There are plenty of players and teams to analyze and insert into lineups during Tuesday’s busy ten-game slate in the National Hockey League. First, of course, a few marquee matchups, including Carolina versus Tampa Bay, could produce quite a bit of offense. But, as we’ve seen, any team can win on any given night, so targeting players who get the most opportunities in the offensive zone, as well as rostering overlooked players who skate on the second or third line, creates a good balance heading into the fourth week of the 2022 NHL season.
Here are some of my favorite players to target to construct winning lineups that will cash out by the end of a busy Tuesday night across the league.
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Recommended Plays: DraftKings
DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000
Aleksander Barkov (C – FLA): $7,200
Florida is off to a hot 10-1-1 start to their season, primarily due to the play of first-line center Aleksander Barkov, who has 13 points, including seven goals, through the first month of the season. The 26-year old center has a six-game point streak entering Tuesday’s road contest against the New Jersey Devils. He averages over 22 minutes of time on ice this season and has scored five goals in three of his last four games while peppering the goal with shots. There is little to dislike about rostering Barkov other than a high salary, which is justified by his heavy involvement in the offensive zone and recent scoring production. Plug him into lineups and watch the points pile up.
Jesse Puljujarvi (RW – EDM): $5,100
Jesse Puljujarvi might be only 23 years old, but he is playing like a savvy veteran as of late. Edmonton is currently riding a four-game winning streak and has a plus-seventeen goal differential, placing the Oilers at the top of the Pacific Division with a 9-0-1 record. Even more enticing for rostering Puljujarvi is the fact that he has poured in three goals in his last two games, ending a two-game point slump and showing the talent the young winger possesses. He certainly benefits from skating alongside star center Connor McDavid (C – EDM) and additional minutes on the Oilers’ second powerplay unit, meaning Puljujarvi is worth every penny in Tuesday lineups.
Cam Fowler (D – ANA): $5,100
Don’t look now, but the Anaheim Ducks find themselves in the midst of a four-game win streak of their own. Overshadowed by Edmonton, the Ducks have a plus-five goal differential despite finishing in the league’s basement last season. An intriguing player to focus on is second-line defenseman Cam Fowler, who has four assists in his previous four games, adding at least one blocked shot in this span as well. He has a high floor and a nose for setting up goals in the offensive zone, which can be tied to Fowler skating on the Ducks’ top powerplay unit. Fowler is right in the middle of the salary range for a defenseman and has shown enough production in recent outings to warrant plugging into lineups against Vancouver on Tuesday night. Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (G – VAN) should get the start in the net and has allowed three goals in consecutive starts, meaning Fowler has a high probability of extending his point streak via assist.
Jeremy Swayman (G – BOS): $8,600
In the first month of the season, Boston has dealt with some bad losses and still struggles to produce offense, totaling 25 goals entering Tuesday’s home matchup against a bad Ottawa Senators team. While the offense still has things to figure out, goaltending has been their strength, with Linus Ullmark (G – BOS) and Jeremy Swayman. The 22-year old netminder is 2-2 with a 2.28 GAA in four starts behind Ullmark this season and will face a vulnerable opponent to pad his stats and earn his third win. It’s a pricey endeavor, but Swayman is a low-risk, high-ceiling prospect to plug into lineups on Tuesday night.
Recommended Plays: FanDuel
FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000
Ryan O’Reilly (C – STL): $6,700
In his first game back from the COVID-19 protocols, St. Louis Blues first-line center Ryan O’Reilly was relatively quiet and held without a point. This is not shocking, as he was out for four games and dealing with an illness. Before his absence, the 30-year old had a point in all five games to start the season. The Blues have one of the most potent offenses in the league with 37 goals, so O’Reilly will undoubtedly have enough opportunity to yield a point or two against Jets’ goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (G – WPG) on Tuesday night. Hellebuyck has a 3.42 GAA in seven starts this season, meaning O’Reilly is a solid investment to make ahead of the 8 pm ET puck-drop.
David Perron (RW – STL): $7,400
Despite playing in his 15th season, David Perron has been a point machine, totaling three assists in his last four games while producing a three-goal hat trick against the Los Angeles Kings earlier in the season. Skating on the top powerplay unit allows Perron to receive great opportunities in the offensive zone, where he already has established chemistry with linemate Ryan O’Reilly. Stacking skaters on the same line is a solid strategy to increase the probability of double-dipping on points whenever a goal is scored. Considering St. Louis is one of the best offenses in the league and O’Reilly’s recent return from COVID-19 protocols, Perron is worth the high salary in Tuesday lineups, especially when pairing him with O’Reilly against a mediocre goaltender.
Alex Pietrangelo (D – VGK): $6,300
Vegas has gotten off to a sluggish start, but it’s not due to a complete lack of offense. Instead, the goaltending has surrendered 39 goals to leave the Golden Knights with a minus-five goal differential entering Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Not often is it a wise decision to plug expensive defensemen into DFS lineups. However, first-line defenseman Alex Pietrangelo should be excluded from this approach. The 31-year old has four points in his last three games, including two goals and a multi-point outing, while skating a whopping 25 minutes of time on ice per game. Adding in the two or more blocked shots Pietrangelo’s accounted for in four of his last five games is just icing on the cake, raising his floor even higher than it already would be with his offensive production. So pay up and enjoy Pietrangelo facing off against Philipp Grubauer (G – SEA), who has a 3.53 GAA in his last two starts in the crease.
Mikko Koskinen (G – EDM): $8,100
33-year old netminder Mikko Koskinen is not the best at his position in the league. However, he plays on arguably the most explosive offense. Rostering goalies who win is the most significant factor to review, as a win yields 12 points on FanDuel, which counters three or fewer goals allowed during the game. Koskinen allowed five goals in his most recent start but still managed to win due to the Oilers’ offense. Koskinen is 7-0 due to the offense but also has a 2.54 GAA and a .920 save percentage on the season, which is pretty solid in and of itself. Detroit finds itself on a two-game winning streak. Still, they have a minus-five goal differential, meaning Edmonton’s offense should take care of business as usual, paving the way to another strong outing for rostering Koskinen in Tuesday lineups.
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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_.
