($4,200)
Benn at this price still makes me cringe, but at least he's got two helpers in two games and it seems like the Stars are finally on the upswing. Perry's finding his legs after a three-game effort, but the key piece is Hintz, who has a goal in two straight games and six total to lead the team. The Stars power play has been anemic, but at least with this trio you'll have both of their units covered.
Toronto Maple Leafs (TOTAL: $16,700)
C – Alex Kerfoot ($4,600)
W – Ilya Mikheyev ($4,200)
W – Mitch Marner ($7,900)
Kerfoot has been very good since joining the Leafs, Mikheyev has four points in his past four games and Marner was the best Leaf on the ice Saturday against the Bruins. It's a cheap, effective line stack that should have no problems against a Jackets defense that will primarily be focused on Auston Matthews. The problem with this line stack is that we're not sure what kind of lineup Babcock has in mind; if Johnsson returns then expect the top line to be re-united, otherwise we might see Marner with Matthews or Kerfoot, Marner or Nylander with Matthews, or Marner and Matthews with Trevor Moore.
Vegas Golden Knights (TOTAL: $20,000)
C – Paul Stastny ($5,300)
W – Max Pacioretty ($7,000)
W – Mark Stone ($7,700)
It costs slightly more than William Karlsson's line ($18,900) but it's worth the premium considering how many shots Stone and Pacioretty generate. Stastny has the hot hand with four goals and seven points in his past five games and young Carter Hart is going through some aches and pains in his sophomore season.
DEFENSEMEN
Morgan Rielly ($6,500) is a cut above the rest but his premium may not be justified with so many other interesting options. Alex Pietrangelo ($6,000) isn't far behind in FPPG and his ability to get shots on net and block them gives him a very high floor. Justin Faulk ($4,700) has two assists in his past three games for the Blues.
Shayne Gostisbehere ($4,700), Shea Theodore ($5,100) and Tyson Barrie ($5,600) are very good power-play QB's that are in a bit of a lull, but they present good upside relative to their price, especially Theodore, who often double-shifts on the Vegas power play.
Thomas Chabot ($5,300) and Cale Makar ($4,600) are also good options, but both players are on the road, which makes it harder for their coaches to get them ideal matchups. John Klingberg ($5,500) will be a popular name after scoring two points against Pitty, but also consider Miro Heiskanen ($4,500), who has been the more reliable producer with four points in his past five games and comes much cheaper. The Stars and Sens may feature a lot of power plays; both teams are in the top 12 in penalties taken and penalty minutes.
