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): $7,100 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.
Pierre-Luc Dubois (CLS): $6,100 vs. NJ
Picking up his offense of late, Pierre-Luc Dubois has scored eight points in his last seven games. The young center has had some tough matchups and usually lines up against opposing teams top defensive centers. On home ice, Torts will give Dubois an easier matchup to get his top forwards going against a leaky Devils team.
Wing
Joe Pavelski (SJ): $7,500 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. Pavelski is a great option in a game stack.
Cam Atkinson (CLS): $7,200 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.
Ondrej Kase (ANH): $4,500 @ DET
For salary relief, consider Ducks winger, Ondrej Kase. Now on the second forward line, Kase has found instant chemistry with Adam Henrique. Kase will also play on the top power-play unit and see a lot of opportunities for offensive success. The Red Wings have overperformed this season and are not as good of a team as their record indicates. Anaheim is fighting for a final playoff position in the Pacific division and will need to pull out important wins against inferior teams.
Defense
Brent Burns (SJ): $7,600 vs. PIT
Brent Burns is having another stellar season with San Jose this year and is 18th in the NHL for points scored. Considering he has 62 blocked shots and 168 shots on goal to go along with his 52 points, Burns is averaging the second most fantasy points per game (on this slate). He is expensive but given the scoring structure, Burns worth paying up for.
Shea Weber (MON): $4,900 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): $8,300 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.
