5 NHL FanDuel Values to Target on 1/28/21

Spending lower in any daily fantasy lineup is a way to incorporate some diversity into your lineup. In NHL DFS, there is typically more value in this strategy but also a good deal more risk. This is especially true on tonight's larger slate where there are lots of lower-salaried plays. Plugging in these options will afford more chances to play some studs as well.

Thursday night presents one mega slate for DFS players. It is time to hunt for some values.

[Editor's note: The St. Louis Blues and Vegas Golden Knights game has been postponed.]

Boone Jenner, Center, Columbus Blue Jackets

FanDuel Salary: $4,000

So, we head toward the Boone Jenner well one more time on Thursday. He had an assist and a blocked shot on Tuesday against Florida. He played a little over 17 minutes and should still come in around that total on Thursday. That should create enough chances against a Panthers team that loves to give up chances on the road. Florida may be 3-0 but they could easily have lost two of their first three contests.

Value centers are light on this night oddly enough. Jenner has a solid matchup against the Florida middle six, but if one does look around, consider Nick Bjugstad versus the Los Angeles Kings, as Bjugstad has looked better in his last three games and will see some top line ice time here and there.

Jordan Kyrou, Wing, St. Louis Blues

FanDuel Salary: $3,900

Until a team can slow down Jordan Kyrou, the idea is to keep exploiting his underpriced salary. His speed and vision are two great assets that can cause a defense like the Vegas Golden Knights fits. The forward has seven real-world points on the season already.

The St. Louis Blues have some nice weapons offensively, and Kyrou is undoubtedly one of them. The scary part is that the forward averages fewer than 13 minutes of ice time a night. Just imagine if he were to get a top-six role with this club. He already averages nearly three shots a game and three scoring chances a contest. Kyrou will see increased opportunities soon enough and then his salary will rise.

Nick Ritchie, Wing, Boston Bruins

FanDuel Salary: $3,600

Nick Ritchie probably sees less of a role going forward but taking advantage of his hot start is a wise idea tonight. David Pastrnak expects to return on Saturday, and that may affect Ritchie's ice time a little. Currently, he is playing 16-plus minutes a night over the previous three contests.

The danger with Ritchie is what happens when the discipline goes out the window. He has six real-world points on the season and 15 shots with a three-game point streak. When the winger establishes net front presence and crashes the net without losing his discipline, Ritchie becomes a huge asset. Against a Pittsburgh Penguins team that is softer defensively than most, he is one to watch.

Some alternatives could include Jordan Greenway ($3.700), who plays 15-plus minutes a night for the Minnesota Wild, and even Jesse Puljujarvi ($3,800), who has seen some ice time with Connor McDavid of late.

Justin Schultz, Defenseman, Washington Capitals

FanDuel Salary: $4,000

With the Washington Capitals still missing several of their major offensive threats, Justin Schultz has stepped up with points in two straight games and four-plus shots in each contest. This is the type of production that Schultz can provide at times for the Capitals. Despite his defensive faults, the defenseman can at least block a few shots and put up some offensive numbers.

Most forget he still plays over 20 minutes a night, and his salary is lower mostly because everyone focuses on John Carlson when it comes to Washington blueliners. As long as he gets some more of that power play time, Schultz remains a play tonight. That will change over the weekend, so take advantage of the wave and matchup versus a New York Islanders team that is expected to shake things up.

For a safer floor option, there is Alec Martinez, who also happens to have five assists on the season. A higher-risk choice may be Ty Smith, who is much more of a play creator than a shot taker.

Linus Ullmark, Goalie, Buffalo Sabres

FanDuel Salary: $7,100

The goaltending position is full of values on Thursday night. Linus Ullmark expects to get another start but has not been confirmed as of press time. He has two straight wins for the Buffalo Sabres. He has yielded three or fewer goals in all four starts, which keeps the Sabres in games at the least.

Ullmark has faced 30 or more shots in his last three starts, so shot volume has been solid. The New York Rangers have just enough offensive punch in their top-six that Ullmark should see enough work. It becomes a question of whether the Buffalo goalie can make the saves he needs to. When Ullmark does, he is successful. When a bad goal goes in, games often snowball on him.

Chris Driedger is a high-risk play along with Thomas Greiss tonight for the Florida Panthers and the Detroit Red Wings, respectively.

Chris Wassel is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Chris Wassel also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username chriswassel. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.