This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
May is here, and the NHL season is slowly but surely coming to a close. We aren't there yet, though. There are two games Tuesday, and here are some players that would make wise additions to your FanDuel lineup.
GOALIE
Pekka Rinne, NAS vs. STL ($8,800): Rinne may be the most expensive goalie Tuesday, but there are only four choices and the difference in price is slim, so that's more bad optics than anything else. He's also earned it, as Rinne leads the postseason with a 1.38 GAA and .950 save percentage. He's looking like the quintessential "hot goalie" of 2017. Nashville has gone undefeated at home thus far in the playoffs after going 24-9-8 in the regular season, so he's got a good chance to win again, and the Blues have only managed 25.9 shots on net per game in the playoffs, the lowest average of all 16 playoff teams. That won't strike much fear into Rinne's heart.
CENTER
Derick Brassard, OTT at NYR ($5,300): Brassard started 37.7 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone this year, the most of any Ottawa forward who played more than 400 minutes. He had a great series against Boston, tallying eight points, including four on the power play. While Brassard hasn't notched a point against New York yet, he has put nine shots on goal. He's also averaged 3:43 per game on the power play in the postseason, and the Rangers had the 26th-ranked penalty kill after the All-Star break.
Derek Stepan, NYR vs. OTT ($5,300): Stepan and Brassard may spell their first names differently, but there's reason to like both of them. New York's Derek has averaged 11.4 fantasy points per game, and he managed 55 points (including 18 on the power play) even though he had a career-low 8.1 shooting percentage. The puck luck hasn't been much kinder in the playoffs, but he did score a goal in Game 2's 6-5 shootout. Additionally, Ottawa's penalty kill was actually even worse than New York's after the All-Star break, ranking 27th.
WING
Mike Hoffman, OTT at NYR ($6,800): Hoffman was an absolute beast this season, notching 26 goals on 224 shots in 74 games. He also tallied a staggering 26 power-play points in that time. Hoffman finished the regular season hot, registering 20 points in 20 games, and that has largely carried over into the playoffs. He's notched five postseason points, including two in this series, and he's registered 25 shots on net.
Chris Kreider, NYR vs. OTT ($5,200): The Senators allowed 2.80 goals per game on the road this season, which is a positive indicator for Kreider and the Rangers. Kreider started 35.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, the most of any Rangers forward, and he averaged 2:53 a game on the power play. The playoffs have not gone swimmingly for him, but he did pot 28 goals in 75 games during the regular season. He knows how to score, and Kreider's put nine shots on goal in this series.
Michael Grabner, NYR vs. OTT ($3,700): Despite not getting any real power-play time, Grabner managed to score 27 goals in 76 games. That was a bit of a surprise, but he's added three more goals in the postseason and put at least three shots on goal in four playoff contests. The Austrian speedster also comes at a relatively cheap price, so if Grabner manages to light the lamp, which he did in Game 2, he'll pay off for fantasy players.
Colin Wilson, NAS vs. STL ($3,600): Wilson scored in the series opener, his first playoff game after returning from injury. He hasn't repeated the feat since, but he has six shots on goal in this series and is skating with the third line. On top of that, he saw 2:53 of power-play time in Game 3, which is interesting. In his last four games, Jake Allen has a 2.95 GAA and .906 save percentage. That's not a big sample size, but even
with Allen's turnaround in the second half of the season, he had a .915 save percentage, which is below average. With only four teams in action, taking a flyer on a player like Wilson, especially at this price, provides you with the potential for some real bang for your buck.
DEFENSE
Colton Parayko, STL at NAS ($4,400): After tallying 35 points in the regular season, Parayko has added four points in the playoffs, including two in this series. He also notched 188 shots on goal and 117 blocked shots this year. While Rinne has been outstanding in the playoffs, the Predators gave up 2.78 goals per contest after the All-Star break. On top of that, Nashville attempted 58.6 shots per 60 minutes, eighth in the NHL. That should give Parayko a few opportunities to get in front of the puck.
Cody Ceci, OTT at NYR ($3,300): Ceci has averaged 8.0 fantasy points per game. To get a player who's averaged more, you'll have to shell out $4,100. That makes Ceci feel like a nice value. He played 23:12 per game, and that number has risen to 25:23 in the playoffs. The blueliner tallied 143 shots on goal in 79 games in the regular season, adding 159 blocked shots. Ceci has added 24 blocked shots in the postseason, and if he plays his typical game again Tuesday, he should be well worth this price.
