This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
There is only one NHL game Tuesday featuring the Oilers and Sharks, as the NHL is piling the games into Wednesday and Friday around the Thanksgiving holiday. That means the daily fantasy contests are of the single-game variety. You will pick six players — three forwards, two defensemen, and a captain whose points are worth 1.5x. Here are some recommendations…
CAPTAIN
Connor McDavid, EDM at SJ ($13,500): This isn't rocket science. McDavid is the best player in the league, which means he's the best player in this game. He already has 28 points in 20 games, and he's put 68 shots on goal as well. As of this writing, a starting goalie hasn't been named by the Sharks, but it's expected to be Martin Jones. That would make this pick look even better, as Jones has a 2.94 GAA and .894 save percentage through 15 games.
FORWARD
Timo Meier, SJ vs. EDM ($8,500): Meier has 12 goals on the season, and though none of them have come in his last five games, he's made up for that by notching four assists in those contests. He may not keep this up, but the 21-year-old had 21 goals on 210 shots in his first full season last year. Meanwhile, the Oilers have a 3.30 team GAA, which is bottom-five in the NHL.
Kevin Labanc, SJ vs. EDM ($8,000): Labanc hasn't built on his numbers from last year like Meier, but he does have 12 points despite a career-low 6.7 shooting percentage. Plus, he's averaged 2:30 on the power play, where he had 17 points last year. Things could break in Labanc's favor in this one, as the Oilers have the 26th-ranked penalty kill.
Joe Thornton, SJ vs. EDM ($8,000): Thornton has gotten off to a bit of a slow start in his return from injury, but there are some positives. He's started 64.8 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second highest among Sharks forwards (behind Labanc, for what it's worth). Also, while his power-play time is down this year, he averaged 3:35 per game with the extra man as recently as last season. The Oilers are on the road, and have the worse defensive numbers of the two team in action, so I think rolling the dice on Jumbo Joe is worth it.
DEFENSEMEN
Brent Burns, SJ vs. EDM ($10,000): Burns is something of the Connor McDavid of defensemen, as he's clearly in a class of his own offensively, especially with teammate Erik Karlsson struggling. He's leading the Sharks with 22 points, and he's put a whopping 70 shots on net through 21 games. On top of that, eight of his points have come with the extra man. If any defenseman can take advantage of a team with a 3.30 GAA and the 26th-ranked penalty kill, it's Burns.
Kris Russell, EDM at SJ ($7,000): Weirdly, the thing that makes Russell not so good at actual hockey, the other team tends to dominate in shot attempts when he's on the ice, has bolstered his fantasy value for years. He's averaged 9.0 fantasy points per game, largely because he's blocked 64 shots in 20 contests. Russell is usually among the top, if not the top, shot blocker in the NHL. The Sharks are second in the NHL in shot attempts, so Russell should get plenty of opportunities to get in front of the puck.
