This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
After a few days off, the NHL is back in action. The league is pulling no punches, with a whopping 14 games on the docket. Nearly every team is taking the ice, meaning you have a ton of players to choose from. Don't fret, as we're here to help you find some of the best values available Tuesday.
GOALIE
Peter Budaj, LOS at ARI ($8,300): The Coyotes are second-to-last in goals scored per game, and they've only managed 28.3 shots on goal per contest. The Kings, meanwhile, have given up the fewest shots on goal per game (25.8), and Budaj ranks fourth in the league with a 2.06 GAA. The Coyotes actually have a mediocre record at home, as opposed to their horrendous road record, although it seems unlikely Arizona will give Budaj too much trouble.
CENTER
Ryan Kesler, ANA vs. COL ($7,100): Fresh off an All-Star appearance, Kesler returns to action against a Colorado team allowing a league-worst 3.37 goals per game. Kesler certainly earned his All-Star nod, with 39 points in 51 games, including 17 on the power play. And you will not be surprised to hear the Avalanche rank 25th on the penalty kill.
Tyler Bozak, TOR at DAL ($6,000): Bozak has been an under-the-radar power-play performer this season, and he tallied seven points with the extra man in the 10 games leading up to the All-Star break. That makes this a particularly good matchup for him, because the Stars rank last in the league in penalty-kill percentage. If Bozak's power-play prowess continues, he could be a great value here.
WING
Patrik Laine, WPG at STL ($7,300): Laine is back, and he seems no worse for the wear. In his two games after returning from a concussion, he notched three points and nine shots on goal. He also played without incident in the All-Star Game (and managed a heckuva slap shot in the Skills Competition, for what it's worth). Thanks to their terrible goaltending (.889 team save percentage), the Blues have given up 3.08 goals per game.
David Pastrnak, BOS at TAM ($6,800): Pastrnak's goal scoring has decreased, but his fantasy production remains more than satisfactory. He has 10 points in his last nine games, and he's also taken a whopping 36 shots on net in those contests. If he keeps shooting like this, the goals will eventually come. To that point, the Lightning have allowed 2.88 goals per game, while sporting a 3.42 GAA in January.
Viktor Arvidsson, NAS at PIT ($5,600): Arvidsson seems to have fallen back under the radar, even though he notched five points in his five games before the All-Star break. He's also taken quite a few shots, tallying 145 on net in 47 games. The Penguins have ceded 32.4 shots on goal per tilt, which means Arvidsson should be able to notch a few more shots on net in this matchup.
Sebastian Aho, CAR vs. PHI ($5,500): Aho is overshadowed by his fellow rookies, but he's averaging a solid 9.6 fantasy points per game. He hasn't slowed down recently, tallying four goals on 24 shots in his last nine games. The Flyers have a team GAA of 3.02, thanks in part to a team save percentage of .896. For a modestly-priced player, Aho provides significant upside.
DEFENSEMEN
Alec Martinez, LOS at ARI ($5,600): Arizona's lack of offensive success was mentioned previously, but their defense has been just as lackluster. The Coyotes have allowed 3.15 goals per game, and they give up the most shots on goal per contest in the league. Martinez is averaging 22:14 a night, and he's notched 95 shots on goal in 49 appearances. He's also blocked 100 shots, so he could also add a little more fantasy value that way.
Cam Fowler, ANA vs. COL ($5,300): Fowler did go through a cold streak in January (in fact, it started in December), but he's still averaging a healthy 10.9 fantasy points per game. He did notch three points in his last three contests, so perhaps he's found his form. Regardless, this is a fantastic matchup. As noted earlier, the Avalanche have given up the most goals per game in the league, and they also own a poor penalty kill.
