This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
This is a very unusual Monday. Due to the Martin Luther King Day holiday, there are several matinee games, and the three that are starting before 4:00 PM ET (Islanders-Bruins, Stars-Sabres, and Canadiens-Red Wings ) have been given their own set of contests. If you want to focus on the later games, though, here are some players who can help.
GOALIE
Peter Budaj, LOS vs. TAM ($7,800): The Kings give up the fewest shots in the league (25.8), and Budaj has a 2.09 GAA partially as a result of this fact. Tampa Bay is 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, and in January they are allowing 4.50 goals per game. That increases Budaj's chances of picking up a win.
CENTER
Logan Couture, SAN vs. WPG ($6,100): Winnipeg is allowing 3.02 goals per game, and their penalty kill ranks 26th in the league. Couture is playing 3:16 a game with the extra man, notching eight power-play points in the process. He's never had less than 12 power-play points in a season, so he's the kind of player who can clearly take advantage of Winnipeg's penalty kill.
Anze Kopitar, LOS vs. TAM ($5,400): Kopitar has been having a rough season, but in his last four games he's tallied seven points. He also has a 5.1 shooting percentage, which is half his previous career low. He's bound to start getting better puck luck. Perhaps a game against Tampa, who as previously mentioned have given up 4.50 goals per game in January, can help him turn things around.
WING
Leon Draisaitl, EDM vs. ARI ($6,300): The Coyotes have given up a league-worst 33.8 shots on goal per game, and they are second from the bottom in goals allowed as well (3.18). Draisaitl has notched 16 goals and 22 assists in 45 games, including 15 power-play points. On top of everything else, Arizona is 27th on the penalty kill. He's one of the pricier wings on the slate, but in this matchup he's well worth it.
Radim Vrbata, ARI at EDM ($5,100): Despite not having much talent around him, Vrbata is averaging 3.1 fantasy points per game. He's taken 121 shots in 42 games, and he's playing 2:51 a night with the extra man. Edmonton is middle of the pack in goals allowed (14th) and penalty-kill percentage (17th) so it's a pretty good matchup for Vrbata.
Justin Williams, WAS at PIT ($4,800): Williams remains hot, lighting the lamp twice Sunday afternoon. That gives him 11 points in his last nine contests, and he's taken 32 shots in his last 11 games. The Penguins give up 32.6 shots on goal per tilt, and they are ceding 2.93 goals per game. Williams could be quite a steal at this price.
DEFENSE
Alec Martinez, LOS vs. TAM ($5,100): Martinez is averaging 3.3 fantasy points per game, which is the exact same amount as Drew Doughty ($5,500). While his shot numbers have gone down recently, Martinez has notched an assist in four straight games. Additionally, he has 90 blocked shots, so he can add a little fantasy value on the defensive end of the ice against a Tampa team with some real offensive talent.
Oscar Klefbom, EDM vs. ARI ($4,400): Klefbom doesn't need a matchup like this one to put a lot of shots on net. In 45 games, he's tallied 113 shots, scoring seven goals in the process. In his last five games, he's registered 23 shots, so it's not like he's been slowing down. The Coyotes are terrible defensively, so anybody going up against them is at least a little bit intriguing. Klefbom is averaging 2.9 fantasy points per game, though, which makes him particularly enticing at this price.
