This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
It's relatively quiet Friday night with just two games, with the Golden Knights visiting the Stars and the Devils facing the Avalanche.
Vegas has lost their golden touch with three losses in their past four games, including a 5-0 loss to the Rangers. Rick Bowness is looking for his second straight win and finish the Stars' homestand with a pristine 4-0 record. Goal scoring has been an issue for the Stars, however, with eight goals in three games, and in the past Bowness has taken care of the defense as an assistant coach.
The Devils will attempt to stop a six-game skid against an Avs team that's rolling with seven wins in eight games despite missing key players. The wins have been against tough opponents, too, including Boston, Toronto and Edmonton.
GOALIES
Considering the Knights' struggles, Ben Bishop ($9,200) should be a good play. He's looking more like his former self with three straight wins and while the Stars haven't provided much goal support, Malcolm Subban ($8,100) is still just a borderline backup. However, this remains a deep Vegas team and the Stars' performances can swing wildly from game to game.
Philipp Grubauer ($7,700) is nursing a hamstring injury but should be ready to go against the Devils, and he's by far the best value play. His numbers aren't as good this season – .914/2.76 vs. .917/2.64 last season – but the Devils shouldn't be too much of a challenge.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Denis Gurianov ($3,500) didn't score against the Devils, snapping his two-game goal streak, but did manage to put six shots on net. His ice time remains limited because he lacks experience and the coaches don't trust him yet, but there's definitely some offensive upside to be had. The big drawback is that he doesn't get any power-play time.
Andre Burakovsky ($4,700) has played so well in Colorado, Jared Bednar has opted to keep him on Nathan MacKinnon's line. That's about as big a gift as you can get from a coach for a scoring winger. Valeri Nichushkin ($3,800) has also been playing well with five goals and eight points in 11 games, and he's currently on a three-game point streak.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Colorado Avalanche (TOTAL: $18,900)
C – Nathan MacKinnon ($9,100)
W – Andre Burakovsky ($4,700)
W – Joonas Donskoi ($5,100)
MacKinnon's two wingers makes this a relatively cheap line stack, and while Donskoi has cooled off considerably (3 shots in 4 games), Burakovsky remains a dangerous offensive player. Half the cost of this line is basically MacKinnon, but he's obviously worth the price.
Dallas Stars (TOTAL: $17,700)
C – Mattias Janmark ($4,100)
W – Jamie Benn ($6,100)
W – Tyler Seguin ($7,500)
Their star players have struggled for most of the season, but since the beginning of Seguin's nine-game goal drought, the trio have combined for 16.27 xGF, according to Natural Stat Trick, but have just one goal to show for their efforts. A vulnerable Vegas squad seems just a good as opponent as any for them to bust their slump.
DEFENSEMEN
Miro Heiskanen ($5,400) will be the best defenseman on the ice tonight, but his offensive production isn't particularly robust, though he does have four points in four games. Nate Schmidt ($4,200) is also in a similar situation in that his on-ice value is far greater than his fantasy value, though he does tend to block more shots.
Shea Theodore ($4,600) has a high ceiling as a PP QB, but he hasn't scored a point since Nov. 25, coincidentally against the Stars. P.K. Subban ($4,200) is another high-risk, high-reward pick, though the rewards have really come few and far between this season. The best bet might be Ryan Graves ($4,400), who has emerged as a potential top-four defenseman in Colorado and offers up both some offense and defense in blocked shots.
