This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
Sunday's six evening games are included in the featured contests at DraftKings. Tampa Bay is by far the largest favorite on the docket with Vancouver also receiving notable chalk. St. Louis, Minnesota and Colorado are all road favorites, while the matchup between Vegas and Calgary is projected as the closest contest on the docket. The Lightning, Wild, Blue Jackets and Sharks are all playing their second game in consecutive nights.
GOALIES
Columbus is 2-6-6 with just 2.22 goals per hour through its past 14 outings, and the Blue Jackets are in a vulnerable road spot Sunday. As a result, Thatcher Demko ($8,200) is worth a look. He's recorded double-digit DraftKings points in consecutive starts and topped the Avs on Friday. The 24-year-old netminder has also been significantly better on home ice with an 8-2-1 record.
Locking in the largest favorite of the night at Curtis McElhinney's ($8,000) salary should be considered a potential steal. The veteran has been mediocre this year with a .908 save percentage and 2.83 GAA and Tampa Bay is on the second leg of a back-to-back road set, but the Red Wings are also the worst team in the league by a significant margin. Detroit has also scored the fewest goals per 60 minutes for the campaign.
Sporting a .939 save percentage and 1.73 GAA through his past seven outings, Martin Jones ($7,400) stands out as a potential bargain. The Avs are riddled with injuries, and the veteran backstop has a long history of high-end play. Albeit, Jones's game log is also filled with poor performances, so he represents a high-risk, high-reward target.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Consecutive multi-point showings have Nathan MacKinnon ($8,500) up to 90 points and an elite 3.77 points per 60 minutes for the campaign. The high-volume shooter has also only fell below double-digit fantasy points once in his past 15 outings. With San Jose playing the second leg of a back-to-back set, it should also prove to be a favorable schedule spot for MacKinnon and the Avalanche.
Detroit has surrendered the most goals per game in the league, so look for a solid offensive showing from the Lightning. There are a number of mid-to-low-priced targets from their lineup to keep in mind. Anthony Cirelli ($5,000) has found the scoresheet in consecutive games and is skating with the No. 1 power-play unit. Alex Killorn ($4,400) has also racked up a rock-solid five tallies and three helpers through 11 games since mid-February and played 20:04 against the Bruins on Saturday. Finally, call it a hunch Tyler Johnson ($4,000) produces a solid showing. He's been receiving time with the top power-play unit and has just a single goal through his past 15 outings.
Luke Kunin ($4,000) has found the scoresheet in three consecutive games since returning from an upper-body injury, and faces a soft opponent on Sunday. Depth is a serious issue for the Ducks, so look for Kunin to see easier on-ice matchups. Additionally, the 22-year-old center skated in a cushy fantasy setup Saturday with Kevin Fiala ($6,900) and Jordan Greenway ($3,100) on his flanks.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Until St. Louis's new-look top line slows down or their prices climb, they're in nightly consideration. Ryan O'Reilly ($5,500), Jaden Schwartz ($5,600) and Brayden Schenn ($5,400) have clicked for 10 tallies and 18 helpers through the past eight games to climb to 7.55 goals per hour for the campaign. The Blackhawks are also playing their fourth game of the week and have surrendered the third most expected goals per hour in the league this season.
While slightly pricer, Elias Pettersson ($6.500), J.T. Miller ($6,500) and Tyler Toffoli ($5,900) have been just as hot for the Canucks. The trio has combined for 6.94 goals per hour to the tune of 12 tallies and 16 helpers through eight games since Toffoli landed in Vancouver. This should also prove to be a vulnerable schedule spot with Columbus making the final stop of a three-game road trip after losing 4-1 to Edmonton on Saturday. Just note, the Blue Jackets have surrendered the fewest expected goals per hour in the league since the All-Star break.
Tampa Bay has gone with Brayden Point ($6,600), Nikita Kucherov ($8,000) and Ondrej Palat ($4,800) atop the depth chart over the past five games with Steven Stamkos ($7,800) out of the lineup. The new top line hasn't been anything better than mediocre with just five goals and seven assists during the stretch, but Point, Kucherov and Palat shouldn't be overlooked with Sunday's favorable matchup.
DEFENSEMEN
This appears to be a soft price for Ryan Suter ($4,900). The veteran has racked up 17 points, 32 shots and 30 blocks while logging 23:30 - including 2:51 on the power play - through 21 games since mid-January, and he's also locked into the quarterback role on the No. 1 power-play unit. The Ducks aren't an imposing opponent with 3.24 goals against per 60 minutes since the All-Star break.
Samuel Girard ($4,700) has collected five points through his past six outings and projects to continue quarterbacking the No. 1 power-play if Cale Makar ($5,900) remains out of the lineup. And while the Sharks own the league's top penalty-kill percentage, they've also been shorthanded the seventh most times in the league, so Girard should have opportunities to cash in up a man.
With Victor Hedman ($6,600) potentially out Sunday, Mikhail Sergachev ($4,600) receives a huge value boost. The 21-year-old Russian has already been receiving looks with the No. 1 power-play of late and has recorded a respectable 1.48 points per 60 minutes for the campaign. And as noted, it's a plus-matchup.
