This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Friday's NHL slate is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST and has five games on the docket. Below, you'll find a breakdown of the action and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Blackhawks find themselves in an unfamiliar position as the slate's biggest favorites, as the only team in the entire Western Conference with fewer points — the Coyotes — are in town. Elsewhere around the slate, both the Hurricanes (vs. Philadelphia) and Oilers (in Buffalo) are also clear favorites in their respective games, even in what's the second game in as many nights in Edmonton's case. Oilers-Sabres, Capitals-Blue Jackets and Flames-Maple Leafs are all tied for Friday's highest over/under at 6.0 goals, and each of those games features plenty of star power up front.
GOALIES
Marc-Andre Fleury, CHI vs. ARI ($8,500): Fleury has been a feast-or-famine performer over his past five starts, posting a save percentage north of .950 three times and dipping to .875 or worse twice. That inconsistent play is a lot better than what he delivered earlier in the season, when it was all famine all the time from Fleury. He's still just 2-7-0 overall, but he has a great opportunity to pick up his third win in the last five starts against a dreadful Coyotes team that's averaging a league-low 1.62 goals per game.
Frederik Andersen, CAR vs. PHI ($8,000): The biggest qualm with Andersen's performance so far this season is honestly that the Hurricanes have been so good in front of him that he doesn't rack up enough saves, as it's hard to find much fault with his 9-1-0 record, 1.73 GAA and .939 save percentage. The Dane should continue his strong start against a visiting Flyers team that's mired in a scoring slump. Philadelphia has lit the lamp just nine times over its last six games while suffering a pair of shutout losses in that stretch.
Elvis Merzlikins, CLS vs. WAS ($7,500): Merzlikins has been lights out this season, with a 5-1-0 record, 1.98 GAA and .940 save percentage. He has totaled at least 24.2 fantasy points in four of his first appearances this season. Washington's high-powered offense won't be easy to slow down, but if Merzlikins is up to the task, he should deliver excellent value as an overlooked option in net.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jakub Voracek, CLS vs. WAS ($3,700): Voracek is still searching for his first goal of the season, but his 10 helpers have him tied with Patrik Laine for second on the team in points behind Oliver Bjorkstrand. While both of those teammates come in with a valuation of $6,000 or more (and Laine's injured), Voracek can be had for just $3,700, even though five of those 10 points have been accrued in just the last three games. The veteran winger's among the top value options in action here.
Andrew Mangiapane, CGY at TOR ($4,400): What if I told you a player on pace to top the 50-goal mark could be had for just $4,400? Mangiapane's two-game goal streak has him up to nine through 13 games, and while his 32.1 shooting percentage certainly won't last, Mangiapane also finished last season with five goals in his last four games. Small sample size or not, 14 goals in a 17-game stretch is tough to ignore, and Mangiapane deserves lineup consideration until he shows signs of cooling down.
Tom Wilson, WAS at CLS ($5,300): Washington's getting most of its offense from the top line, and Wilson is easily the most affordable member of that trio, making him a strong choice if you want exposure to their production at a modest valuation. The power forward ranks third on the team in points with a 3-7-10 line, and all three of his goals have come in the past four games.
Sebastian Aho, CAR vs. PHI ($7,000): Aho could be on the verge of a breakout performance, as he's been unrewarded in the goal column for his 14 shots over the past three games. The star center still has two assists in that stretch, bringing his season line to 5-7-12 through 11 games. Given his career 14.4 shooting percentage, Aho likely won't have to wait much longer to light the lamp if he keeps peppering the net with pucks, and he'll face Flyers goalie Carter Hart, who has allowed at least three goals in five of his last six starts.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Blackhawks vs. Coyotes
Kirby Dach (C - $4,100), Patrick Kane (W - $7,500), Alex DeBrincat (W - $6,300)
Depth and defense have been Chicago's biggest problems, but the Blackhawks' top line is quite potent and should dominate a Coyotes team that's allowing a league-high 4.08 goals per game. Kane and DeBrincat are used to seeing their names near the top of the league points and goals leaderboards, respectively, and such is the case once again here. Despite missing four of Chicago's first 14 games, Kane already has a 5-8-13 line, while DeBrincat's on pace for his second 40-goal season, with seven through 14 contests. Dach has added a modest 3-2-5 line, but his deployment between these two skilled wingers should help the 2019 third-overall pick maximize his offensive output.
Oilers at Sabres
Leon Draisaitl (C - $9,000), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W - $5,800), Kailer Yamamoto (W- $2,500)
Draisaitl has pulled back ahead of Connor McDavid ($9,400) for the league scoring lead with a 12-14-26 line to McDavid's 9-15-24, and the German's line is the better value proposition against a Buffalo team that's mired in a five-game losing streak. Nugent-Hopkins is still in search of his first goal this season, but his 15 helpers are tied with McDavid for the league lead, one ahead of Draisaitl. Yamamoto's an intriguing bargain option whenever Edmonton turns to a line deployment that puts him on Draisaitl's wing, rather than using Draisaitl on McDavid's wing, though Yamamoto's offensive output this season has been limited to a two-game goal streak that ended three games ago.
Maple Leafs vs. Flames
Auston Matthews (C - $9,200), William Nylander (W - $7,700), Michael Bunting (W - $4,500)
Jacob Markstrom started in Montreal on Thursday night, so Calgary will presumably go with backup Daniel Vladar in Toronto. That's good news for the Maple Leafs, as Vladar has allowed three goals in both of his outings this season and has a career 3.27 GAA and .887 save percentage through seven starts. Matthews is quickly getting over his slow start, having posted multiple points in four of his last five games. Dating back to the start of the 2019-20 season, Matthews leads the league in both goals (93) and shots (557) over 133 appearances. Despite his robust shot totals, Matthews doesn't even lead the Maple Leafs in that category this season. That distinction belongs to Nylander, whose 56 shots rank second league-wide behind Alex Ovechkin's 60, and all that rubber on net has translated to a 7-6-13 line through 14 games. Bunting's home/road splits make him an intriguing option to target at Scotiabank Arena -- he has a 3-2-5 line at home and just one measly helper on the road this season.
DEFENSEMEN
Seth Jones, CHI vs. ARI ($6,600): If you're stacking Blackhawks against a Coyotes team that's been outscored 53-21 this season, Jones is an integral part of such a strategy. He ranks second on the team in both points (12) and shots (45), trailing Kane by just one point and three shots. Jones has also blocked 25 shots, and he's showing no signs of slowing down, with a five-game point streak rolling, as well as nine shots and six blocks in the last two games.
Evan Bouchard, EDM at BUF ($4,900): Bouchard continues to produce from the blue line for the Oilers. He currently has a four-game point streak rolling, and Bouchard has scored double-digit fantasy points in each of those games. With a 2-6-8 line, 32 shots and 21 blocked shots through 12 games, Bouchard has been an important but understated part of the Oilers' success this season, and that should continue against the lowly Sabres.
Shayne Gostisbehere, ARI at CHI ($4,800): The red-hot Gostisbehere has a 2-4-6 line over his last three games, and he has put three pucks on net in each of those contests. Despite that recent success, he's still available at just $4,800, as Gostisbehere's unsurprisingly flying under the radar for the struggling Coyotes. He has a nice opportunity to extend his point streak against a Blackhawks team that's allowing the third-most goals per game (3.57), after Gostisbehere's own Coyotes and the idle Kraken.
Justin Braun, PHI at CAR ($3,600): Braun has been a quietly effective member of a Flyers defense corps that continues to get by without Ryan Ellis (lower body). In addition to leading all Flyers blueliners with seven points, Braun's also a consistent source of blocked shots in his own end, as he's coming off a seven-block performance. The latter contribution gives him a high floor at $3,600 against a Hurricanes team that will likely control possession and give Braun plenty of opportunities to put his body in shooting lanes.
