This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The two early games Saturday have their own contests, so if you want to set a lineup consisting of players from the Blues-Jets and Hurricanes-Blue Jackets tilts, you have until 3:00 PM ET. Otherwise, here are seven players from the nine-game evening slate who look like good values.
GOALIE
Ben Bishop, TAM at ARI ($7,800): Arizona is, top to bottom, a terrible team. They rank 29th in goals for, 29th in goals against, 25th in power-play percentage, and 27th on the penalty kill. Also, the Coyotes have lost four games in a row, and they are 2-7-1 in their last 10 games. The odds of Bishop picking up a win seem quite favorable, and that alone could justify choosing him for your Saturday lineup.
CENTER
Brayden Schenn, PHI vs. NJD ($6,200): The Devils will be playing on the second of back-to-back nights, and with Cory Schneider dealing with an illness, Keith Kinkaid may have to play in both games. That should benefit Schenn, who has 15 goals and 15 assists this season. In his last eight games, he's notched seven points and taken 28 shots on goal, so he's not coasting on early season success either.
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS at DAL ($5,300): Kuznetsov has only six goals, thanks to a career-worst 7.0 shooting percentage. However, that hasn't stopped him from being a fantasy success, especially recently. He's notched 13 points in his last nine games, including three of his tallies. The Stars are allowing 3.13 goals per game, and they also rank 29th on the penalty kill, making this a great matchup for him.
WING
Mike Hoffman, OTT at TOR ($5,800): The Maple Leafs give up 32.8 shots on goal per game. Hoffman, meanwhile, leads the Senators with 118 shots on goal in 39 games. Fourteen of those shots have ended up in the back of the net, and he should have plenty of opportunity to try and light the lamp against Toronto.
Jonathan Drouin, TAM at ARI ($5,500): As previously mentioned, the Coyotes are a terrible team. In addition to their 3.24 goals against average, they cough up a league-worst 33.5 shots on goal per game. Drouin is enjoying a breakout season that includes 14 power-play points. Arizona seems like the last team that's going to slow him down, making him a nice value at this price.
Travis Konecny, PHI vs. NJD ($4,400): Konecny was held pointless and shotless in his last two games, but those were road matchups against Washington and Boston. In the six games prior, he had three goals on 16 shots. Overall, he's averaging 2.3 fantasy points per game. The Devils, meanwhile, allow 2.83 goals and 31.2 shots on net per game, making this another good matchup for Konecny. He's an interesting buy-low option.
DEFENSE
Matt Niskanen, WAS at DAL ($4,600): John Carlson is banged up, so that could mean a little extra work for Niskanen, who is already plenty involved for the Capitals (22:24 minutes of ice time per game). Niskanen has 22 points, and he's taken 85 shots on goal in 44 games. He could also get some added power-play time, which would be a positive against Dallas' 29th-ranked penalty kill.
Dion Phaneuf, OTT at TOR ($4,200): Phaneuf is averaging 3.1 fantasy points per game. The cheapest player who is averaging more is Jeff Petry, who will cost you $4,700. In addition to allowing 32.8 shots on goal per game, the Maple Leafs take 32.7 shots on net. Phaneuf has tallied 93 shots on goal, but he's also blocked 88. A matchup against the Maple Leafs is particularly favorable for his skill set.
