This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Monday night is just a two-game slate in the NHL, making the options for FanDuel players extremely limited. On nights like this, specifically in tournaments, it's important to find ways to differentiate lineups. The big names will be wildly popular, but it's successfully picking those secondary options that will carry you to victory.
GOALIE
Jake Allen, STL vs. DAL ($8,800): The goaltending situation for Monday night's slate is a bit of a minefield. The Flames are on a back-to-back, the Islanders are one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL, and the Stars' goaltending situation is awful. By process of elimination, that leaves us with Allen. The Blues are a big favorite to win this game at home, and getting a goalie win is crucial in this small slate.
CENTER
Paul Stastny, STL vs. DAL ($5,300): The major issue with rostering Stastny on most days is that he just doesn't shoot enough; so far on the year, the St. Louis center ranks 246th out of 261 forwards with at least 200 five-on-five in shots per 60 minutes. That makes Stastny more of a GPP option than a cash-game option. Nonetheless, Dallas is allowing the fourth-most adjusted shot attempts at five-on-five, and the ninth-most on the penalty kill. Stastny has been playing more than 20 minutes a game with regularity, and any forward who plays that many minutes against a poor defensive team should be an object of interest.
Mikael Backlund, CGY at NYI ($5,000): The presumption for Monday night's game against the Islanders is that John Tavares will be used mostly against the Sean Monahan line for Calgary. Per Corsica Hockey, the Islanders are allowing more than 66 adjusted shot attempts per 60 minutes at five-on-five whenever Tavares is off the ice. For reference, the team giving up the most adjusted shot attempts per 60 minutes in the NHL is Arizona – and they're giving up a little under 64 as a team. That highlights just how awful the Isles are defensively whenever their top center is off the ice. The Flames are on a back-to-back, but on such a small slate, it's hard to ignore this prime matchup.
WING
Jaden Schwartz, STL vs. DAL ($5,800): It took some time for Schwartz to get going this year after missing time early to an injury, but in the month of November, he's averaging about 2.5 shots and more than 19 minutes of ice time per game. In short, he's starting to look like the player who had back-to-back 25-goal seasons post-lockout. He'll be skating on the top line with Stastny as well as the same power-play unit. Vladimir Tarasenko will likely carry higher ownership than Schwartz, making him a nice pivot on the Blues.
Josh Bailey, NYI vs. CGY ($4,200): It can be dangerous taking players skating alongside elite talents because if things don't go well on a given night, they're the ones who find themselves down the lineup, not their star linemates. With that said, Bailey seems pretty much glued to the hip of John Tavares, making him a target for a small slate like this. He should be skating with New York's top center at both five-on-five and the power play, which makes him the player to use for those who want to fade Tavares while still getting some exposure.
Matthew Tkachuk, CGY at NYI ($4,100): The reasoning that applies to Backlund also applies to Tkachuk, given that they're linemates. In fact, for those who want to go for an expensive stack (like the Stars' top line), there will be a necessity to save money somewhere, and grabbing a couple players from Calgary's second line can accommodate that need. Since Johnny Gaudreau's injury a couple of weeks ago, Tkachuk has played at least 15 minutes in every game going into Sunday night's action (when his 18 PIM kept him from reaching that mark). He isn't a target for cash games because like Stastny, he doesn't shoot enough, but Tkachuk makes a great tournament option Monday.
Patrick Eaves, DAL at STL ($5,700): Monday is a bit of a precarious situation for Dallas. Going into St. Louis, the Stars face a team that's allowed the fewest adjusted shot attempts at five-on-five and the eighth-fewest while on the penalty kill. If there is a weakness for the Blues, it's that they've given up 86 shorthanded opportunities in 22 games (3.91 per game), which is considerably higher than the league average (3.21). DFSers will have to make a decision about which expensive options to pay up for, and for those who want to fade the top talents from Dallas, Eaves is a way to get exposure to the top line and top power-play unit.
DEFENSE
Nick Leddy, NYI vs. CGY ($4,800): There are not many Islanders having a good season, but Leddy is certainly one exception. With 10 points through the team's first 20 games, he's on pace for his second 40-plus-point season in a row. He is also averaging a career-high two shots per game and a career-high 1.6 blocked shots per game. There are not many high-priced defense options Monday – just two blueliners are priced over $5,500 – so paying up at this position isn't necessary. Leddy will be running the top unit with the man advantage, and the Flames are among the most heavily penalized teams in the NHL.
Colton Parayko, STL vs. DAL ($5,100): Despite not having scored a goal yet this year, Parayko ranks second among healthy defensemen for Monday's slate in FanDuel points per game. That bodes very well for his prospects the rest of the season once his shooting percentages start to regress. The young rearguard has 60 shots on goal and 38 blocked shots this season. That gives him a floor of about seven fantasy points, which is reasonably high for a defenseman who isn't very expensive. He also plays with Alex Pietrangelo on the power play and has a favorable matchup at home against Dallas.
