This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
GOALIE
Braden Holtby, WAS vs. VAN ($9,500)
The Caps' offense ranks closer to the league's bottom 10 than the top 10, which is nothing short of bizarre given their firepower. But, Vancouver's defense has been particularly porous, as they allowed 40-plus shots for the third time this month in a 4-2 loss to Florida on Saturday. The key for the Caps is to get an early lead; they're tied for first with 11 wins when leading after the first period, and the Canucks have scored a league-worst 12 goals in the opening frame. Holtby doesn't come cheap, but it should be an easy win against a mediocre team coming off a tough game the night before.
Devan Dubnyk, MIN vs. STL ($8,900)
The one guy Dubnyk should watch out for is Vladimir Tarasenko, especially when the Blues are on the power play, but the good news is that the Wild have taken the fifth fewest minor penalties this season. Dubnyk has been outstanding all year with three straight wins and has not allowed more than two goals in his past four starts. The Wild have last change on home ice which gives Bruce Boudreau the advantage with matchups, and their plus-17 goal differential is the best in the conference.
CENTER
Connor McDavid, EDM vs. WPG ($8,800)
McDavid was held off the scoresheet in his previous game against Minnesota, which felt like an eternity for the league's top scorer. He's been shooting the puck with a lot
GOALIE
Braden Holtby, WAS vs. VAN ($9,500)
The Caps' offense ranks closer to the league's bottom 10 than the top 10, which is nothing short of bizarre given their firepower. But, Vancouver's defense has been particularly porous, as they allowed 40-plus shots for the third time this month in a 4-2 loss to Florida on Saturday. The key for the Caps is to get an early lead; they're tied for first with 11 wins when leading after the first period, and the Canucks have scored a league-worst 12 goals in the opening frame. Holtby doesn't come cheap, but it should be an easy win against a mediocre team coming off a tough game the night before.
Devan Dubnyk, MIN vs. STL ($8,900)
The one guy Dubnyk should watch out for is Vladimir Tarasenko, especially when the Blues are on the power play, but the good news is that the Wild have taken the fifth fewest minor penalties this season. Dubnyk has been outstanding all year with three straight wins and has not allowed more than two goals in his past four starts. The Wild have last change on home ice which gives Bruce Boudreau the advantage with matchups, and their plus-17 goal differential is the best in the conference.
CENTER
Connor McDavid, EDM vs. WPG ($8,800)
McDavid was held off the scoresheet in his previous game against Minnesota, which felt like an eternity for the league's top scorer. He's been shooting the puck with a lot more frequency in his past five games, averaging 4.4 shots per game, which is notably more than his average of 3.0 on the season. Also, Connor Hellebuyck, who's expected to start for Winnipeg, allowed six goals in his previous start against Edmonton.
Auston Matthews, TOR vs. COL ($6,600)
He showed off his elite release after taking a pass from William Nylander in stride and sniping his 12th goal of the season, and will be looking to feast on an atrocious Avs defense that hit rock bottom Saturday in a 10-1 loss to Montreal. Mike Babcock is one of the league's best coaches and has done a good job of utilizing Matthews this season, and with Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak likely drawing the Avs' top lines, Matthews will get to feast on the easier matchups.
WING
Patrick Kane, CHI vs. DAL ($8,500)
Kane had a four-game assist streak snapped Friday against the Rangers, but the longest he's gone without registering a point this year is two games. It won't really matter who the Stars put in net, because they've already allowed the most goals this season and things still don't really seem to be getting any better. You really can't go wrong using one of the league's slickest scorers against a really bad defensive team.
Patrik Laine, WPG vs. EDM ($7,500)
He'll be instructed to shoot from just about any distance at any spot on the ice since there's no one on the Oilers' defense that can really handle him one-on-one, and they'll also have to respect the Jets' overall speed, which could create some space for Laine. The thing about Laine is that he's just as dangerous from 40 feet out as he is from 20 feet, and although his 21.0 shooting percentage screams regression, he's good enough to possibly sustain it.
Wayne Simmonds, PHI at DET ($7,300)
It's not always wise to bank on hot streaks, but it bears mentioning that Simmonds has scored nine points in his past 10 games, and there's little Detroit's defense can do against one of the league's best power forwards. With 27 points in 30 games, 42 PIM and 77 shots on goal, Simmonds has been one of the most consistent, prolific scorers this season and is enjoying the best campaign of his career.
Mitch Marner, TOR vs. COL ($5,600)
For players in this price range, Marner is one of the best value plays out there. The slick winger hasn't registered a point in three straight games but is far too talented for this scoring drought to continue — especially with a great matchup against the porous Avalanche on tap. After getting embarrassed Saturday, the Avs should be firing on all cylinders, but it won't change the fact that they sorely miss their No. 1 defenseman in Erik Johnson (broken fibula).
DEFENSE
Dustin Byfuglien, WPG at EDM ($6,600)
The Jets and Oilers should play a very exciting north-south game with their tantalizing speed, and even though Byfuglien is one of the biggest guys in the league, his excellent mobility gets overlooked a lot. He'll be seeing plenty of McDavid and only Ben Chiarot starts in the offensive zone less than him, but he's still a puck possession beast and continues to log tons of ice time for Paul Maurice. Even if Byfuglien doesn't score, he consistently gets pucks on net and blocks shots.
Troy Stecher, VAN at WAS ($4,500)
He's off the radar for most people but is already a trusted player for Willie Desjardins, playing well over 20 minutes in each of his past five games. Stecher was the lone defenseman on the ice late Saturday against Florida with the goalie pulled and finished with eight shots on goal. His mobility and ability to get pucks through to the net are his two biggest strengths, which should help him earn his modest price tag Sunday.
