DraftKings NHL: Wednesday Picks

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Updated on October 26, 2016 10:28AM EST

There are four games taking place on NHL ice Wednesday. This time of year, every sporting event is fighting for our attention against a lot of other things, sports and otherwise. However, if you buckle down a bit – and maybe make use of multiple screens or a DVR – you can still enjoy some hockey. Or you can just play daily fantasy. There's nothing in the rulebook that says you have to watch.

GOALIE

Pekka Rinne, NAS at ANA ($7,500): Yes, Rinne had a .908 save percentage last season, but two years ago it was .923, and this year it's .922 in the early going. Goalies can be streaky, even over an entire season. Anaheim, meanwhile, will be on the second night of a back-to-back, either starting a hurting Jonathan Bernier or John Gibson (who came on in relief of Bernier on Tuesday) in net. Rinne's got a good chance of picking up a win, and he's cheaper than most of Wednesday's potential starters.

CENTER

Nicklas Backstrom, WAS at EDM ($5,900): Backstrom (along with the entire Capitals offense) is off to a pseudo-slow start, as he only has three points in five games. Let's not overlook the Swedish star's track record as a player, though. This is a guy who's racked up at least 50 assists in his last three seasons, after all. Edmonton has been good but not great at goal prevention so far, while Backstrom's slow start has dropped his price a bit. Why not take advantage?

Tomas Plekanec, MON at NYI ($4,800): There aren't any particularly lopsided matchups Wednesday, which makes finding glaringly good matchups a little tricky. The Islanders have been OK this year, but they've let in 17 goals in six games, so their defense has left something to be desired. For his part, Plekanec has three points and 15 shots on goal in six games. He's been a solid player in his career, and he's pretty cheap. If you're looking for value, you may find it here.

WING

James Neal, NAS at ANA ($5,800): Neal only has one point so far, but that's going to change soon. He's playing more than 21 minutes a night (more than three of those on the power play), and he's taken 23 shots in five games. You can't take that many shots and not find the net eventually. As previously noted, the Ducks' netminders both played Tuesday, and they may yet start Bernier, the backup, who's been a below-average goalie the last couple of years. This is a great chance for Neal to finally light the lamp.

Jimmy Vesey, NYR vs. BOS ($4,400): The Bruins will be on the second night of a back-to-back, and their top two goalies (Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin) are both dealing with injuries. Malcolm Subban had to start Tuesday, but he got yanked. Now, Rask may very well play Wednesday, but Chris Kreider likely won't, which could mean more minutes for Vesey. He's got three goals already, and if he does get a playing-time boost with Kreider out, he could end up being a nice deal.

Marcus Johansson, WAS at EDM ($4,300): He has only four points so far, but that's actually enough to tie Johansson for tops on the Capitals. Last year was a career season for him on a per-game basis, and two of his points have come on the power play. Washington's offense should kick it into high gear eventually. This could be the night, and the cost of finding out (and potentially benefiting) is quite low.

DEFENSEMEN
P.K. Subban, NAS at ANA ($6,400): Subban is not a bargain, but not every good selection is. He's got five points, with four of them coming on the power play, and his power-play minutes should only increase going forward. On top of that, he's actually blocked more shots (14) than he's taken on goal (13). Combine that with a great matchup, and Subban is worth spending the extra cash on.

Shea Weber, MON at NYI ($6,500): Hey, why not also get the guy who Subban was traded for? Indeed, it looks like a pricy day for defensemen. However, much like Subban, Weber is worth the cost. He's playing a ton of minutes (more than 26 a night), and he leads Montreal with seven points. There aren't really many good values on the blue line Wednesday – this is one of those nights when it may be wise to go for the elite names so you know what you're getting.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Chris Morgan plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: cmorgan3, DraftKings: cmorgan3.