Happy Thursday, everyone! We have 28 of the NHL’s 31 teams in action tonight, giving us all kinds of combinations for FanDuel lineups. As usual, there are some matchups to stay away from that could be low scoring, but there are others that we may want to select players from both teams.
Below is a FanDuel lineup that you can plug in as it is under the budget. If you use the exact lineup, you’ll be under the cap by $500.
Center
Jonathan Toews (CHI) $7,500 vs. VAN
There’s not much thinking behind this one. Patrick Kane is on absolute fire and Jonathan Toews is only benefitting from that even more. The two are feeding off each other, and it’s been fun to watch.
Toews has 11 points in his last five games and is one point shy of being on a point-per-game pace. The Blackhawks have a matchup against the Canucks tonight, and it’s not intimidating. I expect Chicago to keep scoring. Having Toews (and Kane) in your lineup should set you off on the right foot.
Evan Rodrigues (BUF) $3,500 vs. CAR
You’ll have to do a lot of scrolling before you find this player.
Evan Rodrigues had been pretty quiet all season for Buffalo until the last few weeks. Head coach Phil Housley has shuffled some lines and Rodrigues has earned a little more playing time and he’s been providing a decent return.
He has five goals in the last seven games and has looked like a much better player in the second half. He has also had some great opportunities where he just failed to cash in.
Rodrigues is getting some good looks in Buffalo and could be a very sneaky option for just $3,500 tonight against Carolina.
Wing
Patrick Kane (CHI) $9,200 vs. VAN
That’s almost $10,000 for the top player on this list. It’s a big price to pay, but Patrick Kane is playing out of his mind right now. He has 28 points in his last 12 games! I’ll do everything I can to make sure he is in my lineup until he starts cooling off.
By selecting Kane, it does limit what we can do in terms of line stacking, but there are still ways around it. Kane is a sure thing right now and is on pace to set career highs.
Brian Boyle (NSH) $3,500 vs. DAL
There had to be some value picks in here after selecting Kane, and Brian Boyle is one of them. Set to make his Nashville debut after being traded from New Jersey, there may be some extra motivation from Boyle tonight.
He does only have 19 points this season, but Boyle can chip in with blocked shots and may have the opportunity to play on the Predators’ power play.
For the cheap price, I like Boyle finding his first point in blue and gold tonight.
Dominik Kahun (CHI) $4,300 vs. VAN
Who? Exactly. Unless you follow the Blackhawks closely, you may have not even heard of Dominik Kahun. He’s a rookie who has 24 points in 54 games this season and has found himself on Chicago’s second power-play unit lately. With at least 19 FanDuel points in each of the last two games, Kahun is an underrated winger who could find the scoresheet again tonight.
Most of Vancouver’s focus should go toward Kane, and rightfully so, which could allow Kahun to find the twine again. He has four points in his last two games, so he could put a nice run together.
Artemi Panarin (CBJ) $7,900 @ ARI
The Blue Jackets recently snapped a five-game losing streak, but Artemi Panarin never seemed to slow down during it.
With 60 points in 50 games, it’s rare for Panarin to be held off the scoresheet. He has eight points over his last five games and Columbus will be in Arizona later tonight.
The Coyotes rank 20th in goals against and are the worst home team in the league with a 9-12-3 record. The Blue Jackets are trying to hang on to a Wild Card spot as well as move up to a top three spot in the Metropolitan Division. They have a lot to play for and Panarin should continue to be a focal point of that offense.
Defense
Dustin Byfuglien (WPG) $5,500 @ MON
Yes, Dustin Byfuglien will make his return to the lineup tonight after missing 15 games. It’s been a while since he’s played so there could be some rust, but he could still make an immediate impact in his return.
Byfuglien has 29 points in 32 games this season and can do it all. He has the ability to help out frequently in every FanDuel scoring category.
Both Montreal and Winnipeg are 7-2-1 over their last 10 games, so this could be a good battle. It won’t be easy, but I think Byfuglien has a strong night in his first game of 2019.
Rasmus Dahlin (BUF) $4,400 vs. CAR
Making a case for the Calder Trophy, Rasmus Dahlin has been getting more involved lately. His level of confidence has sprung in the second half, and he’s been helping out on the offensive side of things.
Dahlin is up to 29 points in 52 games but has nine of those over the past 10, including a goal during Tuesday’s win over Minnesota.
He gets time on the power play and has been shooting the puck more. To land a couple studs in your lineup, you have to take a hit in other areas, but Dahlin still offers upside tonight despite his lower salary.
Goaltender
Carter Hart (PHI) $8,700 vs. LA
How do you not go with the hot hand? Carter Hart has been unstoppable and so have the Flyers as they are enjoying an eight-game winning streak. Hart is 7-0 in his last seven starts and tonight Philadelphia hosts one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league.
The Kings have scored 125 goals, but have won back-to-back games. Their latest was a 5-1 win over the Devils.
The Flyers have made their way into the playoff race conversation with their recent run and they have a great matchup tonight. Get Hart in the lineup and maybe he can even earn a shutout, something he has yet to do in his young NHL career.
Kevin Freiheit is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Kevin, check out his archive or follow him @kmf418.
