This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
There are eight games in the NHL on Thursday, which will provide a number of avenues to differentiating your tournament selections. Here are a handful of players across multiple price ranges to consider while assembling your FanDuel lineups.
GOALIE
Corey Crawford, CHI at ARI ($8,800): Arizona is a ripe opponent for Chicago to snap a three-game losing skid. Crawford is also in need of a slump-busting matchup, considering he sports a .901 save percentage and 3.08 GAA over his past 12 games. With the Coyotes generating the seventh-fewest high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes (9.67) and second-fewest goals per game (2.16), Crawford projects favorably. Hopefully, his recent form keeps his ownership in check.
CENTER
Bryan Little, WPG at DAL ($6,500): Scorching hot with six goals, 10 points and 10 shots through his past six games, Little is worth a long look against the defensively challenged Stars. Dallas has allowed the fourth-most goals per game (3.12) and third-most high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes (12.03) in the league, after all. That's a good mix with Little centering an intriguing line with Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers.
Calle Jarnkrok, NAS vs. EDM ($3,700): Sporting a three-game point streak with two goals and three assists, Jarnkrok projects to center James Neal and Colin Wilson, forming a line with strong potential. It's a soft matchup with Edmonton allowing the fourth-most high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes (11.85), and Jarnkrok's salary opens oodles of cap space. Just don't confuse him with a risk-free option.
WING
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL vs. TOR ($8,100): It'll be interesting to see how the coaching swap impacts the Blues, but it's difficult to cast anything negatively on Tarasenko. Over the past three seasons, the 25-year-old winger boasts a second-ranked 1.58 goals, fifth-ranked 3.14 points and seventh-ranked 11.5 shots per 60 minutes among all skaters with at least 3,000 minutes. Also, while Toronto has shown tremendous progress throughout the campaign, the Maple Leafs shouldn't be viewed as a daunting road opponent, either.
William Nylander, TOR at STL ($5,300): Speaking of the coaching change, it will be difficult to turn around the Blues' historically bad goaltending overnight. St. Louis owns an .887 team save percentage, which is tied for the third-worst mark since the 2007-08 season. Nylander has posted a solid 2.48 points per 60 minutes this year, and he should receive a nice boost from skating with Auston Matthews.
Tomas Hertl, SAN at VAN ($5,100): Since entering the league, Hertl has combined for 3.33 goals per 60 minutes while sharing the ice with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski at even strength. With that trio back together, Hertl notched a goal and four shots on net Tuesday against Chicago; he's currently presenting excellent upside at his modest salary.
DEFENSE
Erik Karlsson, OTT at TAM ($7,200): Tampa Bay went 3-8-2 in January with an average of 3.46 goals allowed per game, which was the fourth-highest mark in the league. Karlsson has hit his stride of late, netting nine points, 25 shots and 25 blocked shots while averaging 27:13 of ice time (4:14 on the power play) over his past nine outings. Value hunting for defensemen is a popular strategy in deep player pools, so Karlsson could fly slightly under the radar Thursday.
Jacob Trouba, WPG at DAL ($5,200): The Stars are allowing the third-most high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes (12.03) in the league, and Trouba has been a dominant contributor for Winnipeg recently. The 22-year-old defenseman has two goals, seven points, 24 shots and 13 blocked shots while averaging a hefty 26:05 of ice time (2:18 on the power play) over his past six outings.
