This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
There are only two games in NHL on Wednesday, and locking in Connor McDavid against Arizona is a lineup starting point. Just remember that it's difficult to differentiate your picks with a two-game slate, so a stars-and-scrubs approach often pays off. Here are a number of players across multiple price ranges to consider while assembling your FanDuel lineups.
GOALIE
Cam Talbot, EDM at ARI ($8,800): Coming off a big road win against St. Louis and boasting a 3-1-1 record with a .930 save percentage and 2.12 GAA over his past five starts, Talbot is a strong option. Not only are the Coyotes averaging the fewest goals per game in the league (2.16), they're also generating the second-fewest scoring chances per 60 minutes (23.73).
CENTER
Connor McDavid, EDM at ARI ($8,700): With just two assists through his past five games, McDavid has hit a dry spell. He's still pacing all skaters with at least 500 minutes at five-on-five this season with 2.76 points per 60 minutes, and his career 3.34 mark in all situations is second to only Patrick Kane over the past two years. This is a slump-busting matchup with Arizona allowing a league-high 13.94 high-danger scoring chances per game.
Claude Giroux, PHI vs. WAS ($8,000): Giroux has produced at a point-per-game pace with five goals, 13 points and 40 shots over his past 13 contests while averaging 20:14 per night. This is obviously a difficult matchup with the Caps, who are allowing just 2.13 goals per game on average, and Braden Holtby (owner of a 2.08 GAA), but there's a chance that drives his ownership down. Giroux is fifth in league scoring (256 points) over the past four years and owns a solid 2.75 points per 60 minutes.
WING
Jakub Voracek, PHI vs. WAS ($7,400): Grabbing the upside of a stack with Giroux, Voracek is a potential lower-owned pivot off Alex Ovechkin. Voracek is scoring in bunches with four goals, 17 points and 41 shots over his past 12 games, and he's combined with Giroux to post 2.67 goals per 60 minutes over the past four seasons. However, the duo is most impressive with the man advantage, as Voracek has 92 power-play points over the past four years.
Andre Burakovsky, WAS at PHI ($4,300): Philadelphia can go toe-to-toe with Washington at the top of the depth chart, but the Capitals might have the advantage down the lineup. Burakovsky has been a healthy scratch in three straight games, so you'll want to confirm he's playing, but the 21-year-old winger owns offensive upside and creates cap relief.
Jacub Vrana, WAS at PHI ($3,900): The promising youngster is projected to play with Burakovsky on the third line, which lands the pair in low-priced flier territory. Vrana hasn't exploded out of the gate, but with three points and 10 shots over his past five games, there are signs. Call it a hunch he and a motivated Burakovsky have nice showings.
DEFENSE
Matt Niskanen, WAS at PHI ($4,900): Since missing a game with an upper-body injury, Niskanen has posted two goals, five points, nine shots and four blocked shots with an average of 21:50 of ice over his past four games. Additionally, No. 1 defenseman John Carlson (illness) is questionable for the game.
Ivan Provorov, PHI vs. WAS ($4,200): Quietly having an excellent rookie campaign, Provorov offers cross-category upside, and he should see more ice time with Mark Streit (shoulder) out of the lineup. At this salary, Provorov offers a nice fantasy floor through his shot and blocked-shot volume for any scoresheet appearances to build on.
