Eight games comprise Tuesday’s NHL DFS slate. It’s been a fun few days for upsets in the league, most notably, the Arizona Coyotes, who won 4-2 as massive underdogs against Toronto on Monday night. Boston is rolling behind David Pastrnak (RW – BOS) to the tune of a 3-0 start, while Carolina, Dallas, and Vegas are the remaining 3-0 teams entering Tuesday night. It’s super early in the season but there are teams raising eyebrows for good and bad reasons. Detroit’s offseason moves appear to be paying off, as they are +5 in goal differential with Ville Husso (G – DET) in the crease, while Columbus splurged on Johnny Gaudreau (RW – CBJ) only to wind up 0-3 with a -9 goal differential.

Edmonton and Tampa Bay are the clear-cut favorites to win their Tuesday matchups, so targeting players on these rosters will be a great way to build foundations in DFS. Ottawa is a surprising -125 on the moneyline against an undefeated Boston Bruins team, while seven of the total point lines are set at six goals or higher. It’s a great time to dive into NHL DFS lineups if you’re new, as the production should be rampant on a busy Tuesday night.

Let’s explore a few of my favorite players to insert into lineups on each respective DFS site based on opportunity, value, and production.

Check out today’s One-Timer contest from FanDuel

Recommended Plays: DraftKings

DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000

Leon Draisaitl (C – EDM): $7,800
Edmonton has split its two games one a piece, but the Oilers have one of the most prolific center duos in the league. Leon Draisaitl skates on the second-line attack and is featured on the top powerplay unit, where he’s been able to generate high-end production. Draisaitl has at least two points in both games this season and will face a Buffalo Sabres team that has allowed five goals through two games. Draisaitl is the cheaper option, so fire him up in Tuesday’s lineups.

Claude Giroux (RW – OTT): $5,500
The veteran winger spent time in Philadelphia for 15 years but he was briefly sent to Florida to end the final 18 games of last season. Claude Giroux signed with Ottawa in free agency and is currently earning minutes on the second powerplay unit and second-line attack. Through two games, Giroux has begun heating up, held without a point against Buffalo but scoring a goal and another assist against Toronto on Saturday. It’s a tough task against an undefeated Boston team but the Senators are favored on the moneyline, which makes me like Giroux’s outlook on Tuesday night.

Ryan Pulock (D – NYI): $4,300
Looking for a nice, cheap defenseman to plug into DraftKings lineups? 28-year-old Ryan Pulock is the guy to target. Especially against San Jose, who is struggling to generate offense, Pulock can rack up another assist and a few blocked shots to provide double-digit DFS point production.

Andrei Vasilevskiy (G – TB): $8,500
Tampa Bay is a massive favorite against Philadelphia, with the point total set at 6.5 goals. Star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is a massive piece to the Lightning’s success and while he was outplayed by Igor Shesterkin (G – NYR) in an Eastern Conference Finals rematch in the first game last week, Vasilevskiy bounced back with a nice performance against Columbus, allowing two goals on 28 shots in a 5-2 win. The Flyers are 2-0 with a plus-four goal differential but Vasilevskiy is battle-tested and a proven commodity in DFS lineups, especially in matchups where his team is a heavy betting favorite.

Recommended Plays: FanDuel

FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000

Elias Pettersson (C – VAN): $7,400
Vancouver has not been able to find its first win yet but that doesn’t matter in DFS. Elias Pettersson has been heavily involved through three games, scoring goals against Edmonton and Washington, while taking at least three shots on goal. Pettersson’s most recent production is exciting ahead of a plus matchup against the anemic defense of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He’s expensive based on Sunday’s production but as long as Pettersson stays involved within the Canucks’ offense, he’ll return good value.

Jesper Bratt (W – NJ): $6,400
New Jersey made a ton of moves this offseason, making Jesper Bratt a seasoned veteran on one of the league’s youngest teams. The 24-year-old winger has yet to score a goal this season but he’s managed to finish with at least one assist in both outings against Philadelphia and Detroit. The Devils have only scored four goals this season, so with Bratt accounting for three points on four of these scoring possessions, it’s a good sign ahead of Tuesday’s home matchup against Anaheim.

Darnell Nurse (D – EDM): $6,600
Edmonton is a high-scoring offense, so naturally, the defensive players benefit too. This is the case for Darnell Nurse, who skates over 23 minutes on average time on ice, leading to plenty of blocked shots and good looks on the net. Nurse scored a goal and another assist in the Oilers’ season-opener, but was held to five blocked shots against Calgary on Saturday. Nurse is worth spending up on ahead of a tilt with the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.

Jacob Markstrom (G – CGY): $8,300
Calgary dealt a lot of pieces this offseason, which made a lot of us question how good the Flames would be in 2023. As it turns out, the right decisions were made. Calgary is off to a 2-0 start with a +3 goal differential, with 32-year-old netminder Jacob Markstrom getting his second start in the crease this season. He played out of his mind for large stretches in 2022 and pulled out a 5-3 win against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche last week. Fresh legs and a plus matchup against Vegas make Markstrom a highly coveted asset in FanDuel lineups.