This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Saturday is for hockey, and this week is no different. There are 12 games on the docket, but 10 of them are in the evening. Those are the games I will be focusing on for daily fantasy hockey purposes. With that in mind, here are my lineup recommendations.
GOALIE
Jacob Markstrom, VAN vs. VGK ($7,500): Markstrom has had a strong season at home. In Vancouver's own arena, he's posted a 2.57 GAA and .917 save percentage. The Golden Knights are a team that tends to be markedly worse on the road. They have a 2.67 GAA in away games.
CENTER
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. NJD ($6,500): Zibanejad doesn't have a point in his last four games, but that's likely to change soon. He's notched 27 goals and 63 points in 67 games this season, so droughts have been rare and brief. It's also encouraging that he's facing the Devils. Not only does New Jersey have a 3.91 road GAA, they will be playing their second game in as many nights.
Anthony Cirelli, TAM vs. DET ($3,900): Cirelli doesn't have the recognition, or numbers, of Steven Stamkos or Brayden Point, but he's also considerably cheaper. He's not bad, though, and he actually has a point in four of his last six games. Maybe he will be able to keep that going against the Red Wings, as they have a 3.56 GAA in away contests.
WING
Viktor Arvidsson, NAS vs. CAR ($6,400): Arvidsson has started 67.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second most on the Predators. That's helped him tally 28 goals in only 45 games. Though the Hurricanes have been good defensively this year, they are on the road for the second night of a back-to-back here. That's enough to tip things in Arvidsson's favor.
Danton Heinen, BOS vs. OTT ($5,100): Two favorable things are happening for Heinen in this matchup. One, he's been skating on the Bruins' top line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Two, he's facing the Senators. That's the same Senators team that has a 4.38 GAA on the road, highest in the NHL by a wide margin.
Clayton Keller, ARI vs. LOS ($4,500): Keller's year has been disappointing at times, except on the power play. He's notched 18 points with the extra man in 67 contests. Now he gets to take on a Kings team with the 30th-ranked penalty kill, which makes this a matchup right up his alley.
DEFENSE
John Klingberg, DAL vs. CHI ($6,000): Injuries hurt Klingberg's numbers this year, but he's still managed 35 points in 49 games. Plus, he's been playing better recently, as he has eight points in his last nine contests. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks have a 4.00 GAA since the All-Star break, worst in the league.
Charlie McAvoy, BOS vs. OTT ($4,500): McAvoy impressed as a rookie, and he's shown that it wasn't a fluke. He's averaged 21:50 in ice time, and in his last 13 games he's tallied nine points. Of course, this is mostly about the matchup with the Senators. As previously noted, Ottawa has a 4.38 GAA in away games. If that's not enough, he's also averaged 36.2 shots on net per contest.
