This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
All eyes are on the West Division again with both the Coyotes and Blues in action as the two teams vie for fourth place. The Blues are just one point ahead but have two games in hand, and it'll be a tough matchup with the visiting Avalanche (7:30 p.m. EDT). The Coyotes are hoping to take advantage of that as they visit the Wild (2 p.m.), though due to its early start note it is not available for DFS play, leaving five games on Wednesday's slate.
A key battle also brews with the Flames visiting the Canadiens (7 p.m.). Even though the Flames are six points back of the Habs with three more games played, it's not an insurmountable task. They're coming off a 3-2 overtime win against the division-leading Maple Leafs on Tuesday night and have now won two straight games.
GOALIES
Philipp Grubauer, COL at STL ($8,400): The Avs are in a class of their own but the Blues are starting to turn it around with three straight wins. Grubauer has been excellent all season but lately he's been a little less stellar with a 3.70 GAA and .870 Sv% in four appearances in April. A win is likely, but the stats may not be pretty.
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK at LA ($8,200): The Kings were sellers at the trade deadline and they've also allowed at least three goals in six of their past seven games. Fleury didn't have to work much in his last start, making 14 saves for a shutout win, so he should be fresh after fighting what seemed to be a bout of fatigue in March. The Knights have won five of their seven meetings this season.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at OTT ($7,800): It's revenge time for Hellebuyck after allowing four goals in his last start against the Jets. Asides from that snafu, Hellebuyck has been very good against the Sens this season and it barely made a dent in what has been an excellent April for him so far with a .930 Sv% and 1.99 GAA. He should be one of the better value plays of the night.
VALUE PLAYS
Chandler Stephenson, VGK at LA ($3,700): For the opportunities he gets, you expect more from Stephenson. He continues to center the top line between Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone, but at least he's had some success on offense against the Kings this season with two goals and 13 shots in seven games.
Mason Appleton, WPG at OTT ($3,500): At even strength, Appleton plays a key checking line on a very good third line, but the bonus is that he's been playing on the top power-play unit. His offense has not translated from the AHL level but it's encouraging that he's managed to register three shots in two of his past four games.
LINE STACKS
Canadiens at Flames
Jesperi Kotkaniemi (C - $3,600), Jonathan Drouin (W - $4,000), Josh Anderson (W - $4,000)
Relying on a Habs line stack can be frustrating because they spread out the ice time so much and the lines get juggled all the time, but this line was one of their best last game. All three players play on the power play and their underlying statistics together have been quite good. It's a relatively inexpensive line stack against a team that's still a little shaky in net.
Jets at Senators
Mark Scheifele (C - $7,200), Kyle Connor (W - $6,600), Andrew Copp (W - $4,200)
Copp is a useful player who can keep the cost of this line stack low, but the downside is that he doesn't play on the same power play unit as Scheifele and Connor, who have been excellent against the Senators this season with 20 points combined in seven games.
DEFENSEMEN
Shea Theodore, VGK at LA ($6,100): Theodore's been particularly effective against the Kings this season, scoring eights points in seven games, more than any other team he's faced this season. Him and Cale Makar ($5,800) stand out from the rest, but Theodore is elite at getting shots on net, making him a relatively safe DFS play.
Mark Giordano, CGY at MON ($5,400): Not only is Giordano playing well with four points in his past four games, he still continues to make an impact on the man advantage. The Habs are very good at even strength but their special teams have been a weak spot all season. Their PK currently ranks 24th in the league.
Jamie Drysdale, ANH at SJ ($3,600): The Ducks are unpredictable but they've been excellent against the Sharks in their past two games, outscoring them 9-1. Kevin Shattenkirk still holds down PP1, but the Ducks have two fairly even power plays with Drysdale quarterbacking the other unit. The Sharks aren't a tough opponent and it's a decent value play with Drysdale playing at least 20 minutes in four of his past five games.
Erik Brannstrom, OTT vs. WPG ($3,500): Thomas Chabot is still the Sens' top option but Brannstrom has some untapped offensive upside. He's notched an assist in two straight games and will man the second power-play unit.
