There are six games scheduled this evening in the NHL. DraftKings has put together some big tournaments for tonight’s slate. There is just one game total projected to score under six goals this evening, which should provide plenty of offensive options.
Let’s take a deep dive into this set of games and discover some of the best DFS plays on the night.
Center
Tyler Seguin (DAL): $7,500 vs. TOR
The price is steep on Tyler Seguin, however, this should be one of the highest scoring games of the night. Leading the way will be the Stars first-line center. Seguin is coming off a four-point outing against the Winnipeg Jets and will look take advantage of a weak defensive team. The Maple Leafs are traveling to Dallas where they will look to find a sort of strategy to keep the puck out of the net. Last year, the Leafs relied heavily on Frederik Andersen who bailed them out of so many games. So far, Toronto has allowed an average of 4.33 goals against. The Stars are the best test so far in 2018 for the Leafs and should feast at home.
Sebastian Aho (CAR): $6,200 vs. VAN
So far, the Carolina Hurricanes have been a pleasant offensive surprise. After the departure of Jeff Skinner and Noah Hanifin, most were writing the team off before the season started. Although they have played just three games, they won an impressive one in Columbus and then an eight-goal performance against the Rangers. Sebastian Aho has looked fantastic thus far and has another great home matchup against a rebuilding Canucks team. Jordan Staal will be line matched against the toughest Vancouver line, allowing the top Hurricanes forward unit to overmatch rookie sensation, Elias Pettersson. The Canucks are also traveling across the country, west to east, to start their road trip. Load up on Hurricanes in a game which could shoot out.
Wing
Jamie Benn (DAL): $7,200 vs. TOR
The second piece to a Stars stack is the superstar, Jamie Benn. Benn and Seguin have show chemistry for a few years now and are one of the most dynamic offensive duos in the NHL. Toronto did not have an answer for the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, or Montreal Canadiens in their three first games. The fact that Benn and Seguin also play together on the Stars first power-play unit should lead to plenty of correlated fantasy production. In his first two games, Benn has recorded eight shots to go along with five points.
Alexander Radulov (DAL): $6,400 vs. TOR
Often left off stacks, Alexander Radulov is a very important offensive piece to the Stars organization. He can either be stacked with Benn and Seguin, paired with one of the two, or be played as a one-off. Radulov will line up on the first forward line during even strength, while also playing the blue line during the man-advantage. If we like the Stars as a team against Toronto, each player in the top line needs to be considered. There will not be many games this season where Radulov is left off the score sheet.
Teuvo Teravainen (CAR): $5,400 vs. VAN
Playing alongside Aho on the first forward line and the top power-play unit is teammate Teuvo Teravainen. The Finish winger only scored one point in the 8-5 shootout game on Sunday, but he did record four shots. He has a true goal scorer’s instinct and can light the lamp on any given night. This evening, the Hurricanes are in line to be one of the highest scoring teams against Vancouver. In addition to the Canucks traveling out east, Vancouver is currently ranked 25th and 26th in the NHL in goals allowed and shots against allowed, respectively. On the other side, Carolina ranks second overall in shots for per game. Carolina could easily record over 40 shots in this matchup and Teravainen will be in on many of those shots.
Sven Baertschi (VAN): $4,100 @ CAR
Even though the Hurricanes are heavily favored in this game, the Canucks are going to score. The Hurricanes have shown offense this year, however, they are still weak defensively. Sven Baertschi is off to a rough start as he’s yet to record a shot through two games. That being said, last season the winger was close to a point-per-game player and is still recording time on the top power-play unit. What is most important is the salary savings for Baertschi. Rostering the Canuck forward allows relief to pay up for the studs who are in amazing spots.
Defense
Mattias Ekholm (NSH): $4,800 vs. CGY
Basically, Mattias Ekholm is just too cheap. It is no secret the Predators have arguably the best defensive core in the NHL. Ekholm is always forgotten about, for DFS purposes, because he is not thought of as an offensive defenseman. He does not play on the power-play, but he does have a lot of fantasy upside. So far, he is averaging 4.8 DraftKings points per game. He has scored a goal and recorded two assists so far, while also generating three shots and two blocked shots. This is the Preds home opener and the building will be loud. Calgary is in a tough spot tonight against a very good team. Nashville should win this one handily and Ekholm is a great piece for getting exposure.
Morgan Rielly (TOR): $6,000 @ DAL
Even though he is the third most expensive defenseman on the slate, Morgan Rielly is averaging the most DraftKings points per game. Toronto has used the young d-man in a very offensive role where he has now recorded two goals and four assists through just three games. Playing a ton of time on the power-play, Rielly is also averaging over 20 minutes per game. While the Stars should win this game, the Leafs are a juggernaut on offense and Rielly is a big part of it.
Goalie
Pekka Rinne (NSH): $8,400 vs. CGY
It is always hard to pay up for goaltending, however, there are few goalies to feel confident about tonight. As mentioned above, this is the Predators home opener. They are going to be fired up to play in front of their fans. The top four defensemen are some of the best in the NHL. They limit high-quality scoring chances giving their All-Star goaltender a great chance to win every night. The Predators are a -165 favorite tonight and are almost a lock to win at home against the Flames.
Jeremy Maw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Jeremy, check out his archive or follow him @j_maw.
