This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Matt Duchene and Kevin Shattenkirk returned great value throughout the past week, and Alex Goligoski posted a nice night sandwiched by two games where he covered his salary in the peripheral categories.
Unfortunately, Mike Condon and Nikita Kucherov were extremely underwhelming, and there is no way to sugar coat it for either.
A few lineup juggles have increased the fantasy value of a pair of forwards, and a favorable upcoming schedule projects to propel a fallen star back into the top-tier goalie conversation.
Forwards
C: Nicklas Backstrom ($6,700)
Value comes in all price ranges, and Backstrom is currently producing as an elite fantasy contributor but priced as a second-tier pivot. He sits at exactly one point per game for the season and is coming off a two-point showing.
With Backstrom centering Alex Ovechkin at even strength again, both of their fake stocks receive a boost. The duo own a 3.03 goals per 60 minutes and 55.6 CorsiFor percentage at five-on-five during their career, after all.
The Capitals also have four home games ahead with particularly juicy matchups against the Avalanche, Oilers and Jets. Don't be surprised to see Backstrom's price tag climb into the $7,000 range before long.
W: Tanner Pearson ($4,000)
Life on the top line has been kind to Pearson, and he is currently sporting a solid seven-game run with two goals and six helpers while averaging 15:36 minutes of ice time per outing.
Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik have proven to be nice fits for Pearon, and while it is a small sample size, Pearson has a 2.53 goals per 60 minutes at five on five while skating with Kopitar and a 3.50 GF60 with Gaborik.
The Kings are in the midst of a five-game road trip with stops in Detroit, Carolina, Florida and Tampa Bay on deck. None of those games are daunting matchups, and Pearson projects favorably as an upside source of cap relief in the coming week.
Defensemen
Shayne Gostisbehere ($2,700)
Expect Gostisbehere to be a highly owned defenseman for the next few weeks, or until he price reflects his floor value. He is manning the No. 1 power-play unit with Mark Streit out, which is a prime real estate playing pitch and catch with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek.
Gostisbehere found the score sheet in both of his first two games this season after registering 10 points -- two goals -- through 14 games in the American Hockey League. Touching again on his high floor, Gostisbehere has eight shots and four blocked shots through his three games.
Philadelphia has upcoming dates with Ottawa, Carolina and the Islanders where Gostisbehere stands to provide a nice return on the minimal investment. Also note, while he is averaging just 18:01 minutes per game, Gostisbehere is starting 68.4 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone.
Alec Martinez ($3,400)
Another high-floor option for your blue line, Martinez is receiving plenty of power-play looks of late and has two goals and two assists through his past eight games.
While the point totals don't jump off the page, his peripheral contributions make him a reliable low-priced grab. Martinez has 19 shots and 19 blocked shots over his past eight games.
As highlighted, the upcoming schedule shouldn't hinder your ownership of Martinez, and now in his prime, he is finally locked into a top-four role for the first time in his career.
Goaltender
Tuukka Rask ($7,500)
While Boston has begun to tighten up defensively, they're still allowing 3.11 goals per game for the year, and Rask sits with an .890 save percentage and 3.18 goals-against average.
Worse, though, is he cannot patch together anything resembling a run of quality starts. Still, things have been trending in the right direction, with Rask owning a .915 save percentage over his past eight starts with just 19 goals against.
Most intriguing is the upcoming schedule for Boston, which should present plenty of opportunities for Rask to return to form and reward in the daily racket. A home-and-home series with Toronto and games against Detroit, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver are all ahead, and the Bruins have been providing excellent goal support all season.
