4 NHL FanDuel Studs to Target on 3/1/21

Spending up in any daily fantasy lineup is how to get the superstars and the highest upside players in your lineup. In NHL DFS, it’s different from paying up in sports like NBA or NFL. Someone can be one of the highest salaried players at his position and put up a total dud of a performance, and paying that much for him would be a huge mistake. Let’s make sure we are paying up in the right spots when building our lineups tonight.

Monday night ices seven games on the schedule. Let's dive in.

Connor McDavid, Center, Edmonton Oilers

FanDuel Salary: $9,000

Connor McDavid headlines this slate with the health of Auston Matthews in question on Monday night. The Edmonton Oilers forward had a total dud on Saturday night versus the Toronto Maple Leafs with just one shot and one scoring chance created. That is rare for the center.

The key with McDavid is his ability to bounce back. He had a five-point night (hat trick) versus the Calgary Flames after a bad night last week. Scoreless droughts typically do not last more than a game this season for the center. Utilizing McDavid with cheaper forwards is a way to soften the blow from his salary.

Also, look down a bit to Nathan MacKinnon ($8,400) against the San Jose Sharks. After that, Mark Scheifele ($8,200) goes up against another porous defense in the Vancouver Canucks.

Max Pacioretty, Wing, Vegas Golden Knights

FanDuel Salary: $7,700

So, one of the nicer picks on the night could be Max Pacioretty versus the Minnesota Wild. Minnesota has been giving up chances in bunches but scoring enough to offset their defensive shortcomings. Double-digit high-danger scoring chances allowed have been a common occurrence for the Wild even during their winning streak.

Pacioretty fires the puck like few forwards one will see (think Alex Ovechkin light). In his last five contests, the Vegas winger is averaging 4.2 shots per game and around three scoring chances per contest. That has turned into only two goals and no assists, however. Vegas and Pacioretty will want revenge after getting shut out 4-0 in their previous meeting in Minnesota.

Elsewhere, look at Mikko Rantanen ($8,000) from the Colorado Avalanche for exposure to Nathan MacKinnon. Finally, do not forget a player like Jonathan Huberdeau from the Florida Panthers.

Brent Burns, Defenseman, San Jose Sharks

FanDuel Salary: $6,300

This features some danger, but with San Jose giving up goals in waves (seven versus the St. Louis Blues on Saturday), the offensive point potential gets forgotten. Brent Burns has enjoyed a modest streak of three consecutive games of double-digit FanDuel points.

The best news is the chance for an increased floor. Burns typically plays 26-27 minutes a night for the Sharks because of how few plausible options they have on the blueline. He plays in any and all situations, so he can block six shots in a night as he did versus St. Louis or fire five-plus shots. Colorado does play a bit more wide-open themselves, so Burns could get a few more unblocked shot attempts, which increases his point possibilities.

Of the alternatives, Tyson Barrie ($5,600) enjoys a good matchup and so does Quinn Hughes ($5,500), as the North Division features teams that score an average of 3.23 goals per game.

Marc-Andre Fleury, Goalie, Vegas Golden Knights

FanDuel Salary: $8,500

Marc-Andre Fleury is projected to start on Monday night against the Minnesota Wild. The high-flying Wild should be able to generate enough shots to validate rostering Fleury. Fleury has won four of his last six starts while posting two shutouts. Vegas allows just over two goals a game at home, just 27.1 shots per game (3rd best), and has an 87.5% penalty kill (4th).

Wait to see who else starts when it comes to looking for viable alternatives among the studs. There is plenty of risk on this seven-game slate, and so far, Fleury seems to be one of the better options. Cam Talbot is a risky alternative but the Minnesota goalie should see 30-35 shots.

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.