This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
We're officially at the point of the hockey season that will drive daily fantasy players crazy. On Saturday alone, names like Shea Weber and T.J. Oshie were either expected to play and were scratched, or were last-minute scratches with no warning. Remember that NHL coaches have zero incentive to tell the truth during media availabilities, so it's important to be by a mobile device when warmups hit for every batch of games. Just ask anyone who was stuck with Niklas Kronwall in their lineup last week as he was scratched during warmup after his coach Mike Babcock said earlier that day there would be no changes to the lineup.
Below are skaters to use this week at each position that are all priced $4000 or less. At the end is a cheap goalie to use that should get a start this week. If he does not, I will add a goalie through the week who will.
Center
Chris Tierney ($3,000) 
After posting just two assists and zero goals through his first 15 games, Tierney has 13 points in his last 22 for the Sharks. The second-round pick from 2012 has found himself on a very good third line with Tomas Hertl and Tommy Wingels. While the underlying stats don't really support the thought of them being a good puck possession line – according to Puckalytics.com, they are below the 50-percent mark as a line – it's still too small of a sample to make a final determination
The biggest reason for liking Tierney this week is the schedule. San Jose has three games this week, including one against Colorado and two against Arizona. In four games against those two teams this year, the Sharks have scored 12 goals (10 in three games against Arizona). Tierney is probably a better tournament play because relying on third liners in cash games isn't really recommended, but considering he is min-priced, he's not a terrible cash game option either. It's worth noting Tierney gets second unit power-play minutes as well.
Right Wing
Vladislav Namestnikov ($3,000)
Tyler Johnson did not play Monday against the Canadiens, which moved Namestnikov into Johnson's spot between Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. He was also placed on the second power-play unit with those two and Ryan Callahan.
While Namestnikov has just 13 points in 37 games this season, it's worth noting that was done playing fewer than 12 minutes per game and very little power play time. On a per 60-minute basis, Namestnikov (1.42) isn't very far behind Valtteri Filppula (1.56). In and of itself, 1.42 isn't a solid mark, but given that Namestnikov is a min-priced player, it's not a bad trade-off.
Tampa Bay is on the road this week, but are fortunate to be in Toronto, Ottawa and Florida. At the very least, Namestnikov is a great option against the depth players of the Leafs, which makes him fine for cash games. Against Ottawa and Florida, if he's in the same position at five-on-five, he's not a bad cap relief option for tournaments.
Left Wing
Dwight King ($3,400)
Without Tanner Pearson in the lineup, there have been a lot of players who have joined Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli on the second line in Los Angeles. By the underlying five-on-five stats, it's easy to see how well King has fit in: in over 300 minutes played together this year, that trio has been an elite possession line, controlling nearly 60-percent of shot attempts at five-on-five and generating 67.89 shot attempts per 60 minutes at five-on-five, according to Puckalytics (anything over 55-percent is excellent). For reference, the Tyler Johnson line from Tampa Bay has a 57.3-percent possession rating, generating 65.92 shot attempts per 60 minutes of five-on-five time.
The downside to King's value is that he doesn't get time on the power play. With that said, the Kings face Edmonton and Colorado this week, and the latter has been pretty good on the penalty kill this year. So the downside from no power play time against Colorado is mitigated from their penalty kill proficiency. I don't see a lot of upside in King, but I don't see much plus/minus downside either, so King makes a safe "punt" play in cash games this week.
Defense
David Savard ($3,900)
Of course, one of the biggest problems with rostering any Columbus player is that there are serious plus/minus concerns. That's why I would say that Savard is a better tournament play than cash game play; he does not have much security in his floor.
With the above caveat out of the way, Savard has quietly had a nice offensive season with 30 points in 75 games. Even though Columbus doesn't have an easy schedule this week, what they do have is a couple of opponents that don't feature great penalty kills. The Jackets face New Jersey on Tuesday and the Devils feature a mid-pack penalty kill by efficiency. They are also mid-pack in unblocked shots allowed since Jan. 1. The Islanders, who Columbus plays Thursday, are in the bottom five of the NHL in penalty-kill efficiency. For either of those games, Savard is a fine tournament option. I don't mind him as a cash game option against New Jersey either.
Goaltender
Keith Kinkaid ($6,000)
Later in the week, the Devils have a back-to-back with a home game against Montreal before traveling to New York to face the Rangers. When the Devils slid far out of a playoff spot, they started giving Kinkaid more starts, and he has played half of the last two back-to-back set. I would rather use Kinkaid at home against Montreal if he gets that start. If he does not, I will post another cheap goalie option later this week.
Good luck!
*Some stats courtesy of War On Ice, Hockey Reference, Hockey Analysis, and Puckalytics
