This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
John Gibson, ANA vs. SJ ($7,100): With just two games there's not a lot of choice, but I like Gibson's value proposition here, and the Sharks played a physical affair against the Kings last night. He hasn't allowed more than three goals in five straight starts and also incredibly consistent against the Sharks. Braden Holtby ($8,200) is a safe bet and worth the extra dollars if you're considering Martin Jones ($8,100) or Aaron Dell ($7,900).
CENTER
Tomas Hertl, SJ at ANA ($6,500): He's the No. 1 center now with Logan Couture out of the lineup, which means he's going to play a lot of minutes. He snapped a four-game goal drought last night and has been a high-volume shooting machine, which is a trait that will come in handy against the Ducks, who allow a lot of shots but have a world-class goalie. Hertl's got a very high floor for fantasy points considering his role and talent.
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS vs. MIN ($5,900): He's on a four-game point streak with three goals and two assists, and the Caps have been excellent lately, even in an overtime loss to the Lightning. The Wild are playing three depth defensemen in their lineup, allowing three goals or more in five of their past six games, and the Caps offense has consistently ranked among the best. Kuznetsov has seven points in nine career games against them.
WING
Ryan Donato, MIN at WAS ($4,400): He was an ugly minus-3 against the Avs but still managed to register five shots on goal and prior to that had back-to-back two-point games. The Caps defense can be stifling, but it's a little looser without Barry Trotz, and their goaltending hasn't been as strong as last year's. Donato shoots a lot, which opens up a lot of opportunities for him. He has 13 points in 14 games with the Wild.
Jakub Vrana, WAS vs. MIN ($4,300): His ice time is capped because there's a future Hall of Famer playing ahead of him, but his upside remains quite good playing on a team with a lot of balance. He has just one assist in his past four games, but where he could provide a lot of value is on the power play. He's a focal point on the second unit and the Wild's penalty kill ranks 30th since February 1 at just 72.6 percent.
Troy Terry, ANA vs. SJ ($3,000): He was one of the AHL's best players before getting called up, and even though he hasn't scored a point in six games, remains a high-upside top-six winger. Even though he's not playing on Ryan Getzlaf's wing, Terry has still managed to log up to 17 minutes in a few games recently. Because Terry is not a high-volume shooter, he's a boom-or-bust pick.
DEFENSE
John Carlson, WAS vs. MIN ($6,000): He quarterbacks a lethal unit and the Wild's penalty killing has been atrocious over the past two months. He's quietly making a case for the Norris based on his offensive production, but remains a tier below Brent Burns ($6,700). However, with just two games, Carlson's worth the premium with a lack of standout choices.
Tim Heed, SJ at ANA ($3,300): Heed has some hidden upside as the Sharks' power-play quarterback on the second unit, and in this price range you're looking for guys who can potentially outperform. The Ducks' defense remains worrisome, and while Heed will likely see just 15-17 minutes per game, at least some of those will come in the offensive zone with skilled players.
