This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Sunday's DFS slate on DraftKings features the four games that start at 5 p.m. ET or later. It's a quartet of hockey contests from which to pull the players for your lineups. You need to get your lineups in a little earlier than usual, but on a Sunday that's usually manageable. Here are my lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Penguins and the Lightning, two of the pillar franchises of the last decade or so, are facing off with both teams on the second leg of a back-to-back. Also, with both teams likely starting backup goalies. Meanwhile, the Rangers are also on the second day of a back-to-back, but at home against the Kings.
GOALIES
Juuse Saros, NAS at ARI ($8,300): Saros is an above-average goalie, and he has a .916 save percentage this year and a .919 save percentage in his career. This is also clearly the top matchup Sunday, as the Coyotes have averaged 2.67 goals and a league-low 25.7 shots on net per contest.
Connor Ingram, ARI vs. NAS ($7,100): On the flip side, maybe Ingram will get one over on his old team. He's playing the best hockey of his career, having allowed only two goals total over his last three starts. Will he keep that up? Almost assuredly not. Can he handle a Predators team that is 25th in goals per game? At this salary, it could be worth gambling on that.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Matt Duchene, NAS at ARI ($5,400): Filip Forsberg is hurt and Nino Niederreiter is now a Jet, leaving Duchene as the Predators forward with the most shots on goal with 127. He's tallied 17 goals on those shots, with six of them coming in his last 11 games. The Coyotes have allowed 35.5 shots on net per contest, so even if Ingram is playing well, Duchene should get opportunity.
Bryan Rust, PIT vs. TAM ($5,000): Rust ended a six-game goal drought Saturday, and he now has a two-game point streak as well. Both of these teams are on a back-to-back, but the Penguins are at home. Also, the Lightning will likely be starting Brian Elliott, the veteran backup with a 2.90 GAA and .904 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Kings at Rangers
Phillip Danault (C - $4,600), Kevin Fiala (W - $6,500), Viktor Arvidsson (W - $5,300)
The Rangers played Saturday, while the Kings were off and had a chance to rest. Igor Shesterkin started for New York which means it is likely Jaroslav Halak starts Sunday. There is a slight question about that, as Shesterkin was pulled after two periods on Saturday, so Halak actually saw a period of action. A goalie that played Saturday will be playing Sunday, and it will likely be Halak. The 37-year-old has a .903 save percentage over the last three seasons. Los Angeles has goaltending questions, but there is no question about this second line right now.
Danault joined the Kings last season and broke through with 27 goals, which he scored on a career-high 194 shots on net. This year he has 41 points in 60 games, including 15 points on the power play. The Rangers have the 16th-ranked penalty kill and, again, are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Fiala had a breakthrough campaign last year as well. The difference was that he had it with the Wild before being dealt to the Kings. That move has paid off, as he has 63 points and 186 shots on net through 60 contests. He also has four multipoint games in his last seven outings. Arvidsson, like Fiala, is a former Predator. Like Danault, he joined the Kings last season. Arvidsson had 20 goals in 66 games even though he only had an 8.8 shooting percentage. This year the Swede had 17 goals in 55 games in part because he has a 12.2 shooting percentage.
DEFENSEMEN
Sean Durzi, LOS at NYR ($4,500): Drew Doughty has cooled down, but Durzi has picked up the slack. He has six points in his last six games. The 24-year-old has 32 points in 57 contests, including 14 with the extra man. Halak will likely be in net Sunday behind a team on the second leg of a back-to-back, and the Rangers also has a middling penalty kill.
Juuso Valimaki, ARI vs. NAS ($3,800): Valimaki is now the guy for the Coyotes. Arizona has given him a larger role as the never-ending rebuild continues, but his salary hasn't quite caught up. Over his last eight games, Valimaki has averaged 22:36 per game in ice time, including 1:55 on the power play. The 24-year-old also has eight assists in that time. While Saros has played well, the Predators have allowed 33.7 shots on net per game. At this salary, Valimaki provides a lot of upside with his current role.
