This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
We have 11 games firing up this Tuesday, including two divisional matchups. The Islanders and Flyers are one point apart in the standings, and if the Flyers win outright, they'll hop into a wild-card spot. With plenty of parity going on and less than two weeks from the trade deadline, the NHL is right where we want it. Read on for tips and tricks to set your DFS lineup tonight.
GOALIES
No goalie has sustained success like Andrei Vasilevskiy ($9,200) has over his last 18 appearances, as he posted a 16-0-2 record with a .933 save percentage. Even so, the Penguins are a tough opponent, as they rank eighth with 3.44 goals per home contest. He's worth a fade.
Philipp Grubauer ($8,500) is on an impressive streak, winning three straight and allowing just one goal in each contest. A matchup versus the Senators is the icing on the cake, as they've lost five straight and scored just nine goals in that stretch.
It wouldn't be surprising if the Blues afford Jake Allen ($7,800) a start because Jordan Binnington has allowed three or more goals in seven straight contests. Allen has been excellent on the road this year with a .925 save percentage and 2.36 GAA over 15 outings, and he should be able to keep it up against the lowly Ducks.
Connor Hellebuyck ($7,800) is undefeated in February (4-0-1) with a .942 save percentage, taking down the defending champs twice in the process. He's red-hot, and although the Rangers have firepower, they rank 24th over the last month with 2.17 GF/60 at even strength, according to Natural Stat Trick.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Conor Garland ($4,600) has compiled 10 points (five goals, five assists) over the past 10 games, and he's fired 29 shots on net. No matter who Toronto deploys in the crease, it hasn't been able to keep the puck out of the net, yielding 3.24 G/60 over the last month -- the second-most in the league.
Ondrej Palat ($4,800) bumped up to the top line Monday with Steven Stamkos out, and it's likely the latter remains out Tuesday. That puts Palat in line for points by default next to Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, but the winger has been solid by his own right with six points in as many games.
Joel Farabee ($3,700) was on a roll before falling ill, stringing together six points (four goals, two assists) through six games, with two of them coming with the man advantage. It doesn't look like a favorable matchup, but the Islanders have had goaltending struggles since the All-Star break, allowing 3.06 G/60 -- the seventh-most.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Buffalo Sabres (TOTAL: $18,200)
C - Jack Eichel ($8,300)
W - Sam Reinhart ($6,200)
W - Jimmy Vesey ($3,700)
This line has only been together for a handful of games, but they're working well with a 53.12 GF%. Eichel is the anchor with 31 goals this year, but Reinhart produces plenty, too, with eight goals and six helpers over 15 games. Vesey helps keep the price down in a favorable matchup against the bottom-dwelling Red Wings.
Chicago Blackhawks (TOTAL: $16,200)
C - Kirby Dach ($3,700)
W - Patrick Kane ($7,800)
W - Brandon Saad ($4,700)
Dach's living up to the first-round pedigree lately, as the 19-year-old has six points in the last six games. Meanwhile, Kane and Saad have combined for 11 points (five goals, six assists), and they'll be up against the Oilers' putrid crease, which ranks 29th over the last month with 3.02 GA/60.
New Jersey Devils (TOTAL: $12,700)
C - Travis Zajac ($3,700)
W - Nikita Gusev ($4,300)
W - Blake Coleman ($4,700)
This is one of the team's bright spots, as it has a 52.80 xGF% this season, per Natural Stat Trick, and deploying a Devils stack is almost always contrarian. And it's mighty cheap. This is the time to use them, as the Panthers rank 24th since the break with 2.95 GA/60.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar ($5,900) is on a heater. But that's status quo this season. The rookie has 13 points in 14 games since the calendar flipped to 2020, and he continues to work on the first power play unit. He'll look to leverage that against the Senators' 30th-ranked penalty kill (10.81 GA/60) over the last month.
Shea Theodore ($5,600) has established himself on the top pairing, as he's averaged 23:55 of ice time per game over the last seven contests, producing nine points in that stretch. His floor is excellent as well with a combined plus-5 rating and at least three shots on net per game.
The Islanders, Coyotes and Rangers are all bottom-10 penalty kills over the pass month, so target the opposing defenders. Some value plays are Neal Pionk ($4,600), Ivan Provorov ($4,300) and Rasmus Sandin ($3,500). Sandin is a bit of a risk, but the first two have have 21 and 13 power-play points, respectively.
