Tuesday was the NHL's so-called "Frozen Frenzy." That meant all 32 teams were in action. However, the inverse of that excitement is Wednesday. Hopefully you enjoyed Tuesday's action (I did, as a Red Wings fan), because there is only one game Wednesday. The Blue Jackets host the Maple Leafs at 7:30 p.m. ET.
For DFS purposes, there are six slots in your lineup and you have $50,000 in salary. One player is your Captain, who nets 1.5 times the points at an elevated salary. Both Toronto and Columbus are playing backup goalies. This could be a high-scoring game, but this is my lineup I ended up with.
CAPTAIN
John Tavares, TOR at CLM ($12,900): Goaltending on both fronts is not a concern. Elvis Merzlikins has a career .902 save percentage, and the Blue Jackets remain primed for porosity defensively. Tavares gets overlooked in this lineup, but he has 13 points and 27 shots on net this postseason. By making him my Captain, I get upside and can set a lineup with depth.
UTILITY
Zach Werenski, CLM vs. TOR ($9,800): You don't need defenseman in a single-game contest, but Werenski is well worth it. He had 82 points last year, which is of course point-per-game pace. Most forwards can't dream of that. This season Werenski has six points and 34 shots on net through nine games. He's at home, and he will see Cayden Primeau, who has a career .884 save percentage.
Matthew Knies, TOR at CLM ($8,200): Knies recently dipped down to the second line (while remaining on the top power-play unit), but that's no demotion. After all, playing on the second line, your center is still future Hall of Famer John Tavares. Knies had two goals and an assist Tuesday, but reasonably one good game doesn't alter my DFS decisions. Knies has four goals and nine assists, and he gets to face Merzlikins and company on Wednesday,
Dmitri Voronkov, CLM vs. TOR ($7,200): Voronkov, a first-line wing who took a step forward with 23 goals last season, has started the campaign well. He has nine points through nine games as he primes to face Toronto. He's at home, and Primeau is no concern. After all, if Joseph Woll wasn't on injured reserve he wouldn't even be on the Toronto roster.
Kent Johnson, CLM vs. TOR ($6,400): Johnson emerged last season with 24 goals and 33 assists in 68 games. He started the season slow, but he has four points in his last five outings. Primeau has finished with a save percentage above .900 once this decade, so I am not concerned with Johnson at home.
Matias Maccelli, TOR at CLM ($3,600): I close out my lineup with as much upside as I could find. Maccelli has been on the second line essentially all season. He only has two goals and two assists, but he's been in the mix. Merzlikins has been one of the bottom-tier goalies for a few years now, and this roster is well-balanced for a Wednesday early in the regular season. I'm down to close my lineup here.
