This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
John Gibson, ANA vs. TOR ($7,600): Gibson's numbers have been outstanding and there's no way he can keep this up, but the bets on two things: The Ducks will come out in force following a 5-0 loss to the Knights and the Leafs will be tired having played last night on a four-game road trip. Fleury and Brossoit are better bets to win, but at this value Gibson might be worth the gamble.
CENTER
Mark Scheifele, WPG vs. BUF ($7,100): I'm not a Carter Hutton believer and Team Ullmark all the way, so it's hard to pass up on Scheifele, who has seven points in his past three games. The Jets are excellent at home with an 8-2-1 record and the Sabres have not been good on the road; in nine road games, they've allowed three goals or less just three times. The Jets power play has also been dominant recently.
Lars Eller, WAS at COL ($4,100):Evgeny Kuznetsov is day-to-day after taking a shot to the head by Brandon Tanev, and if he doesn't play it'll be Eller taking his spot on the power play. The Caps' fourth-ranked power play might tail off because going from Kuznetsov to Eller is like going from three-ply to tree bark, but with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom it should still be very effective. You just hope they don't completely ignore Eller on the PP.
WING
Patrick Kane, CHI at LA ($7,000): Among the elite wingers I like Kane's matchup the best because he's playing against a team that has a stale roster under a coach who prefers unexciting hockey and starting a goalie with a .833 save percentage. Kane has scored 35 points in 36 career games against the Kings, and that's with Jonathan Quick in net most of the time.
Jamie Benn, DAL vs. BOS ($6,100): Angry Jamie Benn is the best Jamie Benn, and he should have plenty to be mad about against the Bruins. He fought Josh Anderson in a 2-1 loss to the Jackets in his last game and the Stars, losers of four of their past five games, including one in Boston, are falling behind in the tight Central. Benn has scored 13 points in 13 career games against the Bruins.
Max Pacioretty, VGK vs. STL ($4,900): His high-volume shooting should make him a low-floor fantasy asset, but his absurdly low shooting percentage is hurting his production. That, however, seems to be turning around (hopefully) after he notched his first two assists of the season Wednesday against the Ducks. Expected starter Jake Allen was victorious last time against the Knights, but he sports a career .878 save percentage against them.
DEFENSE
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. BOS ($4,700): He hasn't had that OMG game since filling the void left by John Klingberg, but he has been filling his basket with a lot of apples recently with four in five games. The very talented Stars defenseman faces a team whose goaltending can implode at the most inexplicable moments, and they might have to lean on Heiskanen even more than before or otherwise slip further out of the playoff race.
Ian Cole, COL vs. WAS ($3,800): He's a literal punching bag because he blocks so many shots – 57 this season, to be exact, which also leads the league. That gives Cole some value as one of the lower-end defensemen, who's also having one of the best seasons of his career so far with six points in 18 games. The former Penguin should be very familiar with the Caps and see plenty of Alex Ovechkin on the penalty kill.
