FanDuel NHL: Sunday Targets

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Published on May 22, 2022

Three games are on the schedule Sunday. Two are in the afternoon, which means some early hockey. The first game starts at 1:30 p.m. EDT, so you'll need to get your DFS lineups in early. Here are my recommendations.

GOALIE

Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM vs. FLA ($8,400): Invariably, Vasilevskiy seems to step up when the time comes. He's won each of his last three games and only allowed one goal in each outing. The Panthers may have had the top offense in the NHL during the regular season, but they've clearly dropped off in the playoffs.

Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. CAR ($8,200): Shesterkin doesn't have a win in this series, but he has made 44 saves on 47 shots on net. This series moves to New York, and the Russian goalie had an 1.85 GAA and .940 save percentage in home games. Carolina, meanwhile, doesn't have a road win in the playoffs just yet.

VALUE PLAYS

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM vs. CGY ($6,100): Nugent-Hopkins has three assists in this series, and in the regular season he had 50 points in 63 games. That includes 23 points with the extra man. While the Flames ranked sixth on the penalty kill this year, RNH has averaged 3:43 per game on the power play in the playoffs, and when you spend that much time with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl with the man advantage it often bodes well.

Ross Colton, TAM vs. FLA ($4,900): Whatever role Colton has been placed in, he's been up to the task in the playoffs. He has a goal in each game of the series — you may remember his goal from Game 2 — and he has a three-game point streak. Sergei Bobrovsky had a 2.67 GAA this season, but it came with a .913 save percentage.

LINE STACK TO CONSIDER

Flames vs. Oilers: Mikael Backlund (C - $4,700), Andrew Mangiapane (W - $5,600), Blake Coleman (W - $5,00)

This has been a high-scoring series. The Oilers have allowed 12 goals, including six by Mike Smith. Edmonton allowed 32.3 shots on net per game this season, and that porosity has continued in the playoffs. Smith has already faced more than 40 shots on net in four games in this postseason. To save some salary, I'm stacking Calgary's second line over the first line.

A 5.6 shooting percentage held Backlund to only 12 goals during the regular season, but he has three goals and two assists in the playoffs. Mangiapane had 35 goals this season, and in Game 1 of this series he had a goal and two helpers. Coleman stays active offensively. He tallied 212 shots on net this season, and over his last six games he has 24 shots on goal.

DEFENSE

Victor Hedman, TAM vs. FLA ($6,700): The salary is high, but Hedman is worth it in this scenario. He's a truly prolific defenseman, notching 85 points and 219 shots on net this season. The Swede has added nine points in the playoffs, including an assist in both games this series. Bobrovsky, meanwhile, has a 2.86 GAA and .906 save percentage in the playoffs.

Michael Stone, CGY at EDM ($5,100): I expect Stone will stay in the lineup based on his play. He's started 68.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone in the playoffs, second highest on the Flames. The defenseman and his big shot have also averaged 2:11 per game on the power play. While, traditionally, Stone hasn't been super productive, across six playoff outings he has four points and 20 shots on net.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Chris Morgan plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: cmorgan3, DraftKings: cmorgan3.