This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
The first Friday slate of the 2021 NHL season begins at 7:00 p.m. EST and features five games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Four of these five games are rematches of matchups that took place over the past two days, which will be a common theme this season with all games being intra-divisional and the league looking to minimize travel. The Lightning, Flyers and Blues will be looking to repeat their Wednesday success against the Blackhawks, Penguins and Avalanche, respectively, while the Capitals will be going for a second win in as many nights in Buffalo. The lone fresh matchup is incidentally one of the most exciting from a fantasy perspective, as the high-scoring Maple Leafs will visit a young Ottawa team that won't mind the frenetic pace in its first action of the season. With high-priced Lightning and Maple Leafs players likely to permeate most lineups, finding affordable yet effective value options to complement them will be key to success in this slate.
GOALIES
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB vs. CHI ($8,500): Vasilevskiy would have logged an Opening Night shutout of Chicago if not for an unfortunate bounce off a defenseman's skate late. Expect Tampa Bay to dominate play again, making Vasilevskiy a solid option if you can afford him.
Jordan Binnington, STL at COL ($7,600): Binnington has repeatedly proven capable of putting the team on his back, and he did so with 26 saves in Wednesday's 4-1 win over Colorado. There's substantial downside risk with him against the high-powered Avalanche offense, but Binnington's affordability due to the tough matchup makes him an enticing against-the-grain option.
Vitek Vanecek, WSH at BUF ($7,700): Vanecek will likely get the nod in this second leg of a back-to-back after Ilya Samsonov made 22 saves in Thursday's 6-4 win over the Sabres. The affordable backup is in good position to get the win for the favored Capitals, and both coaching staffs will likely emphasize defense in this one after the high-scoring opener.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Alex Ovechkin, WSH at BUF ($8,400): Ovechkin didn't light the lamp in the opener but dished out a pair of helpers. It likely won't take the reigning Rocket Richard winner to get into the goal column, and a Sabres team that allowed 3.12 goals per game last season will be hard-pressed to keep Ovie from scoring two nights in a row.
William Nylander, TOR at OTT ($5,900): On a Maple Leafs team that boasts some of the league's best forwards, it was Nylander who looked most impressive in Wednesday's 5-4 overtime win over Montreal. He recorded two goals and an assist in that one, and Nylander's positioned for another strong performance against a Senators team that allowed 3.35 goals per game last season — second-most in the league.
Joel Farabee, PHI vs. PIT ($4,300): Farabee was the leading performer in Wednesday's 6-3 win over Pittsburgh, racking up a goal and three assists. The 14th overall selection in the 2018 draft scored 21 points in 52 games a rookie last season, but if his season-opening performance was any indication, Farabee's set to make a leap in his second campaign. The risk/reward here is quite appealing at $4,300.
Tim Stuetzle, OTT vs. TOR ($2,500): Stuetzle was picked third overall in the 2020 draft and subsequently named the top forward at the World Junior Championship before joining the Senators in camp. The rookie is expected to play in the top six out of the gate, and he should have a memorable NHL debut against a Toronto team that allowed four goals in it first game this year and 3.17 per game last season.
Andre Burakovsky, COL vs. STL ($5,000): Burakovsky needed just 58 games to rack up career highs in both goals (20) and points (45) in his first year with the Avalanche last season, and he's already halfway to last year's total in power-play goals one game into the 2021 campaign. Working on the second line and No. 2 power-play unit, Burakovsky should remain a steady source of secondary scoring for the Avalanche as the team looks to avenge its loss from Opening Night.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Lightning vs. Blackhawks
Brayden Point (C - $7,300), Steven Stamkos (W - $7,600), Ondrej Palat (W - $6,100)
All three members of Tampa Bay's top line scored a goal when these teams met Opening Night, and there's little reason to think Chicago will fare any better this time around considering the team has publicly announced that it's entering a rebuilding phase. Stamkos also added two assists in that game, while Point dished a helper of his own. Point has 158 points in 146 games since the start of the 2018-19 season, while Stamkos has surpassed the 40-goal mark five times and averages over a point per game for his career, so both are among the league's elite scorers. Palat has plenty of experience playing alongside Tampa Bay's top players and doesn't look out of place on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit.
Maple Leafs at Senators
Auston Matthews (C - $8,100), Mitch Marner (W - $6,200), Joe Thornton (W - $3,400)
Toronto's top line failed to score a goal in the opener against Montreal but should bounce back against the defensively challenged Senators. Matthews couldn't solve Carey Price on Wednesday, but he logged a team-high seven shots and dished out a helper. He won't be held goalless for long after coming up one short of the league lead last year with 47. Marner also dished a helper against Montreal, which was the 23-year-old winger's 162nd point in 142 games since the start of the 2018-19 season. Thornton was kept off the scoresheet in his Maple Leafs debut, but Jumbo Joe's playmaking ability mixed with his top-line deployment make him a top value option.
Blues at Avalanche
Robert Thomas (C - $3,100), Jaden Schwartz (W - $5,500), Oskar Sundqvist (W - $3,700)
This line was formed after Mike Hoffman became a late scratch on Opening Night due to visa issues, and its three members showed instant chemistry. Sundqvist jumped into the spot vacated by Hoffman and scored two goals in Wednesday's 4-1 win over Colorado, while Schwartz and Thomas each dished out two helpers. Thomas is expected to take a step forward as the full-time second-line center in his third year after posting 42 points last season while oscillating between second-line wing and third-line center roles. Schwartz is a consistent scorer who has notched at least 55 points in five of the past seven seasons, while Sundvist is trying to capitalize on his opportunity in the top six after scoring 26 goals in a bottom six capacity over the past two seasons.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman, TB vs. CHI ($6,900): If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Those who rolled with Hedman on Wednesday were rewarded with a pair of power-play assists, three shots and four blocks. That's just a regular day at the office for the Norris Trophy favorite, and another strong performance should be forthcoming against the overmatched Blackhawks.
Morgan Rielly, TOR at OTT ($5,200): Rielly potted the overtime winner in Toronto's first game, and he looked more like the star blue line scorer from 2018-19 than the mediocre producer we saw last season. He's among the best offensive options among defensemen when rolling on all cylinders, as evidenced by Rielly's 20-52-72 line the season before last.
Thomas Chabot, OTT vs. TOR ($5,600): Like Rielly, Chabot was merely good last year after an outstanding 2018-19 campaign, but that down year could make him a bargain early in 2021. All in all, the 23-year-old blueliner has compiled an impressive 20-74-94 line in 151 games over the past two seasons, and Chabot's outstanding puck-moving ability should be on full display in a game that will likely feature plenty of open ice.
Adam Boqvist, CHI at TB ($2,700): If you're clearing money for some of this slate's stars, Boqvist can help you save cap space while still providing some upside from the blue line. The eighth overall selection in the 2018 draft contributed a power-play helper in Wednesday's loss to Tampa Bay, and Boqvist is the only defenseman on a top extra-man unit that's always dangerous thanks to the presence of Patrick Kane.
