This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
A rare busy Sunday with an eight-game slate means plenty of options for DFS games. The two most intriguing matchups are between the Lightning and Rangers, and the Kings and Blackhawks, but that doesn't mean they'll bear the most fantasy fruit. All four teams are very good defensively, so scoring opportunities could be hard to come by.
On the other hand, the Oilers should be able to run the table against a struggling Senators team that will be starting their third-string goalie, and the Hurricanes and Flyers matchup might feature more scoring than the Cardinals and Seahawks in last Sunday's overtime debacle.
GOALIE
Cam Talbot, EDM vs. OTT ($8,700): Not only are the Oilers one of the most improved teams of the year, they'll be facing a team that's starting rookie Chris Driedger with a leaky defense in front of him. The Senators offense ranks among the league's best with an average of 33 shots on goal per game, so there's a good chance Talbot will rack up more than 30 saves even if the Sens somehow pull off an upset win on the road.
CENTER
John Tavares, NYI vs. TOR ($7,400): It doesn't matter how bad the ice in Brooklyn is, because on any given shift Tavares is best player on the ice. The Leafs have a few weapons of their own, but none of their centers match up to the Islanders captain, who has superstar upside without the corresponding price tag – for now. JT also
A rare busy Sunday with an eight-game slate means plenty of options for DFS games. The two most intriguing matchups are between the Lightning and Rangers, and the Kings and Blackhawks, but that doesn't mean they'll bear the most fantasy fruit. All four teams are very good defensively, so scoring opportunities could be hard to come by.
On the other hand, the Oilers should be able to run the table against a struggling Senators team that will be starting their third-string goalie, and the Hurricanes and Flyers matchup might feature more scoring than the Cardinals and Seahawks in last Sunday's overtime debacle.
GOALIE
Cam Talbot, EDM vs. OTT ($8,700): Not only are the Oilers one of the most improved teams of the year, they'll be facing a team that's starting rookie Chris Driedger with a leaky defense in front of him. The Senators offense ranks among the league's best with an average of 33 shots on goal per game, so there's a good chance Talbot will rack up more than 30 saves even if the Sens somehow pull off an upset win on the road.
CENTER
John Tavares, NYI vs. TOR ($7,400): It doesn't matter how bad the ice in Brooklyn is, because on any given shift Tavares is best player on the ice. The Leafs have a few weapons of their own, but none of their centers match up to the Islanders captain, who has superstar upside without the corresponding price tag – for now. JT also averages over 20 minutes of ice time per game and has 25 points in 23 career contests against the Buds.
Victor Rask, CAR vs. PHI ($5,200): The Hurricanes signed Rask to a six-year extension right after his rookie deal expired, and DFS owners should express the same kind of confidence in the 23-year-old, who has nine points in seven games. The Flyers defense has been atrocious (35 goals allowed, the worst in the league) and the Hurricanes have an underrated offense with the NHL's third best power play. Rask averages the second most minutes at even strength among Carolina forwards and is attached at the hip to Jeff Skinner. What could go wrong?
WING
Jakub Voracek, PHI at CAR ($6,700): He's clearly put last season behind him, firing on all cylinders with five goals and five assists and 42 shots on goal thus far. Furthermore, Carolina's goaltending isn't very good, and it often feels like throwing the puck blindly towards the net will yield positive results. The Flyers-Hurricanes matchup is setting up to be a high-scoring affair, and Voracek has been in the thick of things all season.
Jordan Eberle, EDM vs. OTT ($6,700): He hasn't registered a point in three straight games, but not for a lack of effort. During that span, he's still looked dangerous and registered 11 shots on goal, and the Oilers' top line of Eberle, Connor McDavid and Milan Lucic has remained intact, with the trio leading all Edmonton forwards in ice time. Eberle is a slick offensive player who should have no problems sneaking behind Ottawa's problematic defense and beating their third-string goalie Sunday.
Marcus Johansson, WAS at CGY ($4,700): Barry Trotz moved Tom Wilson onto the second line with Johansson and Evgeny Kuznetsov, hoping the bruising winger could create some space, and it worked perfectly with Johansson notching three points Saturday against Vancouver. Wilson's ability to throw the body works wonders for a smaller offensive forward like Johansson, and the line looks to remain intact for the time being. The Caps are playing the second half of a back-to-back, but the Canucks weren't a particularly stiff test Saturday.
Pavel Buchnevich, NYR vs. TB ($3,600): Buchenvich played 17:40 in his first game since returning from a bout with back spasms, filling in for Chris Kreider on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Mats Zuccarello. Derek Stepan and Rick Nash may be more reliable, but their line with Jimmy Vesey will likely receive tougher opposing defensive assignments. Furthermore, the skilled Russian forward has earned Alain Vigneault's trust early on and has also been a staple on the team's top power-play unit, so there's plenty of value to be had here given the price.
DEFENSEMEN
Drew Doughty, LA at CHI ($6,000): Doughty has two points in his past three games as the Kings continue to grind out wins in the absence of good goaltending, making his play all the more valuable. It comes as no surprise that he's averaging more ice time than any other King, including an average of 3:47 on the power play per game.
Shayne Gostisbehere, PHI at CAR ($5,600): The peripherals don't look pretty, but Gostisbehere has been just as effective as he was in last year's impressive rookie campaign. Despite a minus-4 rating, Ghost also has two assists in the last two games and is leading all Flyers with 21:47 TOI per game. Did we mention that he is quarterbacking the league's fourth-best power play against a team with the league's worst save percentage?
