This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Monday night is a four-game slate in the NHL that features a lot of expensive skater options. That means DFSers, particularly in cash games, will need to look for cheaper options in some areas. This article will feature a few such options.
CENTER
Denis Malgin, FLA at BOS ($3,600): A quick fact about the Florida forwards this season: Malgin has the same rate of points per 60 minutes at five-on-five (1.42) as Aleksander Barkov. He also bests the Finnish center in shots per 60 minutes. This is important because according to Panthers beat writer Harvey FialkovMalgin, will be skating on the top line for Florida in place of Jonathan Marchessault. The Panthers have had their trouble scoring this year, and going into Boston for Monday night's game may mean a tough matchup against Patrice Bergeron's line. The cost of the Swiss teenager, however, enables DFS players to get exposure to that top line while freeing cap space for more expensive players.
Sam Gagner, CLM vs. ARI ($4,600): This has been a resurgent year for the 2007 first-round pick, as Gagner has posted 13 points in 22 games. Monday is an excellent matchup for the Blue Jackets, as they host the cellar-dwelling Coyotes. On a four-game slate with most of their skaters carrying modest prices, the Jackets will have high ownership. Gagner is a way to avoid some of that in tournaments while still getting exposure to the primary power-play unit.
WING
Jakub Vrana, WAS vs. BUF ($3,400): An injury to winger T.J. Oshie opened a winger spot in the Washington lineup, and Vrana has filled that spot. The talented rookie had 55 points in his first 57 regular season games in the American Hockey League, and he's found himself playing among the top-six forwards for Washington. That placement also includes time on the second power-play unit. While the second unit for the Capitals is much less prolific than the top one, it's worth mentioning that their opponentallows the most shot attempts while on the penalty kill. The Capitals skaters will be popular Monday night, but Vrana offers strong value relative to his opportunity.
David Pastrnak, BOS vs. FLA ($6,300): It can take a lot of time for some people to accept how good a player is without the appropriate hype. The 20-year-old Czech doesn't have that hype, as the Czech was a late-first-round pick who had been playing in Sweden before being drafted. Yet, via Corsica Hockey, Pastrnak is fifth among NHL forwards in goals per minute at five-on-five since the start of the 2014-15 season. Of the wingers on this slate, he's second in FanDuel points per game, ahead of even Alex Ovechkin, yet is $2,500 cheaper than the Great Eight. Pastrnak is landing nearly 3.5 shots per game, which gives him a nice floor, and he's still very much underpriced.
Ryan Dzingel, OTT at PIT ($4,000): A lot of ownership will go to the Penguins on Monday, and with good reason. The flip side is that there may not be much ownership going to Ottawa despite the fact that Pittsburgh allows nearly as many adjusted shot attempts per minute as the Avalanche. Dzingel should be skating on a line with Ottawa's most talented center in Kyle Turris, and also on the second power-play unit. The downside to the winger's game is he doesn't shoot much, so he's certainly more of a tournament option than a cash-game play.
Conor Sheary, PIT vs. OTT ($4,600): Sheary's averaging 15:02 of ice time this year, but that's weighed down by his usage at the start of the campaign – over his last nine games, he's averaged 16:57 with 2:02 on the power play. Although he doesn't get to play on the top man-advantage unit, the second-year winger is still on the top line with Sidney Crosby at even strength. The additional ice time gives Sheary a high floor, as he's averaged 2.6 shots over the aforementioned nine-game span. For those planning to use Crosby on Monday, his winger is a nice addition in GPPs.
DEFENSE
Zach Werenski, CLM vs. ARI ($5,600): Although the scoring has dried up for Werenski of late – just one point in his last six games – it's not as though he's disappeared altogether; in that span, he's averaging four shots on net and 1.67 blocked shots per game. For some players, a cold streak destroys fantasy value, but Werenski has still been productive without the points. That's important when you're looking for a cash-game defenseman. Given that the matchup is a premium one, the possibility of an assist or goal on top of the peripheral stats makes Werenski all but unavoidable for cash games.
Michael Stone, ARI at CLM ($4,000): Like the Ottawa-Pittsburgh game, one side of this contest will carry heavy ownership, and that may mean Stone gets overlooked. In Arizona's last game, Stone played on the second power-play unit alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson. However, Anthony DeAngelo – who had been on the top unit – was sent back down to the minors Sunday; Stone is a likely candidate to step up in his spot. He also blocks a lot of shots – 27 blocks in 10 games since returning from an upper-body injury. With improved opportunity and a reasonable floor to work with, the 26-year-old blueliner is a solid option in any format Monday.
GOALIE
Tuukka Rask, BOS vs. FLA ($9,100): The question of goaltending is always a curious one in DFS. Arizona's Mike Smith carries a lot of upside because of the volume of shots he'll face, but he's also susceptible to a blow-up because of all that rubber. Turn instead to Rask at home against the Panthers, who are one of 12 teams averaging at least 30 shots on goal per game. Rask is expensive, but with a decent workload and favorable Vegas odds, he makes for a safe option for cash games.
