This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Friday boasts an interesting slate of games in the NHL because the four home teams are all rested and hosting an opponent on the wrong end of a back-to-back set. Additionally, the home club is the superior squad in each matchup. With that in mind, here are a number of recommendations across multiple price ranges to consider while assembling your DraftKings lineups.
GOALIE
Matt Murray, PIT vs. NJD ($8,400): Pittsburgh topping the Devils in this spot will be a strong lean, and Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will likely be popular plays. However, it's extremely difficult to roll out Murray with either of them and still have a strong lineup overall. Thus spending up for the Penguin with the highest floor is a sound starting point Friday. Even with all of Pittsburgh's injuries, the top-tier backstop sports a solid .928 save percentage and 2.26 GAA through his past 13 outings. Don't fret paying up in net when it's a small player pool, either.
CENTER
Ryan Getzlaf, ANA vs. BUF ($6,500): Not only is this a back-to-back away spot, the Sabres are playing their third road game in four nights; additionally, they're just 2-8-2 with 45 goals allowed over their last 12 contests. Getzlaf enters this game with five goals, 16 points, 24 shots and a sneaky 13 blocked shots while logging big minutes (20:43 with 2:31 on the power play) through his past 11 games. His salary isn't prohibitive enough to fade this soft matchup.
Sean Monahan, CGY vs. DAL ($6,100): Dallas presents a ripe matchup for Monahan to kick his two-game point drought. The Stars are playing their fourth road game in six nights, and Thursday's 4-2 win over a poor Vancouver team doesn't make them any tougher, especially with Jamie Benn having been injured. Prior to his short scoreless stretch, Monahan had three goals, 11 points and 18 shots over nine games, and he's also a strong stack candidate with linemate Johnny Gaudreau.
WING
Johnny Gaudeau, CGY vs. DAL ($6,800): Speak of the devil. The Stars entered their Thursday game allowing the most goals per game (3.29) and the third-most high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes (11.93); they're also sporting the worst team save percentage (.892) in the league. Gaudreau has posted a ninth-ranked 2.75 points per 60 minutes over the past three seasons among all skaters with at least 4,000 minutes, and he's collected four goals, 14 points and 14 points through his past 11 outings.
Rick Nash, NYR vs. FLA ($5,000): While the veteran winger hasn't recorded a multi-point effort since Jan. 17, he's recorded 75 shots during the 24-game span since with just four goals and a 5.3 shooting percentage. With Florida on the wrong end of back-to-back road games, Nash provides a respectable fantasy floor at a reasonable price. Call it a hunch that he rewards on the positive regression he has ahead of him in shooting percentage.
J.T. Miller, NYR vs.FLA ($4,700): With just a goal and four points through his past 14 games, Miller's offensive production has stagnated of late. However, he still boasts an impressive 2.62 points per 60 minutes for the campaign, ranking 37th among all skaters with at least 1,000 minutes. The 24-year-old winger is projected to play with Rick Nash, and while the sample size is small, that duo has combined for 3.2 goals per 60 minutes over the past three seasons. The Miller-Nash combo is a sneaky mid-priced stack.
DEFENSE
Mark Giordano, CGY vs. DAL ($5,300): A high-floor option at a reasonable price, Giordano is worth a long look in this favorable matchup against Dallas. He's chipped in four goals, eight points, 21 shots and 33 blocked shots while averaging 23:41 of ice time (1:56 with the man advantage) through the past 13 games. The veteran's peripheral coverage carries extra value in a small player pool, too.
Sami Vatanen, ANA vs. BUF ($4,100): This is a soft price for Vatanen's fantasy profile. It's not overly surprising, though. The 25-year-old Finn has missed the scoresheet in six of the past 10 games, posting just five points during that span. However, he's locked in as a shooter on the No. 1 power-play unit, and Buffalo entered Thursday's game allowing the third-most goals per 60 minutes (8.62) while shorthanded. Vatanen checks out as a serviceable -- and hopefully contrarian -- stack option to help mitigate Getzlaf's hefty salary, especially considering that they've combined for 3.15 goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five this season.
