This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Sunday's five-game NHL main slate begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Despite the small overall selection in this slate, there's no shortage of defensively challenged teams to beat up on. The Kings, Sharks, Senators and Rangers all rank among the league's eight worst defensive teams by goals allowed per game. Chicago has a great opportunity to find success against the lowly Kings, the Sharks-Senators matchup figures to feature plenty of offense, and the Bruins' top forwards should be worth paying up for at Madison Square Garden.
GOALIES
Marc-Andre Fleury ($9,100) is the chalk play in net at home against an anemic Anaheim offense that ranks among the league's five worst. The Ducks will be playing their second game in as many nights, while Fleury has enjoyed a 7-3-0 start with a 2.32 GAA and .930 save percentage for the Golden Knights.
The Islanders were the league's stingiest team last season and coach Barry Trotz's boring yet effective system has his team ranked among the league's leaders defensively once again. Whichever one of Semyon Varlamov ($7,700) or Thomas Greiss ($7,700) gets the nod in net should be an effective option against a visiting Flyers team that's playing its second game in as many nights.
Robin Lehner ($7,400) was nominated for the Vezina Trophy as one of the league's three best goaltenders with the Islanders last season, and he's carried his strong play over to Chicago with a 2.24 GAA and .922 save percentage through four starts. The Kings don't score too many goals themselves in addition to letting up the most in the league, so Lehner will be well positioned to pick up his second win in a Blackhawks uniform.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Logan Couture ($7,100) is off to an unlucky start, having mustered only one goal on 21 shots for a 4.8 percent conversion rate. The career 12.5 percent shooter is due to pick up the pace, and he's still managed a respectable nine points through 11 games in the meantime. Facing a Senators team that finished at the bottom of the standings last season and has a league-low five points through 10 games presents the perfect opportunity for Couture to rediscover his scoring touch.
Patrick Kane ($8,000) is still one of the league's most dangerous scorers, with eight points through nine games after last season's 110-point output. He won't find a better matchup than hosting a Kings team that's been outscored 44-30 through 11 games.
If you don't have the money for Kane but still want to capitalize on Los Angeles' defensive deficiencies, Dominik Kubalik ($3,600) could be a perfect fit. The rookie winger finds himself skating on Chicago's second line and leads the team with 30 shots on goal through nine games — two more than Kane.
Brock Nelson ($5,600) is enjoying an excellent Brocktober for the Islanders. The 6-foot-3 pivot leads the team outright in points (nine) and shots (29) through 10 games, while sharing the lead in both goals (four) and assists (five). If you had to pick just one skater from the Flyers-Islanders game, Nelson's your guy.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Bruins at Rangers
Patrice Bergeron (C - $7,200), David Pastrnak (W - $8,800), Brad Marchand (W - $8,500)
This is one of the best lines in hockey, having combined for 260 points last season and on pace to score significantly more this year. Bergeron has been by far the least dangerous of the three, but even he has a respectable 2-6-8 line through 10 games. Pastrnak is looking like a Hart Trophy contender with an 11-7-18 line, and Marchand sports a 5-10-15 line. Even on the second night of a Bruins back-to-back, these guys are capable of singlehandedly carrying your fantasy lineup against a Rangers team that's surrendering 3.38 goals on a league-high 36.1 shots per game.
Sharks at Senators
Tomas Hertl (C - $6,300), Evander Kane (W - $7,000), Kevin Labanc (W - $4,700)
San Jose's second line has been the driving force behind the team's offense in recent games, and that should continue against an Ottawa club that surrendered a league-high 3.67 goals per game last season and is giving up 3.40 in the early going this year. Hertl has three goals and seven assists this season, and all that production has come in the last six games. Kane has only played in eight of San Jose's 11 games, yet he leads the team with six goals while also chipping in three assists and 31 shots. Labanc owns a 4-2-6 line thus far, but last year's 56-point campaign suggests the 23-year-old Brooklyn native is capable of picking up the pace.
Senators vs. Sharks
Logan Brown (C - $3,300), Brady Tkachuk (W - $5,200), Anthony Duclair (W - $3,800)
Sticking in the Sharks-Senators game, Ottawa's top line can provide value at an affordable price, leaving money to spend on other teams' stars. Brown was the 11th overall selection in the 2016 draft and has one point in two games since getting called up after starting the season with a 3-4-7 line in five AHL contests. Tkachuk has scored only twice on 38 shots, so he's due for a breakout performance after potting 22 goals in 71 games as a rookie last season. Duclair has been a dominant force in the last two games, with two goals, an assist and 11 shots. Don't be surprised to see this young trio cause problems for a Sharks team that's been outscored 38-29 through 11 games.
DEFENSEMEN
Brent Burns ($6,900) is worth paying up for in this favorable matchup. He's always among the league's best sources of offense from the blue line, and this season has been no exception, as Burns leads the Sharks with 33 shots and is tied for the team lead with 10 points.
If the Rangers are going to pull the upset over Boston, Anthony DeAngelo ($4,500) will likely play a key role. The 24-year-old blueliner broke out with 30 points in 61 games last season, and he already has a 4-2-6 line through eight games, including three goals and an assist in the last two.
Erik Gustafsson ($5,000) has four points in nine games for Chicago, but last season's 17-43-60 line suggests he's capable of much more. A home date with the Kings could be just what the Swedish blueliner needs to get going offensively.
Any Ottawa-heavy lineup needs to feature 22-year-old stud Thomas Chabot ($5,300). He brings a five-game point streak into this one, having already posted eight points through 10 games after logging 55 points in 70 appearances last season.
