FanDuel NHL: Saturday Value Plays

FanDuel NHL: Saturday Value Plays

This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.

Welcome to December, and welcome to a busy NHL Saturday! There are 12 games on the day, but 10 of those games are at night starting at 7:00 PM ET. Those 10 games are what I'm focusing on for daily fantasy hockey purposes. You'll still have plenty of options for your lineup, and also more time to make your decisions. Here are my recommendations.

GOALIE

Tuukka Rask, BOS vs. DET ($8,400) Rask has pretty much lost the starting job to Jaroslav Halak, but that doesn't mean he's played poorly. He's posted a 2.54 GAA and .917 save percentage, with a 1.96 GAA and .933 save percentage over his last six games. Now he's facing a Red Wings team that has only averaged 29.4 shots on net per game.

CENTER

Ryan Johansen, NAS vs. CHI ($5,700): The goals haven't been there for Johansen just yet, but he has tallied 17 assists to go along with the four goals. Plus, his 8.7 shooting percentage is below his career average, so he may get a little more lucky going forward. Luck has been on the side of many players facing the Blackhawks this season, who sport the NHL's second highest GAA at 3.65.

Alex Galchenyuk, ARI vs. STL ($5,300): Galchenyuk has started 64.2 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest among Coyotes forwards. He's also averaged 3:20 per game with the extra man. As for the Blues, they own a 3.35 GAA, both their goalies enter with a sub-.900 save percentage, and they are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back.

WING

Jake Guentzel, PIT vs. PHI ($6,900):Sidney Crosby is back, and that certainly doesn't hurt Guentzel's fantasy potential. He has notched five goals and three assists in his last six games. The Flyers comes in with a 3.58 GAA and .879 save percentage, so don't be surprised if Guentzel stays hot.

Tyler Johnson, TAM at FLA ($5,800): Johnson stayed healthy last season, and notched a 20-goal season for the first time in three years. It seems likely he's going to do it again, with 10 goals already through 25 games. The Panthers are on the second game of a back-to-back, and with Roberto Luongo still injured, there is a chance third-string goalie Michael Hutchinson will be in net for this one.

Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG at NJD ($5,400): After a slow start, Ehlers has picked up his play. He's recorded five points during his last two games, and 11 in his past 11. Since the Devils started Keith Kinkaid on Friday, they will likely start Cory Schneider in this game. Schneider has struggled to a 4.27 GAA and .863 save percentage this year.

DEFENSE

Kris Letang, PIT vs. PHI ($6,800): Letang is the one reliable offensive weapon on the Penguins blue line, with 20 points in 23 games. Eight of those points have come with the extra man, which is certainly notable heading into this matchup. In addition to boasting a 3.58 GAA, the Flyers own the 30th-ranked penalty kill.

Torey Krug, BOS vs. DET ($5,900): Krug has started 64.1 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, tops among Boston's regulars. That's paid off, especially recently. He's currently riding a four-game point streak, giving him 11 points on the season. That's despite the fact he has zero goals on 34 shots. The Wings have been better recently defensively, but they still come in with a 3.24 GAA allowing 34.7 shots on net per game.

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. Chris Morgan plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: cmorgan3, DraftKings: cmorgan3.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Morgan
Chris Morgan is a writer of sports, pop culture, and humor articles, a book author, a podcaster, and a fan of all Detroit sports teams.
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