This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
This is the last weekend of the conference finals, and by the next time the weekend rolls around, we'll be immersed in the Stanley Cup Final. However, that's not important right now. What's important is making the most of your daily fantasy lineups, and here are some players who can help lead you to glory.
GOALIE
Craig Anderson, OTT vs. PIT ($8,500): For all of Pittsburgh's offensive prowess, Anderson has allowed exactly one goal in every game in this series, and he owns a 2.20 GAA and .923 save percentage in the postseason. The Penguins are dealing with injuries, and they've only managed to average 27.7 shots on net per game in the playoffs. Even if they improve on that, it's easy to have confidence in Anderson the way he's been playing, especially at home.
CENTER
Ryan Kesler, ANA vs. NAS ($5,300): Kesler may not have notched a point in Game 4, but he was quite busy nonetheless. He put five shots on goal blocked three as well. That's back-to-back games with three blocked shots for Kesler -- not production you usually get out of a forward -- and he's tallied 32 shots on net in his last 10 games. While Rinne has still been good in this series, he's allowed three or more goals in two of his last three starts, so perhaps a bit of regression is kicking in.
Derick Brassard, OTT vs. PIT ($4,800): Brassard tallied a goal and an assist in Game 3. Could this be the turnaround moment for the veteran pivot, who's struggled since tallying eight points in the first round?Brassard started 37.7 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone this year, the most of any Senators forward. His dry patch drove his price down, but that could turn Brassard into a nice value if Game 3 was an indication of things to come.
WING
Bobby Ryan, OTT vs. PIT ($6,300): Ryan's redemptive postseason has continued against the Penguins, as he has four points in this series' three games. Pittsburgh's now turning to Matt Murray rather than Marc-Andre Fleury in net, and Murray's track record is impressive, but he may also be a bit rusty heading into his first playoff start. The Penguins have also allowed 34.0 shots on net per game in the playoffs, which is even worse than their already poor regular-season figure in that regard.
James Neal, NAS at ANA ($6,000): Neal didn't pick up a goal in Game 4, but he did register an assist. That gives him six points in his last nine games, with five of those being goals. He's also notched 34 shots on net in those contests, and the Ducks have allowed 33.4 shots on net per game in the postseason. There are no easy matchups at this point, so you may as well chase the top sniping talents around.
Rickard Rakell, ANA vs. NAS ($5,900): Rakell started 36.4 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone this season, fifth among Ducks, and he made the most of his opportunities, tallying 33 goals in 71 games. He's carried that over into the playoffs, notching an impressive 13 points in 15 games. Rakell has a three-game point streak going on as well.
Viktor Arvidsson, NAS at ANA ($5,700): It's been a while since Arvidsson has scored a goal, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been helping fantasy players. After picking up two assists in Game 4, he's notched five assists in his last three games. However, this is still a guy who scored 31 goals on 246 shots during the regular season, so he could easily light the lamp again sometime soon. Even if he doesn't, it's clear that he can still help your fantasy lineup, especially at this price.
DEFENSE
Chris Wideman, OTT vs. PIT ($3,500): Wideman started 41.7 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone this year, which actually led the Senators. He's been decent in the playoffs, tallying four points in 11 playoff games, and he's been particularly active lately, notching 15 shots on net in the last six. At this price, Wideman's a quality source of cap relief with upside.
Ron Hainsey, PIT at OTT ($3,200): Hainsey has seen solid usage on Pittsburgh's banged-up blue line, averaging 20:45 on the ice in these playoffs. Although that hasn't resulted in much offensive production, he's tallied exactly two shots and one blocked shot in all three games of this series so far. Just know if you're deploying him that it's for his non-zero floor, not his ceiling.
