This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
We can see the end of the NHL regular season on the horizon. The days are numbered, but we can make the most of them. There are four games Wednesday, so it's not the most extensive slate. However, you'll still have some decisions to make when it comes to your daily fantasy lineup, so let's identify some of the finest values.
GOALIE
Brian Elliott, CGY vs. LOS ($8,200): The Flames are 23-15-0 at home, while the Kings are 14-18-5 on the road. The Kings have also only averaged 2.41 goals per game, whereas the Flames have given up a mere 28.6 shots on net per contest. As for Elliott, he's 12-1-0 in his last 13 games with a 1.66 GAA and .944 save percentage, so he's been giving fantasy owners every reason to roll him out.
CENTER
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS at COL ($5,900): The Capitals may be on the second night of a back-to-back Wednesday, but that doesn't seem all that important when you've got a matchup with the Avalanche. Colorado has given up a league-worst 3.36 goals per game; the next-worst team has only allowed 3.18 goals per contest. Unsurprisingly, the Avs also have the 28th-ranked penalty kill. Kuznetsov has started 37.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, and he's averaged 2.8 fantasy points per game. He should at least be able to match that against the lowly Avalanche.
Patrik Berglund, STL at ARI ($4,400): Berglund has tallied 21 goals on 142 shots in 75 games, and recently his minutes have gone up. Over his last 20 games, he's averaged 17:00 of ice time, including 1:41 on the power play. Arizona, meanwhile, has given up 3.18 goals per contest, plus a whopping 33.8 shots on net per game. The Coyotes also have the 24th-ranked penalty kill. While Berglund doesn't play on the power play that extensively, he could still find success with the extra man in this matchup.
WING
Phil Kessel, PIT vs. CHI ($6,300): Kessel has started 41.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second on the Penguins, and he's averaged 3:38 per game on the power play. The Blackhawks, meanwhile, have the 25th-ranked penalty kill. Kessel has notched 28 power-play points in 75 games, so he's clearly capable of taking advantage of an iffy penalty kill. Additionally, Chicago has allowed 2.71 goals and 32.1 shots on net per contest in the month of March.
Jared Schwartz, STL at ARI ($5,700): Schwartz has a four-game point streak going, and he's notched 12 points and 36 shots on goal in his last 12 games. As previously noted, the Coyotes have allowed 3.18 goals and 33.8 shots on net per game, both of which rank second-worst in the NHL. Schwartz has also averaged 2:31 per game with the extra man, which will come in handy against that terrible Arizona penalty kill.
Marcus Johansson, WAS at COL ($5,000): The Avs are the best matchup a forward can find this season. They've allowed a league-worst 3.36 goals and 31.9 shots on net per game, and their goalies have a collective .894 save percentage. Unsurprisingly, that's the lowest team save percentage in the NHL. The Avalanche have the 28th-ranked penalty kill, and Johansson has averaged 2:52 per game with the extra man. He's also tallied 52 points, including 17 on the power play, in 75 games. Oh, and for what it's worth, he notched four points against Minnesota on Tuesday.
DEFENSE
Brent Seabrook, CHI at PIT ($4,400): The Penguins have allowed 32.5 shots on net per game, which is fourth in the NHL. Even though they've only allowed 2.75 goals per game and Matt Murray has a 2.40 GAA,
the fact that they give up so many shots could still yield fantasy value for Seabrook. Seabrook has also averaged 2:43 per game with the extra man, tallying 14 points in that time. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's attempted 59.7 shots per 60 minutes, which is fourth in the NHL. Seabrook has registered 130 blocked shots in 74 games, so he could add a little fantasy value on the defensive end of the ice as well.
Matt Niskanen, WAS at COL ($4,300): Niskanen has averaged 2.6 fantasy points per contest, and this fine matchup with the Avs should help him keep it going. The many knocks against Colorado have been identified already, so let's not rehash them; the point is, it's a great matchup. Niskanen has notched 37 points, including nine on the power play; at this reasonable price, it's well worth giving him a look in this tremendously favorable matchup.
