This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Flames-Jets game takes center stage with the Jets on the brink of elimination. Injuries have played a big role in the Jets' struggles, and it's become a big story for the Leafs (Jake Muzzin) and Canucks (Micheal Ferland, Tyler Toffoli), as well. Their wins in Game 2 came at a high cost, but it seems like the Canucks are in better shape with their deep forward corps while the Leafs contemplate a seven-defenseman lineup. The defending champion Blues will try to get their first points in round-robin play, as well.
GOALIES
Marc-Andre Fleury ($8,400) should get the start with Vegas still figuring out who their starter will be once the 16-team playoffs begin. He allowed four goals in each of his two starts against the Blues during the season, but the Blues looked tentative against the Avs, who play at a pretty high pace like the Knights. Vegas should have a slight edge.
How much do the Jets have left in the tank? Decimated by injuries, they managed to outshoot the Flames but ended up allowing six goals in Game 3. Cam Talbot ($8,000) has been better than expected and the Flames should be able to finish the job.
Jacob Markstrom ($7,800) hasn't been as sharp as he was during the season, but the Vancouver offense finally woke up despite missing two of their top-nine wingers. The Canucks and Wild have showed a lot of animosity through their first two games, but if the penalties pile up, special teams favors the Canucks.
Joonas Korpisalo ($7,300) has been very good the entire series and he's a better value play than Frederik Andersen ($8,300). The Jackets mustered just 20 shots in Game 2, but the Leafs will be without a key piece in Muzzin and John Tortorella's teams rarely have two bad games in a row. Expect a big pushback from the Jackets though the outcome of Game 3 is basically a coinflip.
VALUE PLAYS
Elias Pettersson ($6,600) had a very strong Game 2 and he'll surely outperform his price tag if Minnesota keeps giving him power plays. The Canucks finished 1-for-7, but generated plenty of chances and Pettersson finished with five shots and an assist. Teammate Jake Virtanen ($3,600) showed quite well in his debut and should play much more than eight minutes in Game 3. He generates chances with his speed and may get some time on the second power-play unit, as well.
Andrew Copp ($3,900) continues to be a strong value play with Mark Scheifele out of the lineup, and in Game 3, he scored his second goal of the series. Joel Farabee ($3,600) will dress in place of the injured Michael Raffl on the fourth line. The role isn't optimal, but Farabee, the 2018 14th overall pick, has some offensive upside.
LINE STACKS
Canucks vs. Wild
Elias Pettersson (C - $6,600), J.T. Miller (W - $7,100), Brock Boeser (W - $5,600)
Dubbed the "Lotto Line" after one of Canada's national lotteries because of their jersey numbers, they've been money for the Canucks all season and looked especially dangerous in Game 2. All three feature on the top power-play unit, which was top-five during the season.
Flames at Jets
Mikael Backlund (C - $5,800), Matthew Tkachuk (W - $6,500), Andrew Mangiapane ($4,600)
They've been one of the most dominant lines in the playoffs, and the Jets defense just isn't deep enough to cover both Sean Monahan's line and this one. They've combined for eight points in three games.
DEFENSEMEN
Shea Theodore ($5,800) had a very quiet opening game but still logged nearly 25 minutes, including a team-leading 2:17 on the power play. The Blues' normally stalwart defense is tough to beat, but there's no clear-cut elite option on the DFS slate, and Theodore arguably has the most upside. That changes, obviously, if John Carlson ($6,700) plays, but that's still TBD.
Quinn Hughes ($5,200) scored his first ever playoff point in Game 2 but has been relatively quiet. We've yet to see the best from the Calder nominee, though his fantasy value will be diminished if the Wild manage to stay out of the penalty box.
Seth Jones ($5,000) continues to come at a big discount to Zach Werenski ($6,200) even though they're virtually equal in ice time in all situations. Werenski may have a bit more offensive upside because he shoots more, but the difference isn't that big and Jones has a higher floor with his blocked shots.
Considering how much Ivan Provorov ($4,900) does for the Flyers, he's a really great high-floor option. The same goes for Neal Pionk ($4,700), who quarterbacks the Jets power play, and Nate Schmidt ($4,500), who is the Knights' best all-round defender. Alexander Edler ($4,400) had a very strong game with 24 fantasy points, and you can expect him to keep doing that as Vancouver's workhorse. You can also include Matt Dumba ($4,200) in this group, even though he has just one point in his past eight games.
