This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Sunday's NHL action starts a little early - at least for DFS - at 5:30 p.m. EST. The games in general start at 8 a.m. EST, but obviously no one is expecting you to have a lineup in for that. We are left with four games to pick players from, and here are my recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Six of the eight teams playing Sunday are on the second leg of a back-to-back. The Flyers are the only ones who get to play at home for both while the Blues, Blue Jackets, and Golden Knights are on the road for both - though only St. Louis is facing a rested side.
GOALIES
Devon Levi, BUF at CHI ($8,400): If you want to go matchup over talent, then Levi is the goalie for you. Buffalo is rested, while the Blackhawks played in Nashville on Saturday afternoon. Chicago ranks bottom-five in goals and shots per game. Levi - or whoever gets the start for the Sabres - gets the easiest matchup of the day.
Adin Hill, VGK at PIT ($8,200): Both teams are on the second day of a back-to-back, but the Golden Knights boast two elite goalies. Logan Thompson started Saturday, so Hill starts Sunday. Hill has posted a 2.07 GAA and .928 save percentage. With lackluster goaltending options, I'll take him and his performance even against a strong offensive club like the Penguins.
VALUE PLAYS
John-Jason Peterka, BUF at CHI ($6,000): Peterka showed flashes as a rookie, though they were only brief. This year, he's taken a step forward with five goals and five assists across 10 games with 29 shots. The Blackhawks are in the bottom-five in shots allowed and Petr Mrazek struggled to an .893 save percentage the previous two seasons.
Adam Fantilli, CLM at PHI ($5,200): The Blue Jackets have endured their struggles and the lineup juggling and assorted benching and demotions might make you forget that Mike Babcock isn't the one behind the bench, but Fantilli has at least largely been spared of that as he gets to skate as the first-line center in his rookie campaign. The Hobey Baker winner has produced nine points over 18 games and recently had an outing where he directed 10 shots on net. That's not easily replicated and to do it even once is noteworthy, especially for a first-year player. As the Flyers just saw action on Saturday, Samuel Ersson is slated to start with his career .886 save percentage.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Ducks vs. Blues
Mason McTavish (C - $6,800), Frank Vatrano (W - $8,800), Ryan Strome (W - $6,000)
As noted, the Blues are the one team playing both legs of a back-to-back on the road and facing a rested team. The Ducks have the advantage in that sense, and they also should face Joel Hofer in net. He's a young, inexperienced goalie with a career .901 save percentage. The Ducks' first line is a bit of a mess, though the second trio is definitely intriguing.
McTavish enjoyed an underrated rookie season with 17 goals and 26 assists and is already at seven and nine with an uptick in ice time (17:27 per game) and improved-but-sustainable shooting percentage (14.9) that leads me to think he could really break through. Vatrano's production is less sustainable, as rare is the player who posts a 21.1 shooting percentage for a full campaign. But he still has 12 goals to go with five assists and has fired 57 shots on target. Strome is the inverse of Vatrano at 12 assists and only two goals, but with a 6.7 shooting percentage. While he's never been an elite shooter, his career 10.7 mark indicates impending improvement.
DEFENSEMEN
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK at PIT ($7,300): Even though Pietrangelo has ceded power-play time to Shea Theodore, he's managed to stay productive with nine points and 31 shots on net over his last 11 outings. Did you know Magnus Hellberg has been operating as Pittsburgh's backup goalie? He has a .922 save percentage...from one full game. Hellberg is 32 with a career .890 save percentage. The more he plays, the more that save percentage will dip.
Cam Fowler, ANA vs. STL ($5,500): For a second there, teenaged defender Pavel Mintyukov was making a bit of a splash and that was fun to see. In the end, it's steady veteran Fowler who remains the top Anaheim blueliner. He's stuck it out over the years – maybe he's angling to have his number retired someday – and remains capable of solid production. Fowler has notched eight points over his last 10 games, including six on the power play. The Blues' penalty kill is just below average, and being on the road for the second straight night won't help.
