This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
There are 16 teams in action on Thursday in the National Hockey League, and Vegas expects plenty of close contests. In addition, the oddsmakers are anticipating plenty of fireworks, as five of the eight games have over/unders of 5.5 goals or greater, with two games at six. The Winnipeg-Dallas and Toronto-St. Louis games have the highest totals on the board, so expect those games to be fantasy fiestas. Despite being on the road, the Blackhawks are the biggest chalk on the board, and oddsmakers expect them to continue their mastery of the struggling Coyotes, so key on their players as well.
Let's get started.
GOALIE
Corey Crawford, CHI at ARI ($8,200): The Blackhawks have made themselves right at home in the desert in recent seasons, winning eight of their past nine games in Arizona. Crawford's .894 save percentage in the month of January doesn't exactly scream "most expensive option on the board," but his ultra-favorable matchup does. Arizona ranks 25th in power-play percentage while ranking 29th in the NHL in goal differential (minus-45). Crawford isn't likely to give up much against the toothless Coyotes.
CENTER
Mark Scheifele, WPG at DAL ($6,200): Scheifele wrapped up the month of January with multi-point efforts in five of his past 10 games. He's playing with a lot of confidence and will be facing a Dallas squad that has allowed three or more goals in eight straight outings. The Stars also rank dead last in penalty-kill percentage (73.7). Scheifele is working on a streak of six straight games with a plus-1 or better, and he has a good chance to extend that against the Stars' shoddy goaltending.
Jonathan Toews, CHI at ARI ($5,900): Toews is a tremendous value at this price level. He might be having a down year by his standards, but he's started to show signs of breaking out. Over the past 10 games, he has three goals and nine points, and a matchup against the defensively challenged Coyotes might be the perfect elixir. The Coyotes are 26th on the penalty kill, so Toews and his mates on the man advantage should find plenty of golden opportunities.
WING
Mitch Marner, TOR at STL ($6,200): The rookie posted a goal and an assist in Tuesday's blowout loss in Dallas, turning in a respectable stat line despite the fact the rest of his team still appeared to be on break. Head coach Mike Babcock experimented with Marner and fellow freshman Auston Matthews on the same line, and they appeared to click. It's uncertain whether this rookie line will stick together, but Marner is a great start regardless. The Blues are 26th in high-danger save percentage, so this game should feature plenty of scoring, with Marner right in the thick of things.
Nick Schmaltz, CHI at ARI ($3,600): Schmaltz was bumped up to the top scoring line Tuesday in San Jose, skating alongside veterans Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews. Although Schmaltz didn't break through for any points, he squeezed off three shots in the loss and appeared to be skating with a little jump in his step after head coach Joel Quenneville promoted him. He faces a much more favorable matchup against Arizona's terrible defense, and it won't take much more than one point for Schmaltz to earn his DFS salary. Anything more than that is a bonus.
Mats Zuccarello, NYR at BUF ($6,400): Zuccarello is scoreless over the past two games – his longest drought, if you want to call it that, since the end of November. Thanks to his consistency, the Norwegian is still tied for the Rangers lead with 38 points. He logs plenty of time on the man advantage, and he should have chances to cash in against a Sabres team that ranks No. 29 in the league on the penalty kill.
DEFENSE
Chris Wideman, OTT at TAM ($3,100): Wideman showed tremendous offensive potential in his AHL days, but it hasn't translated to the NHL – until now. He had just one goal over his first 41 games. However, he's lit the lamp in two straight games and notched a point in three straight. If he's able to keep up the point streak, he'll more than justify this bottom-dollar salary.
Nikita Zaitsev, TOR at STL ($4,300): Zaitsev isn't afraid to sacrifice his body, and that's great news for DFS players. Over the past 10 games, he's logged 23 blocked shots, which is like starting out with at least one guaranteed point. What makes him such a good value is that he's been more active on the offensive end, posting six helpers during the same 10-game stretch.
