This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
You can hold off on TG-ing the fact it's Friday until hockey starts and your daily fantasy teams get into action. There are only three games on the schedule, but some guys are still going to be better values than others. Here's our attempt to help you start off your weekend right.
GOALIE
Jaroslav Halak, NYI vs. ARI ($8,500): The Coyotes played Thursday night, and they gave up five goals to the Canadiens. They're also without Mike Smith, who is dealing with an injury. Halak clearly has the best opportunity of any starting goalie to pick up a win Friday.
CENTER
Artem Anisimov, CHI at CLM ($5,000): The Blue Jackets have strangely only played two games this year, but they did not exactly impress in those games. This is a continuation of what they did last season. A former Jacket, Anisimov has five points so far, including two with the extra man. By taking Anisimov over Chicago's top center, Jonathan Toews ($6,600), you can save a lot of money while still earning some fantasy points.
Brock Nelson, NYI vs. ARI ($5,100): Nelson is basically New York's Anisimov. He's the second-line center, but he's much cheaper than the top guy (John Tavares, $7,500). Nelson has a track record, too, having eclipsed the 20-goal mark in consecutive seasons. He also has a great matchup, so this is a good way to get a piece of what should be a winning team without breaking the bank.
WING
Thomas Vanek, DET vs. NAS ($5,000): Both the Wings and the Predators have played pretty well so far this season, with Detroit having impressed in the last two games after a slow start. Neither side has a real leg up, but Vanek has been red hot, netting six points in four games. Considering we are not very far removed from Pekka Rinne's struggles last season, there's reason to believe in Vanek at this price.
Richard Panik, CHI at CLM ($4,000): The price still hasn't caught up to Panik's role and production in the early going, as he's netted four goals and five points in four games. Two of those goals have come on the power play, a situation Panik in which has not found himself often in his career. Sure, this could be a small-sample-size fluke, but at this bottom-dollar price, it's worth seeing if there's really a breakout happening here.
Josh Bailey, NYI vs ARI ($4,200): No Islanders winger has really taken flight so far this season, but Bailey is a good bet. He has three points in four games, but more importantly, he's playing on New York's top line now. His ice time has increased by almost four minutes, and his power-play time has increased by more than a minute. That gives Bailey the opportunity to put up career-best numbers, perhaps including a good game against the Coyotes on Friday.
Artemi Panarin, CHI at CLM ($6,700): If you don't want to shell out big bucks for Patrick Kane ($8,800), Panarin is a nice option. The reigning Calder winner is off to a solid start, but more importantly, he scored 30 goals and 77 points in his first NHL campaign last year. We know he's good, we know he has a big role, and he's done nothing so far this year to make us question either. Panarin's not cheap, but he should be worth the price.
DEFENSEMEN
Brent Seabrook, CHI at CLM ($5,800): Did you know Seabrook set career highs in goals and points last season? Perhaps not, because it seems like he's not in the limelight that much anymore. He's off to a hot start with five points and four games, and he's prolific on the power play. We probably don't need to mention this is a good matchup for the Blackhawks again, right?
Zach Werenski, CLM vs. CHI ($4,300): While the attention has mostly been on Chicago's opportunity against Columbus, Werenski could end up being a fine value. The 19-year-old is considered one of the NHL's finest defensive prospects, and he's shown why so far. While he only has two points in two games, he also has taken nine shots. The 2015 No. 8 overall pick is already the top left defenseman for the Jackets. Later in the year, don't be surprised if he's usually priced much higher than this.
