This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's NHL slate includes four games after 7:00 p.m. EST. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective DraftKings DFS lineup. All game lines and odds used below come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
SLATE PREVIEW
All four of Wednesday's matchups have a clear favorite. The Oilers' stars will likely be the most popular picks to build around in Anaheim, but the Kings (vs. the Sharks), Maple Leafs (vs. the Predators) and Capitals (in Philadelphia) should all provide some fantasy value as well. The Oilers and Kings games have over/unders of 6.5 goals, while the other two come in at 6.0.
GOALIES
Pheonix Copley, LA vs. SJ ($8,200): Copley continues to thrive in the Los Angeles net, as he's 11-20 with a 2.56 GAA and .904 save percentage. A Sharks team that's playing its second game in as many nights and averaging 3.07 goals per game – 11th-fewest in the league – is unlikely to slow his roll.
Ilya Samsonov, TOR vs. NSH ($8,100): If Samsonov and Matt Murray ($8,100) continue to alternate, it will be the former's turn in net against Nashville's bottom-10 offense (2.79 goals per game). The former Capitals netminder is enjoying a strong first season in Toronto, with a 12-3-1 record, 2.29 GAA and .916 save percentage.
Samuel Ersson, PHI at WAS ($7,500): Ersson has breathed life into the Flyers, opening his career with a 4-0-0 record, 2.30 GAA and .924 save percentage through five games. The 23-year-old Swede's coming off a shutout win over the Sabres, and he's an enticing value play in what projects to be Wednesday's most defensive-minded contest.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Alex Ovechkin, WAS at PHI ($8,800): Ovechkin gets his goals in bursts, so don't sweat his two-game goal drought on the heels of seven goals in a four-game span. His elite shot should help break through Philadelphia's defensive style, and Ovechkin's capable of carrying your lineup, especially in a smaller slate like this one.
Troy Terry, ANH vs. EDM ($6,200): Terry has at least a share of Anaheim's team lead in both goals and points with a 12-21-33 line through 41 games. The team's best offensive player should have a chance to shine against Oilers netminder Jack Campbell ($8,200), who comes in with an ugly 3.68 GAA and .877 save percentage on the season.
Matt Duchene, NSH at TOR ($4,900): Duchene had a four-game point streak snapped in Nashvilee's previous game, but he's still rolling along with an 11-19-30 line through 38 games. The veteran winger's on pace for his fifth 60-point season while skating in a top-six role with power-play time.
Kevin Labanc, SJ at LA ($3,800): Labanc has flashed some nice upside with three multi-point outings over his last six games. The 27-year-old New York native has struggled to recapture his form from a 56-point breakout campaign in 2018-19, but perhaps Labanc is finally returning to that level, in which case he's significantly undervalued at just $3,800.
Joel Farabee, PHI vs. WAS ($3,700): Farabee has thrived in a top-six role of late, logging a 3-2-5 line in his last four games. The 22-year-old winger possesses a potent shot, and his 56 goals in 159 appearances since the start of the 2020-21 campaign translate to a 29-goal pace over 82 games.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Oilers at Ducks
Connor McDavid (C - $9,300), Klim Kostin (W - $3,700), Kailer Yamamoto (W - $3,600)
Given how affordable McDavid's linemates are, you should have the funds to throw in Leon Draisaitl ($7,900) as well here. McDavid leads the league with 77 points through 42 games, while Draisaitl's second with 62 points in 40 games. Yamamoto has taken advantage of his first-line role with a goal in two of the last three games, while Kostin would be a low-risk, high-reward play if he indeed shares the ice with McDavid against a Ducks team that's allowing a league-high 4.07 goals per game.
Maple Leafs vs. Predators
John Tavares (C - $6,700), Mitch Marner (W - $6,600), Calle Jarnkrok (W - $2,900)
Toronto's second line has been on fire recently, and its members should get plenty of chances against a Predators team that's allowed a whopping 137 shots over its last three games. Tavares has a 4-2-6 line over his last three games, and he's flirting with a point per game at 19-21-40 through 41. Marner has been held without a point only once in his last nine games, bringing his season up to 15-34-49 at the halfway point. Jarnkrok has meshed nicely on this line, and he should be among the top value options against his former team after registering a goal and three assists over the previous two games.
Kings vs. Sharks
Blake Lizotte ( C- $2,600), Kevin Fiala (W - $6,400), Gabriel Vilardi (W - $3,800)
The Kings boast some of the league's best scoring depth, as evidenced by the recent success of this so-called third line. Fiala has a 15-31-46 line through 44 games, easily leading the team in points, as nobody else has more than 33. That production includes five goals and two assists in the last two games alone. Vilarid's 16 goals are one behind Adrian Kempe's ($4,600) team-leading total, but the 23-year-old winger has taken on more of a playmaking role recently, dishing four assists in his last two games. Lizotte's a nice bargain option at just $100 above the minimum valuation, having chipped in seven points in his last 10 games.
DEFENSEMEN
Erik Gustafsson, WAS vs. PHI ($5,100): Gustafsson continues to supply steady offense from Washington's blue line. He scored the only goal of the game for either team in the Capitals' previous game, giving Gustafsson a 7-8-15 line in his last 11 games.
Tyson Barrie, EDM at ANH ($5,000): Given Anaheim's defensive struggles on the whole, it's hardly surprising the penalty kill has been part of the problem. The Ducks check in at 71.4 percent in that department, ranking as the third-most permissive unit in the league. Barrie should capitalize on Anaheim's poor penalty killing, as 20 of his 29 points this season have come on the power play.
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. NSH ($4,800): Rielly has done everything but score lately, notching two assists, eight shots and three blocks over his last two games for a combined 31.9 fantasy points. He's due to break through for a goal at some point, having supplied 19 assists through 26 appearances, which would put Rielly on a 60-assist pace had he stayed healthy.
Sean Durzi, LA vs. SJ ($4,500): Durzi's an underrated two-way stat stuffer. In addition to a 5-18-23 line at the season's halfway mark, Durzi has also supplied 59 shots and 81 blocked shots.
