This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Saturday's schedule is broken up into two separate slates, because there are two afternoon games. Three of the teams in action on the early slate are Philly, Dallas, and Arizona, so there's the potential for a ton of goals. In fact, while the fourth team in action is Minnesota they are starting Darcy Kuemper and his .897 save percentage, so there's a lot of fantasy potential Saturday afternoon. We're here to discuss the eight games Saturday night, though.
GOALIE
John Gibson, ANA at DET ($7,700): Gibson's personal numbers leave something to be desired, but there's still reason to believe in him in this matchup. The Ducks are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, while the Wings have lost four in a row. On top of that, Detroit is dead last in goals per game (2.19) and second-to-last in shots per game (28.1). If Gibson is ever going to have a good game, it would probably be in a contest such as this, and you've got to like his chances of getting the win.
CENTER
Ryan Getzlaf, ANA at DET ($6,500): The Red Wings are starting Petr Mrazek, who has a 2.92 GAA and a .905 save percentage. Getzlaf has been dealing with bad puck luck again – his 5.6 percent shooting is the lowest of his career, but he's notched 23 assists in 28 games so he's still contributing for fantasy players. He's playing 3:35 per game for Anaheim's third-ranked power play, and the veteran is still taking care of business, even if the puck isn't going in the net for him.
Kyle Turris, OTT vs. NJD ($5,800): The usually defensively stout Devils have not been living up to the standards of their glory days. They are allowing 2.97 goals per game, and they are also giving up 32.1 shots on net per contest. Turris has an unsustainably high shooting percentage, but he does have 12 goals so far and has scored at least 24 goals in his two healthy seasons. As long as New Jersey is struggling to prevent shots on goal, this is a favorable matchup, one Turris can take advantage of.
WING
Kyle Okposo, BUF at CAR ($6,200): The Hurricanes are going to be on the second night of a back-to-back, which means that Michael Leighton might be in net. If not, Cam Ward will be stuck playing on consecutive nights, and he's cooled off after his hot start to the season. Okposo has been a bright spot for the Sabres, recording 22 points and 76 shots on goal in 28 games.
Mitch Marner, TOR vs. PIT ($6,300): The Penguins are another team playing Friday and Saturday, and that could result in Marc-Andre Fleury and his .900 save percentage being in net for Pittsburgh. They're allowing 32.5 shots on goal per game, and they will be missing their top defender Kris Letang. Marner has cooled a bit, but he's averaging 17:10 per game and 2:34 on the power play. He's also got eight goals on 75 shots on net, so if he gets a matchup with Fleury and a tired Penguins team, he can do something with that.
Thomas Vanek, DET vs. ANA ($5,100): The Ducks present a good matchup, as their Opponent Rank vs. Position for Vanek's spot is 25th. Detroit has had a lot of offensive issues, but he is still averaging 2.8 fantasy points per game. He's put 46 shots on goal in 20 games, and he plays 3:00 a night with the extra man. Considering the fact the Ducks are 20th in penalty-kill percentage, that's another point in Vanek's favor. For a relatively cheap price, he provides a fair amount of upside.
DEFENSE
Colton Parayko, STL vs. CHI ($5,100): Chicago ranks well in goals allowed per game, but they are in the bottom 10 in shots allowed (30.9 per tilt) and their penalty kill remains dead last in the league. Parayko doesn't have a goal yet, but he's tallied 81 shots on net, so one is coming eventually. He also plays 2:09 on the power play, where he has four points. Parayko gets you roughly as many fantasy points as Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk, but he'll save you a few bucks while doing so.
Justin Schultz, PIT at TOR ($4,700): With Kris Letang out, Schultz played 27:11 on Friday, including 5:34 on the power play. Admittedly, he didn't score, but he still has 12 points in his last nine games. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs are allowing 2.93 goals and 32.3 shots per game. Schultz is, at the moment, a No. 1 defenseman, but he'll only cost you $4,700. That seems like a bargain, especially given how he's been playing recently.
