This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Saturday's main NHL slate features nine games and begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Senators and Kings are living up to their preseason expectations as bottom-feeders, so the Coyotes and Flames, respectively, will be looking to capitalize on those favorable matchups. Additionally, the Flyers host the slow-starting Stars, while the Islanders are out to prove last year's playoff berth was no fluke, and they'll be matched up with a tired Blue Jackets team. There's also plenty of value to be found in the slate's other games, including marquee matchups like Bruins-Maple Leafs and Avalanche-Lightning.
GOALIES
Carter Hart ($8,300) has two wins and a tidy 2.45 GAA through four starts. The second-year netminder should pad those stats at home against a Dallas squad that's been perhaps the league's most disappointing relative to preseason expectations. Dallas has just one win and 17 goals through nine games.
David Rittich ($8,200) is 4-2-1, with a total of four goals allowed in those four wins. He's proven capable of delivering elite performances, and another one should be on the way against a 2-5-0 Kings team that's been shut out in its last two games. Backup Cam Talbot ($7,200) would also be a strong choice if the Flames opt to go that route instead.
Pekka Rinne ($8,700) has won each of his first four starts, holding three of those opponents to two goals apiece. He gets a nice opportunity to maintain his perfect record against a Panthers team that will be finishing out a back-to-back.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Even with his team finishing up a back-to-back set and taking on a tough Lightning squad, Nathan MacKinnon ($8,600) can be the centerpiece of your lineup. He's marked the scoresheet in all seven games this season, totaling four goals and six assists to go with 29 shots. After a couple of narrow misses, this could be the year MacKinnon finally takes home the Hart Trophy for league MVP.
Bruins winger David Pastrnak ($8,600) is another marquee forward you can build around. He already has eight goals and 13 points through seven games, while the visiting Maple Leafs haven't been very stingy with 3.38 goals allowed per game.
Travis Konecny ($6,400) has been Philadelphia's most dangerous offensive player in the early going, with three goals and four assists through five games. He should continue his strong start against a visiting Stars team that's off to a 1-7-1 start and playing its second game in as many nights.
Owners looking for high upside at a low cost should turn to Coyotes center Christian Dvorak ($3,700) against the lowly Senators. With three goals in his last two games, the 23-year-old Dvorak is back on an upward career trajectory. He had 33 points as a rookie in 2016-17 and 37 the next year before being limited to just 20 games by a lower-body injury last season.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Coyotes vs. Senators
Derek Stepan (C - $5,600), Phil Kessel (W - $7,200), Clayton Keller (W - $6,000)
Arizona's offense got off to a slow start, but the dormant Coyotes have woken up with nine goals in their last two games, and now they get to face a Senators team that's been outscored 22-14 while winning just once through six games. Stepan posted two assists in his last game and is a strong bounce-back candidate this year, having logged five consecutive campaigns with at least 53 points before sinking to 35 points last season. Kessel took some time to acclimate to his new surroundings, but the six-time 30-goal scorer just potted his first two goals as a Coyote in Thursday's win over Nashville. Keller has been the most productive member of this trio thus far with five points already.
Islanders at Blue Jackets
Mathew Barzal (C - $6,500), Anders Lee (W - $6,600), Tom Kuhnhackl (W - $3,400)
Barzal has carried the Islanders' offense with three goals and two assists over a three-game point streak, while Lee has two goals through seven games after averaging 34 goals in the past three seasons. Kuhnhackl is just along for the ride on this line, but he comes cheap and could stumble into a point or two given the circumstances. Columbus is playing the second leg of a back-to-back, and has been outscored 23-16 through seven games.
Flames at Kings
Mikael Backlund (C - $4,900), Matthew Tkachuk (W - $6,500), Michael Frolik (W - $3,300)
Tkachuk is off to a hot start (2-5-7 through eight games) and will be extra motivated to deliver in this one given his ongoing feud with Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. His pair of linemates are both strong buy-low candidates — Backlund has just two points after notching no fewer than 45 in each of the previous four seasons, while Frolik's stuck on one goal after potting 15-plus in five of the past six campaigns. A lack of scoring has been far from Los Angeles' only problem, as the Kings are also surrendering a league-worst 4.43 goals per game.
DEFENSEMEN
Rasmus Dahlin ($5,700) likely won't stay this affordable much longer, as Buffalo's first overall selection from the 2018 draft has kicked off his second NHL season with nine points through eight games. The 2-4-0 Sharks are unlikely to slow him down.
Speaking of outstanding young defensemen, Colorado's Cale Makar ($4,500) has six points in seven games heading into what could be a high-scoring affair against the Lightning.
Kris Letang ($6,800) has been as productive as any defenseman thus far, with four goals and six assists through eight games. Keep rolling out the five-time 50-point scorer while he's hot, even in a tricky matchup against Vegas.
Speaking of hot defensemen, Florida's MacKenzie Weegar ($3,700) has a three-game point streak going, as well as two goals and three assists over his last five games. At just $3,700, he could be worth a flier in Nashville.
