This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
There are six games for Monday's slate, which provides more than the usual number of options. Both the Hurricanes (at Sharks) and Avalanche (vs. Senators) have a change to extend their winning streaks to five games. Also note that only the Sabres and Senators are the only teams in action with a points percentage .500 and below, indicating that the matchups may be pretty tough.
GOALIES
Darcy Kuemper, COL vs. OTT ($8,700): Kuemper's finally living up the billing as the undisputed starter on a Cup contender. He'll be going for his fifth straight win with the Sens playing their first game in over a week after their games were postponed due to a COVID outbreak.
Frederik Andersen, CAR at SJ ($8,400): Andersen had to work hard for his last win, making 39 saves in a 5-4 win against the Kings. Once in a while, Andersen will be slightly less sharp than usual, but the good thing is the Canes offense is good enough to bail him out whenever he needs it. The Sharks have lost four of their past five with only eight goals scored.
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. PIT ($8,100): After a slow start, Hellebuyck has not allowed more than two goals since Oct. 26 against the Ducks. Even with Sidney Crosby back in the lineup, the Pens have had a lot of trouble finishing and scoring goals.
Elvis Merzlikins, CBJ at BUF ($7,800): Merzlikins hasn't been nearly as sharp as he was at the beginning of the season, allowing three goals or more in five of his past six appearances. The good news is the Sabres have also struggled lately, winning just two games so far in November and allowing five goals in six of their past seven losses.
John Gibson, ANA at NSH ($7,200): Gibson's been great all season and will face a Preds offense that ranks 20th in goals per game despite having the league's second-best power play. If the Ducks can stay out of the box, Gibson should be fine. He will be a popular pick due to his relatively low salary price and how well the Ducks have been playing lately.
VALUE PLAYS
Nazem Kadri, COL vs. OTT ($6,500): Kadri's been on an incredible run, scoring four goals and 15 points during his eight-game point streak. The Sens are a team Kadri's familiar with going back to his days with the Leafs, and with 13 goals in 32 games in his career against them, the Sens are the team Kadri's had the most success against.
Alex Newhook, COL vs. OTT ($3,900): Newhook played 16 minutes last game and his assist now gives him three points in five games since getting called up. Centering the third line and getting minutes with PP2, Newhook should be a good value play against one of the league's worst defensive teams. The Sens will likely continue to be without key players due to various injuries and ailments following a COVID outbreak.
Rudolfs Balcers, SJ vs. CAR ($3,300): Jonathan Dahlen is expected to miss the game, which means Balcers could get bumped up the lineup and play on the top line with Logan Couture and Timo Meier. Scoring chances will be hard to come by against a tough opponent, but Balcers should be a fine value play given the expanded role he may play.
LINE STACKS
Blue Jackets at Sabres
Cole Sillinger (C - $4,400), Yegor Chinakhov (W - $3,400), Jakub Voracek (W - $4,400)
Their hot run ended against Vegas when all three players failed to register a point, but it was a good sign their ice time remained fairly consistent. The Sabres should be a much easier matchup for the Jackets, whose goaltending has been horrendous in November, allowing at least four goals in all but two games.
Hurricanes at Sharks
Sebastian Aho (C - $8,800), Andrei Svechnikov (W - $$8,300), Seth Jarvis (W - $3,200)
The key to this line is Jarvis, who is also an excellent value play on his own. The rookie forward has not scored a goal in three straight games, and while a little luck is involved, he's been really excelling on the top line. The Sharks should not be much of a challenge for the Canes to score goals.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL vs. OTT ($7,000): Makar has scored five points in his past two games and remains an elite option on defense. Among the elite defensemen, Makar has the best fantasy matchup by a considerable margin, and the Sens have the eighth-worst PK in the league.
Zach Werenski, CBJ at BUF ($6,000): Werenski's working on a four-game point streak and he continues to be a good play because he plays such a big role for the Jackets. No other defensemen comes close, and Werenski's 54 shots is just four shy of Jakob Chychrun for the league lead. The Sabres PK is also the fifth-worst in the league in November at just 69.6 percent.
Scott Perunovich, STL vs. VGK ($3,500): Perunovich hasn't quite made the impact considering the hype surrounding him as a game-breaking offensive defenseman. His ice time has been consistent and he's being featured on the power play, but through three games has only one helper and Vegas will not be an easy opponent. Perunovich is a value play but one that offers up quite a bit of risk since so many Blues defensemen are ahead of him on the depth chart.
