This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Andre Burakovsky and Ryan McDonagh provided nice returns last week, and Ondrej Palat also chipped in a two-point game between a few stinkers.
Unfortunately, Calvin Pickard was a tough-luck loser in his only start, but he remains an intriguing option at a discount whenever he receives the starting nod.
Forwards
C Ryan Strome, New York Islanders, $4,000
The third-year winger appeared poised for a true breakout campaign following his 50-point showing last season. While a slump and a stint in the minors have stalled his ascent, a strong stretch appears to be forthcoming.
Strome has two goals and two assists over his past eight games and logged his highest ice-time total since being recalled from the American Hockey League in his latest game. He's rolling with John Tavares at even strength, and the duo owns too much talent to continue to struggle.
In fact, those two have returned 3.37 goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five over the past three seasons. There is ample upside to roll Strome as a flex option to offset Tavares' hefty cap hit in a mini stack.
W David Perron, Anaheim Ducks, $4,100
With three 20-goal campaigns on his resume and arguably still in his prime, Perron has potential to turn in a solid second half in his new digs. He has been thrust into a top-six role alongside Ryan Getzlaf, and Perron is also skating with the No. 1 power-play unit.
Many will point to Perron's failures with extended looks flanking both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but the change of scenery stands to benefit Perron. The winger's PDO with Pittsburgh was an alarmingly low 95.8 through 86 games, and he has scored in both games for the Ducks -- one goal and one assist.
After burning the daily community more times than not over the past year, ownership projects to stay low – all the more reason to tee up Perron as a contrarian value play in tournaments.
Defensemen
Adam Larsson, New Jersey Devils, $3,400
When it comes to low-priced defensemen, minutes are an important part of the value chase, and Larsson checks that box. With an average of 23:06 per game over his past seven games, the rearguard has been a sneaky fantasy option, returning 3.5 DraftKings points per game.
A lot of his foundational points come from the 18 blocked shots during the span, as he has just five shots on goal. It has been his six points -- one goal -- that have really moved the needle, and while Larsson isn't going to chip in offensively at the high rate consistently, he has put together strong stretches in the past -- 15 points through a 26-game stretch midseason last year.
The real kicker here is the Devils have proven to be a sneaky offense when their top-six group is healthy, which is the case currently. At this cap hit, view Larsson as a high-floor option with upside while he's playing well.
Goaltender
Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning, $7,700
While perhaps not your traditional value suggestion, Bishop has upped his game during Tampa Bay's seven-game winning streak, and he's been excellent at home dating back to the beginning of last season. Eyeball the matchup against Toronto on Wednesday as an A-plus matchup to roll out Bishop.
He does have a .957 save percentage and a shutout during his own four-game winning streak and a 38-13-3 record at Amalie Arena dating back to the beginning of last season, after all.
The Maple Leafs have struggled on the road, stumbling to a 10-12-2 record and averaging just 2.13 goals per game with 11.8 percent power-play efficiency. This is a shutout chase to finish your short week strong leading into the All-Star break.
