FanDuel NHL: Wednesday Targets

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Published on January 22, 2020

SLATE PREVIEW

The Jets have been having trouble scoring lately with four goals in three games and carry a three-game losing streak into a matchup against the Blue Jackets, who have won five straight thanks to superior goaltending.

The Wild are decent at home so facing the league's worst road team in the Red Wings shouldn't be a tough assignment. But can you really trust a team that lost 7-3 to Pittsburgh but beat the Lightning and the Stars by a combined 10-2 score in the same week?

GOALIES

Elvis Merzlikins ($8,500) is no longer a secret anymore as the most expensive goalie and the likelihood of the Jets stealing a game are much lower with Laurent Brossoit ($7,300) in net. The Jets offense has struggled and mustered just 17 shots – 6 from Patrik Laine alone – with a roster decimated by injuries. He should continue to be a popular pick until he cools off, if and when that happens.

Devan Dubnyk ($7,200) returns to the crease after Alex Stalock allowed five goals in his third straight start, and gets a good matchup against the worst team in the league. Dubnyk is also a better value play because he'll potentially face more shots than Merzlikins, who has a pretty stout defense in front of him.

VALUE PLAYS

I like Kevin Fiala's ($4,600) chances of getting a point tonight because he's one of Minnesota's top shooters and the Red Wings are unlikely to keep the other team off the score sheet. Luke Kunin ($3,900), coming off a two-goal game, has eight points in eight games and shoots at a decent clip, too.

FORWARD LINE STACKS

DET Detroit Red Wings (TOTAL: $15,000)

C – Dylan Larkin ($6,800)
W – Filip Zadina ($3,700)
W – Tyler Bertuzzi ($4,500)

This is Detroit's only dangerous scoring line and it's a soft matchup against the Wild. Everyone's getting crushed on Detroit but this trio has posted a 49.09 CF% and 54.20 xGF% in limited action together, according to Natural Stat Trick, one of the better numbers on the team. They accounted for two of Detroit's three goals against the Avs and generated most of the team's scoring chances.

MIN Minnesota Wild (TOTAL: $18,100)

C – Eric Staal ($6,200)
W – Zach Parise ($6,600)
W – Mats Zuccarello ($5,300)

I'm expecting quite a few goals in this matchup and Staal and Parise are two of Minnesota's biggest volume shooters. Staal has an assist in three straight games and Parise is on a four-game point streak.

DEFENSEMEN

The Jets should come out firing after a lackluster offensive effort against Carolina last night, but the Blue Jackets don't mind blocking shots and that starts with Zach Werenski ($6,600) and Seth Jones ($5,100). Jones is the better value play and generally the more consistent player. The Jackets are third in the league with 15.25 BkS/60. Similarly, Neal Pionk ($4,400) does a lot of everything for the Jets so you'll get a chance to get points in about every category.

Matt Dumba ($3,800) feels like he's turning it around. Though he has just one assist in six games, he's generating more shots than usual and also manages to block his fair share of them. He's not a bad option at this price and a probably a safer bet than Jonas Brodin ($3,800).

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.