This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
We're already in the middle of January. The NHL season is flying by. There are four games on the slate for the NHL, and here are the players I recommend for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Laurent Brossoit, WPG vs. DET ($8,400): Brossoit hasn't played much this season, but when he has, he's been quite good. He has eight wins in 10 games with a 2.11 GAA and .939 save percentage. The Red Wings have only managed 2.76 goals and 28.8 shots on net per contest, both of which are bottom 10 in the NHL.
CENTER
Mikael Backlund, CGY vs. FLA ($5,300): Backlund has 10 goals on the season, but four of them have come in the last six games. He's also put 17 shots on goal in those contests, giving him 101 on the season in 41 games. Meanwhile, the Panthers had a 3.82 road GAA heading into Thursday, and they will now be playing their second game in as many nights.
Bryan Little, WPG vs. DET ($4,700): Little has a power-play goal in each of his last two games, which is certainly encouraging. Now he gets to go up against a Red Wings team that has had issues away from home. Detroit has a 3.70 GAA and has given up 35.1 shots on net per contest in away games.
WING
Matthew Tkachuk, CGY vs. FLA ($6,800): The Flames get a ton of production from their top line, but Tkachuk is doing just fine anchoring their second unit. Keith's son has 20 goals and 51 points through 45 games, including 19 points with the extra man. The Panthers are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back, and even though they saved Roberto Luongo for this one, it likely won't matter. Luongo has a 3.37 GAA and .892 save percentage this season.
Kyle Connor, WPG vs. DET ($4,900): After a dry spell, Connor has a goal in each of his last two games. Even with that rough run of play, the second-year winger has 15 goals in 42 games, and he already has 11 points with the extra man as well. As previously noted, the Red Wings have a 3.70 GAA and have allowed 35.1 shots on goal per game on the road.
Michael Frolik, CGY vs. FLA ($3,900): In case you couldn't tell, there are two matchups Friday that I think are particularly favorable. Frolik has missed a lot of the season with injury, but he's now skating on Calgary's second line and playing quite well. The 30-year-old has five points in his last six games. It won't be surprising to see him stay hot against a Panthers team on the road for the second night of a back-to-back.
DEFENSE
Kris Letang, PIT at ANA ($7,100): All it took to get me to recommend a player who isn't a Jet or Flame is one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL. Letang has lived up to that this year, as he has 37 points in 41 games. However, it's his 128 shots on net that interest me the most, as the Ducks have allowed a whopping 34.5 shots on goal per contest.
Noah Hanifin, CGY vs. FLA ($4,500): Hanifin hasn't scored many goals, he has three on the season, but he has 20 assists, including seven in his last eight games. As previously noted, the Panthers had a 3.82 road GAA before playing last night, and Roberto Luongo has a .892 save percentage. Hanifin isn't quite on his teammate Mark Giordano's offensive level, but he's also quite a bit cheaper.
