FanDuel NHL: Thursday Targets

FanDuel NHL: Thursday Targets

This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.

We're back to a normal schedule Thursday after the first game of Round 1 went to five overtimes Tuesday, throwing the first wrench into the NHL's otherwise successful bubble strategy.

SLATE PREVIEW

We'll start off with Game 2 between the Lightning and Blue Jackets at 3 p.m. EST, and it's fair to wonder how tired each team is after playing over seven full periods of hockey just two days prior. I'll be wary of most players in that game, but there will be value somewhere.

The Golden Knights are the biggest favorites at -210, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, while the Bruins are slated for a slightly closer matchup at -145, and the Stars-Flames matchup is a pick 'em. 

GOALIES

Tuukka Rask, BOS vs. CAR ($8,600): Rask made clutch saves in Game 1 against the Hurricanes, but he faced little action with just 25 saves despite the game going to double overtime. While the Canes looked legit, Rask has another gear, too, so Game 2 shapes up as another tight matchup that favors the Bruins. 

Robin Lehner, VGK vs. CHI ($8,400): Lehner has been dominant in August, stringing together three straight wins and posting a .915 save percentage. Furthermore, the Golden Knights transitioned seamlessly from facing stiff competition in the round-robin to taking on the 12th-seeded (now 8th) Blackhawks. Perhaps that lowers his upside, but Lehner looks like the safest option to mark a win.

Cam Talbot, CGY vs. DAL ($7,900): Talbot is 4-1 in the postseason and has notched a .920 save percentage or better in each victory. He's a talented netminder who can handle a playoff workload, and we should put stock into the trade-deadline acquisitions that bolstered the Flames' blue line. While the Stars are solid, they're defensive-minded by design, finishing 26th in the regular season with 2.58 G/GP. 

VALUE PLAYS

David Krejci, BOS vs. CAR ($4,900): Krejci surprisingly logged more minutes than Patrice Bergeron in Wednesday's Game 1 win over Carolina, and he found the back of the net once on four shots. He may not outpace Bergeron in ice time again this postseason, but Krejci's usage should remain steady on the second line.

Yanni Gourde, TB vs. CBJ ($3,800): Gourde tied Tuesday's game in the third period to send it to the first of many overtimes, and he finished the game with six shots on net. The 28-year-old struggled to find twine in the regular season with just 10 goals, but he surpassed the 20-goal threshold in consecutive seasons before this year's dud.

Dillon Dube, CGY vs. DAL ($3,700): The 22-year-old winger had just 16 points in the regular season, but he's been a stud lately with a point in three straight games, totaling three goals and an assist in that span. He's a gifted player with a second-round pedigree, and his shot volume lately provides a desirable floor. 

Ryan Dzingel, CAR vs. BOS ($3,000): Dzingel was a healthy scratch in the qualifying round, but he was immediately handed second-line and power-play duties in Game 1 against the Bruins. The 28-year-old didn't do much with the opportunity, but his bare-minimum price tag makes him worth the flyer.

LINE STACKS

Bruins vs. Hurricanes

C - Patrice Bergeron ($7,300)
W - Brad Marchand ($7,600)
W - David Pastrnak ($8,500)

This is the typically the most expensive stack, barring the occasional Lightning first line, but they showed worth yet again in Game 1 with a combined six points. They didn't even log major minutes for a double-overtime contest, so their ceiling is even higher. There's plenty of low-priced options to balance out your salary cap.

Golden Knights vs. Blackhawks

C - William Karlsson ($5,900)
W - Max Pacioretty ($7,400) 
W - Mark Stone ($7,200)

Corey Crawford looked awfully shaky in Game 1, and the Golden Knights stopped Chicago's momentum in its tracks. This trio combined for 11 shot attempts in that matchup, and while they didn't mark even one point, it'll be far less popular than the Smith-Stastny-Marchessault line, making them an intriguing tournament play. 

Flames vs. Stars  

C - Sean Monahan ($6,800)
W - Elias Lindholm ($5,400)
W - Johnny Gaudreau ($7,500)

These three studs helped lead the qualifying-round defeat of Winnipeg with a combined 12 points over four games. Their stock is down after getting collectively blanked in Game 1, but this is easily the Flames' most-talented unit. With the Flames as deep as ever after the emergence of Dube, go ahead and buy-low. 

DEFENSE

Seth Jones, CBJ vs. TB ($5,200): The 25-year-old was remarkable in Tuesday's 5OT loss to the Lightning, logging 65:06 of ice time en route to a power-play assist, six shots, six blocked shots and three hits, and he didn't even look tired in the postgame presser. Perhaps he has enough gas to exceed his price tag here. 

Erik Gustafsson, CGY vs. DAL ($4,100): Gustafsson's ice time has dropped a few ticks since being traded from Chicago, but he runs point on Calgary's top power-play unit. He's cashed in already in the postseason with four points -- two with the man advantage -- and 11 shots on net. Going up against the Stars' mediocre regular-season penalty kill (79.7 percent) helps his cause further.

Alec Martinez, VGK vs. CHI ($3,800): Martinez helped set up Shea Theodore's opening goal in Game 1 while also pacing the team in ice time and blocking four shots. He's been doing this since the trade to Vegas. Martinez has averaged 3.2 blocked shots per game and piled up nine points over 14 contests.

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. Jordan Mazzara plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Mazz30 Yahoo: Mazz30 DraftKings: Mazz30.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jordan Mazzara
Jordan has produced NFL and NHL content for RotoWire since 2017. He's the beat writer for the St. Louis Blues and Seattle Seahawks.
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