This article is part of our FantasyDraft NHL series.
GOALIE
Washington Capitals, WAS vs. CGY ($16,100): Call this faith in Braden Holtby. He has a 2.56 GAA and a .921 save percentage overall, and in his last eight games he's 7-1-0 with a 2.31 GAA and a .928 save percentage. The Capitals have gotten off to a bit of a slow start, but they're 6-3-0 at home.
CENTER
Nicklas Backstrom, WAS vs. CGY ($13,200): It's been a little while since Backstrom has scored a goal, but he has an 8.3 shooting percentage that is likely to improve. Besides, he has 12 assists, and he also has eight power-play points through 20 games. The Flames have the worst penalty kill in the league, and also have a team GAA of 3.26.
Nazem Kadri, TOR vs. ARI ($13,00): New season, same old results for the Coyotes. Arizona is once again one of the worst teams in the NHL with a league-worst 3.82 team GAA. Also like last year, Kadri is enjoying a lot of offensive success. He has 10 goals and eight assists, and he's currently enjoying a six-game point streak.
WING
Artemi Panarin, CLM at BUF ($13,300): Panarin has started 64.1 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, most on the Blue Jackets. He's notched 14 points despite the fact he has a 6.8 shooting percentage. For comparison's sake, his worst shooting percentage to date is 14.7, so he's going to get better. The Sabres have a .890 team save percentage, so perhaps this week will be luckier for Panarin.
Joe Pavelski, SAN vs. ANA ($12,000): The Ducks will be on the road for the second night of a back-to-back, and since John Gibson played Sunday (and Ryan Miller is hurt), third-stringer Reto Berra will likely be in net. That bodes well for Pavelski. He only has four goals, but that's on 53 shots through 18 games. His 7.5 shooting percentage will likely improve. Additionally, he's averaged 3:48 per game with the extra man after tallying at least 22 power-play points in his last four seasons.
Clayton Keller, ARI at TOR ($10,400): The dynamic rookie's scoring has dipped a bit, but there's a lot to like — including 71 shots on goal through 22 games and 3:37 of average power-play time. The Maple Leafs have a team GAA of 3.00, and they also have allowed 33.5 shots on net per contest. Keller should get his opportunities.
DEFENSEMEN
Ryan Suter, MIN vs. NJD ($9,000): Suter is playing his regular big minutes, including 3:26 per tilt on the power play. He's put 44 shots on net while adding 36 blocked shots in 19 games. The Devils have allowed a whopping 34.9 shots on net per contest, which has put a lot of pressure on their goalies (who have a collective 3.11 GAA).
Nikita Zaitsev, TOR vs. ARI ($7,600): Zaitsev's scoring has been a little inconsistent, but he does have eight points after posting 36 last season. Plus, you aren't going to find many better matchups, since the Coyotes have a woeful 3.82 team GAA. Zaitsev could definitely take advantage of lowly Arizona. On top of that, he has 62 blocked shots in 21 games, so he can add some value on the defensive end of the ice.
