This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
A postponed Golden Knights-Oilers matchup means there's only three games on the slate, leaving the Stars at Panthers, Coyotes at Avalanche and Ducks at Wild.
Arizona should be the weakest team to hit the ice, but they're coming off a win against the Leafs thanks to Karel Vejmelka's heroics. When the Czech netminder has made at least 40 saves, he's only allowed three goals on 140 total shots. Dallas also faces an uphill battle with their poor 4-10-1 road record and a strong opponent.
GOALIES
Darcy Kuemper, COL vs. ARI ($8,400): There were a lot of spicy upsets Thursday, but it seems unlikely Vejmelka will be able to pull off consecutive miracles. Kuemper let five past against a surprisingly tough Nashville squad, but otherwise has been excellent before having won seven straight. The Avs boast the league's best offense and have only lost twice in regulation at home.
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. DAL ($8,200): The Stars really struggle away from home while the Panthers rank second in goals at home thanks to a balanced attack. Joe Pavelski is Dallas's leading road contributor with 10 points while Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin have only combined for seven goals. Bobrovsky has been superb and will be looking to earn his sixth victory from seven outings.
Kaapo Kahkonen, MIN vs. ANH ($7,300): The Ducks have been defeated in six of their last eight and have only managed a 7-7-3 road mark. Kahkonen or Cam Talbot - who may be able to go - should be solid choices. Ryan Getzlaf, the primary playmaker for Troy Terry, has only recorded three assists since Nov. 28. The Wild goalies should be among the better value plays.
VALUE PLAYS
Nicolas Aube-Kubel, COL vs. ARI ($4,400): Aube-Kubel's been dynamite since getting moved to the second line with Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky with five points in three games. He's also got some chemistry with Alex Newhook and Logan O'Connor, giving Jared Bednar plenty of flexibility against a team where he may want to give his top line a break.
Jacob Peterson, DAL at FLA ($3,800): Peterson logged a career-high 17:27 last time out against the Kraken, though he finished the night scoreless on three shots. The Swedish rookie has seen his ice time fluctuate even though he's still managed 26 contests, but his fantasy value is clearly on an upswing playing with Seguin and Benn.
Maxime Comtois, ANH at MIN ($3,800): The upside for Comtois is that he plays with Trevor Zegras, who represents the Ducks' most creative and dangerous playmaker. Comtois has only posted points in 19 outings this season, but this could be a favorable matchup because the Wild will not have top center Joel Eriksson Ek and may be without starting netminder Cam Talbot.
Maxim Mamin, FLA vs. DAL ($3,600): Mamin has the good fortune of having Anton Lundell as his center on the third line. His exposure to Lundell, who could be a No. 2 pivot on most other teams provides Mamin a big fantasy boost. The production is sparse and he isn't on the power play, but he did score Tuesday and has recorded a shot in seven straight.
LINE STACKS
Ryan Hartman (C - $6,900), Kirill Kaprizov (W - $8,100), Mats Zuccarello (W - $6,600)
Kaprizov has not been activated from injured reserve as of Thursday night, but is expected to go tonight. The Wild breathe a sigh of relief with their MVP back in the lineup, while the Ducks have really struggled to string together wins of late. The Wild have always been a strong home team with a 11-3-1 this year. Hartman's a solid value play since he scores at an excellent top-six pace when lined up with Kaprizov. Of the 10 points Hartman has scored during an 11-game stretch since Dec. 1, six of them involved the star.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL vs. ARI ($7,500): It's a juicy matchup for possibly the best scoring blueliner since Bobby Orr. And even though there are many great options, his upside is undoubtedly much higher than anyone else. Makar produces like a first-line forward and ranks fifth (!) in Fantasy Points Per Game. The only other two defensemen in the top-20 going tonight are Aaron Ekblad and Makar's running mate, Devon Toews.
Shayne Gostisbehere, ARI at COL ($5,700): Surprise! The Avs are bad at something and it's killing penalties. The Coyotes might not even get to touch the puck at even strength, so they'll have to lean on Gostisbehere as he's enjoyed a bounce-back season ranking 17th in scoring among defensemen.
Matt Dumba, MIN vs. ANH ($5,000): Dumba could be a strong value play with a few other Minnesota D-men, having logged at least 26 minutes in three straight. Note that Calen Addison (not available for selection) is quarterbacking the top power play with Dumba on the second unit. But as the senior statesman, Dumba could take over at any time if Addison falters. His offensive production has improved this campaign and is on a 40-point pace.
