It took 18 consecutive losses before the Buffalo Sabres finally eradicated their losing woes in a 6-1 shellacking of the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night. Week 12 rolls into Thursday with a nine-game slate that offers several matchups we previously saw play out on Tuesday. Will the Blue Jackets pull off another surprise upset over G Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Tampa Bay Lightning? Does Blackhawks G Kevin Lankinen go for 30+ saves and a .969 save percentage again to defeat the Hurricanes and keep Chicago in the playoff hunt? Is it possible Buffalo carries the momentum from their win last night into Thursday’s home-ice matchup against the red-hot New York Rangers?
With numerous storylines to follow and value plays to target when constructing your lineups, let’s have a look at a few skaters that should cash for you while remaining undervalued.
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Center
Ryan Strome (NYR): $6,100 @ BUF
The 27-year old centers the Rangers’ second-line alongside talented LW Artemi Panarin, earning additional minutes on the top power-play unit. Strome has at least a point or more in nine consecutive games and should be in line for a multi-point game against the worst team in the league when they travel to play the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night. The Sabres are expected to start reserve G Dustin Tokarski, who has a 4.11 GAA and .890 SV% in just two starts this season, creating a massive opportunity for all six skaters on the Rangers’ top two lines to generate huge production. Strome is a consistent point scorer and is a good value play in your lineup, averaging over 19 minutes of time on ice (ATOI) across his last four starts.
Wing
T.J. Oshie (WSH): $4,600 @ NYI
T.J. Oshie is a ridiculous value play in your lineups against the New York Islanders on Thursday night. The 34-year old American skates on Washington’s first line and the top power-play unit, averaging over 18 minutes of time on ice with 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) on 65 shots on goal. The Islanders’ netminder G Semyon Varlamov plays solid in between the pipes and will present a solid challenge for Oshie, Alexander Ovechkin, and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Still, their collective offensive talent is among the best in the league, making for an intriguing game to watch unfold. Oshie has two goals and three assists across his last three games and managed to light the lamp in his last outing against the Islanders, making him a great value add to your lineups on Thursday night.
Defense
John Klingberg (DAL): $5,700 @ NSH
Dallas is coming off a disappointing overtime loss against the Predators during their previous matchup on Tuesday, which saw John Klingberg net an assist on the top power-play unit. The 28-year old Swedish defenseman has totaled a point in four consecutive games and has an extremely high 24:44 ATOI across his last four games. Skating on the Stars’ top defensive line and the top power-play unit has allowed Klingberg to manage 70 shots on goal and 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in 32 games this season. Klingberg is a worthy defenseman to insert into your Thursday lineups in the second game of this series, despite drawing a tough goaltender matchup against Nashville G Juuse Saros.
Goalie
Casey DeSmith (PIT): $7,600 @ BOS
Pittsburgh has the luxury of seeing both of their goaltenders overcome early struggles, elevating their play in the net during recent stretches. The 29-year old DeSmith is expected to start on Thursday against Boston, one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league this season. The Bruins have scored an average of 2.75 goals per game, well under the league average (2.91), which drives up DeSmith’s value in your lineup on Thursday night. He has a 1.91 GAA with a .929 SV%, earning eight wins in 11 starts for the Penguins. DeSmith also has two shutouts across his last six starts, allowing more than one goal only once during this same stretch. Since the play of the goalie you opt to roster in DFS dictates a lot of the scoring production in your lineup due to the possibility of earning bonus points from a win or shutout, DeSmith should be a lock in your lineups at this salary.
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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.
