This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
The first weekend of March is also the first weekend after the NHL trade deadline, and it begins with six games Friday. If you want to start the weekend on a positive note, perhaps these players should find their way into your FanDuel lineup.
GOALIE
Brian Elliott, CGY vs. DET ($7,800): Elliott's numbers haven't been great, but the Flames have only allowed 28.4 shots on net per game this year. Meanwhile, the Wings have managed a modest 28.2 shots on net per contest, and they've scored just 2.39 goals per game. They also just shipped off two key parts in Thomas Vanek and Brendan Smith. Meanwhile, Calgary only allowed 2.42 goals per tilt in February and enters on a five-game winning streak.
CENTER
Ryan Kesler, ANA vs. TOR ($6,500): Kesler has averaged a whopping 21:55 of ice time this season, resulting in 46 points in 63 games – including 17 on the power play. Sure, the Leafs have the ninth-ranked penalty kill, but they will be playing the second night of a back-to-back. That will likely mean Curtis McElhinney in net, and he has a career .906 save percentage. Besides, they've allowed 2.87 goals and 32.6 shots on net per game, so it's not like the Leafs have been defensively sound overall. Kesler doesn't need power-play success to have a strong fantasy performance, and there's less reason to be concerned about Toronto's penalty kill if McElhinney is in goal.
Paul Stastny, STL at WPG ($5,600): Stastny has only one point in his three games since a four-game absence, but he has nine shots on goal in those contests, so he's been plenty active. Additionally, he put up 12 points in 13 games before that absence. The Jets have allowed 3.19 goals per game and gave up a whopping 3.73 goals per contest in February, the most in the league. Winnipeg also has the 27th-ranked penalty kill, and Stastny has 11 power-play points in 57 games.
WING
Patric Hornqvist, PIT vs. TAM ($6,600): It has been a few games since Hornqvist last scored a goal, but despite that, he's still averaged 13.2 fantasy points per game. He's been busy all season offensively, registering 189 shots on net in 56 games. In the nine games he's gone without a goal, he's notched 29 shots, and he should light the lamp again soon if he stays that active on offense. Tampa has allowed 30.0 shots on net per game along with owning the 19th-ranked penalty kill; meanwhile, Hornqvist has played 3:05 per game with the extra man, resulting in nine goals and 13 points.
Matthew Tkachuk, CGY vs. DET ($5,300): It's been a great year for rookies, which makes it easy to overlook Tkachuk even though he's been hot lately – with 10 points in his last 10 games, he's up to 41 total. The Wings have allowed 2.95 goals per game, which is fittingly the GAA of goalie Petr Mrazek, who also has a .903 save percentage. They've also allowed 30.6 shots on goal per game, and as mentioned, they just lost a key defender in Smith at the trade deadline. Tkachuk has also managed 11 power-play points, which gives him a little extra fantasy potential.
Elias Lindholm, CAR vs. ARI ($4,600): Lindholm has averaged 10.3 fantasy points per game, which is hefty for a player at this price point. That's despite the fact that he only has a 5.5 shooting percentage, the lowest of his career. The Coyotes are a good team to be playing when you could use some puck luck – after all, they've allowed 3.21 goals and 33.6 shots on net per game, and they also played Thursday. That could mean Louis Domingue (3.26 GAA, .897 save percentage) in goal for Arizona, which would likely make Lindholm happy. He's notched four points in his last four games, and that solid stretch of play could easily continue with this matchup.
Magnus Paajarvi, STL at WPG ($3,400): If you want a really low-priced option with some upside, consider Paajarvi. He's averaged 8.7 fantasy points per game over his 12 contests, collecting five points and 22 shots on net in that span. In another matchup, you might not take the risk on Paajarvi continuing this. However, as previously noted, the Jets gave up a staggering 3.73 goals per game in February and have an atrocious .897 team save mrk. With such a favorable matchup for a player who's now slotted into the Blues' second line, you can save quite a bit of money here.
DEFENSE
Justin Faulk, CAR vs. ARI ($4,700): The case for why this is such a favorable matchup for the Hurricanes has already been made: The Coyotes have allowed 3.21 goals and 33.6 shots on net per contest and will be playing their second game in as many days. Their penalty kill also ranks 25th. Faulk has averaged 11.3 fantasy points per game, and he's taken 156 shots on goal in 53 tilts. While he only has eight power-play points, he's had 17 and 20 in his past two seasons, so he's shown his ability to succeed with the extra man in the past. Faulk has averaged 2:45 per game on the power play, so the opportunities have been there. If he gets some chances against the lowly Coyotes, he's certainly possessed of the talent to take advantage.
Colton Parayko, STL vs. WPG ($4,600): With Kevin Shattenkirk now a Capital, there is room for other Blues defensemen to step up. Parayko was already having a good season, but perhaps now he will be able to take it to the next level. He's averaged 21:12 of ice time, including 1:43 on the power play, but both of those numbers could shoot up now. Parayko has put 147 shots on net in 62 games, but he only has four goals thanks to a lowly 2.7 shooting percentage. It's already been established how good a matchup the Jets are, so he could start correcting that Friday. Oh, and on top of everything else, Parayko has blocked 94 shots.
