There are 10 games scheduled in the NHL this evening. Although 20 teams will be taking action, there is not a ton to love, offensively, at a glance. A lot of matchups are shaping up to be low-scoring games, with the exception of the late-night hammer. The trade deadline is just over a month away and teams will start looking to shake things up. As always, make sure to confirm lineups before locking in a DFS team. Let’s dive into this slate and find some of the best options.
Center
Logan Couture (SJ): $6,600 vs. PIT
San Jose is hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight in a game which should see the highest goal total. Logan Couture has struggled as of late to put up points as he is now pointless in the last four games. That being said, the pace of play will be increased significantly against the high-flying Penguins. Couture plays on the second forward line but will also see minutes on the top power-play unit, which is as lethal as any in the league.
Max Domi (MTL): $5,200 vs. FLA
Another interesting team to look at for offense tonight is the Montreal Canadiens. Unfortunately, a lot of the skilled forwards do not properly coordinate on the power-play. However, Max Domi is having a great season since being traded from Arizona and will look to add to his 39 points. The Florida Panthers have allowed the third-most goals against in the league and will have a tough test tonight in Montreal. Domi will likely avoid being line-matched against Alexander Barkov, who is an elite two-way center. On the top power-play unit as well, Max Domi will have plenty of opportunities to pay off value and score plenty of fantasy points.
Wing
Joe Pavelski (SJ): $6,900 vs. PIT
Similar to the Montreal Canadiens, the San Jose Sharks have different linemates on the power-play units. While this is certainly not ideal, the Sharks should score more than enough goals in this game where having exposure to multiple lines is a viable strategy. Joe Pavelski does not play with Logan Couture during even strength, however, he will share minutes with the captain on the top power-play unit. Averaging 3.9 DraftKings points per night, Pavelski is a great option in a game stack.
Phil Kessel (PIT): $6,600 @ SJ
In addition to the Sharks, Phil Kessel is a great option as a one-off for the Penguins. While San Jose should have the edge in this game and get the win, Pittsburgh will score some goals and Kessel is among the point leaders on the team. With 51 points in 45 games this season, Kessel is often forgotten about now that he is on the third line. However, he will still play on the top power-play unit, which also features Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. As mentioned in the introduction, there is not a lot to like for offense tonight. This game will feature a lot of offense, though, and considering a game-stack would be wise.
Cam Atkinson (CLS): $7,500 vs. NJ
Considering the Devils are playing their second game of a back-to-back, the top line for Columbus certainly makes for an intriguing DFS stack. New Jersey is a much weaker team on the road (13-5-4 home record versus a 5-15-3 away record) and might not have their legs after traveling into Columbus. Cam Atkinson is the driving force on the Blue Jackets top line as he is approaching the 30-goal mark halfway through January.
Defense
Erik Karlsson (SJ): $6,600 vs. PIT
Of course, if you can afford teammate, Brent Burns, go for it. However, paying $7,000 for a defenseman is hard to swallow. In his own right, Erik Karlsson has really made offensive strides. We would like to see more goals but his 38 assists have him tied for ninth in the NHL. The matchup against Pittsburgh bodes well for Karlsson’s game style where he can utilize his speed.
Shea Weber (MON): $5,100 vs. FLA
The Montreal captain does not necessarily light up the score sheet every night, but he does produce fantasy points every game. Averaging close to 25 minutes of ice-time per game, Shea Weber has been one of the best defensemen in the NHL for the majority of his career and continues to be leaned on by an inexperienced Canadiens team.
Goalie
Sergei Bobrovsky (CLS): $8,200 vs. NJ
Having an inconsistent season would be putting it mildly for the Blue Jacket netminder. We all know that he is capable of shutting any team out. Meanwhile, he has shown extremely sub-par performances. Tonight, Vegas has the Blue Jackets as a -200 favorite at home. The Devils have struggled on the road and Columbus is heating up. The win is almost certain and a good game from Bobrovsky should be in store.
Jeremy Maw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Jeremy, check out his archive or follow him @j_maw.
