This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Tuesday's NHL main slate begins at 7:00 p.m. EST and features six games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are plenty of enticing lineup options despite the limited size of this slate, with no shortage of star players in action and fantasy-friendly matchups. The Canadiens in Ottawa and Predators in Detroit are both heavy road favorites, while the star-studded Penguins-Capitals and Oilers-Canucks matchups are expected to be the highest scoring, as they're tied for the night's highest over/under at 6.5 goals. Blackhawks-Blue Jackets and Sabres-Devils clashes round out this slate.
GOALIES
MacKenzie Blackwood, NJ vs. BUF ($7,800): Blackwood's been outstanding when available this season, going 4-1-1 with a 2.12 GAA and .938 save percentage. He'll look to continue his hot start at home against a 5-8-2 Sabres team that's playing its second game in as many nights.
Jonathan Bernier, DET vs. NSH ($7,000): While the Predators are substantial favorites in Detroit, they actually haven't been much better than the Red Wings, scoring 2.29 goals per game to Detroit's 1.95 while allowing 3.35 to Detroit's 3.20. Given that context, Bernier has a great chance to substantially outperform his affordable $7,000 valuation, especially considering his strong recent play. While he also has a clunker in relief mixed in, Bernier has allowed just four goals in his last three starts, winning two. Overall, he's 4-2-0 with a 2.74 GAA and .910 save percentage.
Carey Price, MON at OTT ($8,400): If you prefer taking the safe route in net, it's worth paying up a little to secure Price. While his 5-3-2 record, 2.87 GAA and .893 save percentage are nothing special, Price should improve those stats against a Senators team that's bringing up the rear in the league standings with 11 points through 29 games, while scoring the fourth-fewest goals per game (2.35) and allowing the most (4.00).
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Filip Forsberg, NSH at DET ($6,900): Forsberg has been far and away the best source of offense for the Predators. He leads the team with eight goals and 15 points through 17 games, while no teammate has mustered more than four goals or eight points. The productive winger is the clear option to target from the Predators in this matchup with the lowly Red Wings.
Elias Pettersson, VAN vs. EDM ($5,500): Pettersson's overall numbers (7-9-16 through 22 games) are still depressed by his slow start, but he has played at a point-per-game pace over the last 14, mustering a 6-8-14 line. He's coming off a two-goal game against the Jets and should keep rolling against a bottom-10 Oilers defense that's giving up 3.10 goals per game.
T.J. Oshie, WAS vs. PIT ($4,900): Oshie's coming off a breakout performance, as he matched his goal total from the first 15 games with two in Sunday's win over the Devils, and he threw in an assist as well. It was only a matter of time until Oshie heated up considering he reached the 25-goal mark in four of the past five seasons, and it wouldn't be surprising to see both his production and valuation climb from here, making Oshie a nice value at $4,900 in what's expected to be a high-scoring matchup.
Darren Helm, DET vs. NSH ($2,500): Helm's an appealing cheap filler. He's currently skating on Detroit's top line and had five shots in his last outing, giving him at least three shots in five of his last six games. All that rubber on net could finally pay off against a Nashville team that's giving up 3.35 goals per game.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers at Canucks
Connor McDavid (C - $9,000), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (W - $7,100), Jesse Puljujarvi (W - $5,500)
Vancouver's a bottom-three defensive team (3.55 goals allowed per game), so the Canucks are unlikely to contain a red-hot McDavid and, by extension, his linemates. McDavid's coming off a three-goal, five-point night against Calgary, which stretched his league-leading point total to 37 through 20 games. Nugent-Hopkins got in on the fun against the Flames with his second two-goal game in the last four, pushing his season line to 9-9-18. Puljujarvi has flown under the radar, but the fourth overall pick from the 2016 draft has considerably more skill than most of the right wing options Edmonton has tried with McDavid over the past few years, and he's putting that skill to good use with five goals in the past eight games.
Penguins at Capitals
Sidney Crosby (C - $6,600), Jake Guentzel (W - $6,100), Kasperi Kapanen (W - $3,800)
Pittsburgh's top line features two of the team's three leading scorers, and it has been particularly effective against a Capitals team that's allowing the fourth-most goals per game in the league (3.41). Crosby is tied with Bryan Rust for the team lead in both goals (six) and points (15) through 16 games, with Guentzel's 5-8-13 line putting him next in both categories. The excellent chemistry between Crosby and Guentzel has exposed Washington's struggles in adjusting to coach Peter Laviolette's unorthodox man-to-man system in the defensive zone, with Crosby producing a 2-3-5 line in four meetings with the Capitals and Guentzel adding a 2-4-6 line. The affordable Kapanen was recently moved back onto this line and has a 2-5-7 line through 13 games, but skating with two offensive stars could get him going in this favorable matchup.
Canadiens at Senators
Jesperi Kotkaniemi (C - $3,800), Tomas Tatar (W - $4,400), Joel Armia (W - $3,100)
Ottawa continues to give up by far the most goals per game at 4.00, while Montreal's in the top 10 offensively due to a balanced attack. If both trends hold true, this third line should provide excellent bang for the buck against the league-worst Senators defense, and locking in its members would leave you the cap space necessary to target the likes of McDavid and Crosby. Tatar has been in coach Claude Julien's dog house of late, but the veteran winger has still put together a solid 4-5-9 line through 16 games and is capable of more considering he led the Canadiens in points last season with 61 in 68 games. Picked third overall in 2018, Kotkaniemi has a 2-6-8 line through 17 games this year while shooting a career-low 6.5 percent. Armia has been limited to 10 games by injuries and has a 2-3-5 line, but he scored 16 goals last season and broke double digits in each of the past four, so the Finnish winger should start to get going now that he's healthy. Kotkaniemi and Armia have also been very responsible defensively, tying for the team rating lead among forwards at plus-8.
DEFENSEMEN
Jeff Petry, MON at OTT ($6,500): Petry has a 6-10-16 line in 17 games this season, and he has scored at least 15.5 fantasy points in each of his last two meetings with the Senators, totaling a goal, an assist and nine shots. The offensively gifted blueliner should be worth paying up for here, especially if you opt to lock in some of the team's less expensive forwards.
Darnell Nurse, EDM at VAN ($6,200): Nurse has only been kept off the scoresheet three times in his last 14 games, totaling a 5-9-14 line over that stretch. A matchup with the defensively challenged Canucks should help him keep the good times coming.
Colin Miller, BUF at NJ ($2,900): Miller has played some of his most productive hockey against the Devils this season, which isn't surprising considering New Jersey has allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing defensemen. He lit the lamp in Saturday's meeting between these teams and dished out a helper in one of their two earlier clashes, so half of Miller's four points through 14 games have come in the three matchups against the Devils. Miller's also a consistent contributor in his own end, having logged multiple blocked shots in each of Buffalo's four games since the team returned from its COVID layoff.
Dmitry Orlov, WAS vs. PIT ($2,500): It's been a quiet start to the season for Orlov, but the veteran blueliner has gotten back on track recently. He has recorded double-digit fantasy points in each of the past two games, totaling eight shots and three blocks while picking up his first goal, and point, through 12 games. Considering Orlov scored at least 27 points in each of the previous five seasons, he should pick up the scoring pace moving forward and likely won't be available for just $2,500 much longer.
