4 NHL FanDuel Values to Target on 3/4/21

Spending lower in any daily fantasy lineup is a way to incorporate some diversity into your roster. 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 slate, where there are lots of lower-salaried plays. Plugging in these options will afford you more chances to play some studs, as well.

Thursday night has 10 games on the schedule. Let's take a look at what values we can find.

Jason Spezza, Center, Toronto Maple Leafs

FanDuel Salary: $3,300

The Toronto Maple Leafs center is utilized quite well and continues to pay dividends. He plays only about 11-12 minutes a night but now has 15 real-world points in 23 games on the season. That includes three assists in Edmonton on Wednesday night.

He had five scoring chances in his previous two starts despite those time limitations. Again, Spezza sees power-play time that rivals a top-six player. Give Sheldon Keefe credit for being able to put Spezza in places to excel. Teams still cannot completely slow down Spezza or his linemates when they are on the ice.

If you want to try to get hot value on Thursday night, rostering Filip Chytil against a New Jersey Devils team that has won just twice at home may be worth pondering.

Frank Vatrano, Wing, Florida Panthers

FanDuel Salary: $4,000

So, Frank Vatrano will keep seeing top-six ice time and power-play time with the Florida Panthers. He is also on a three-game goal-scoring streak. Furthermore, he has three-plus shots in each of these games while averaging three scoring chances. Florida goes up against a bottom-five penalty kill in the Nashville Predators. There is a lot to like.

Vatrano is going up against an injured Nashville squad who are missing a few regulars -- Ryan Ellis and Ryan Johansen most notably. Florida is not afraid to shoot the puck with players like Vatrano leading the way. The Panthers lead the league in shots per game at 34.5.

If Vatrano is a little above the salaried budget, Colin Blackwell ($3,800) will have motivation on his mind after a fantasy bagel against the New Jersey Devils.

Mattias Ekholm, Defenseman, Nashville Predators

FanDuel Salary: $4,100

Value is quite intriguing on this slate, and there are lots of options to choose from. Some are traps, and some are not. Mattias Ekholm is one of the top fantasy options for the Predators tonight. He has three goals in his last three games, but more importantly, he has 14 shots and 10 scoring chances. A few seasons ago, Ekholm enjoyed a similar offensive run and then injuries squashed it.

Defensive freedom and utilization are finally on Ekholm's side due to injuries. He is seeing elevated ice time in all situations across the board (21 minutes a night), but even better, Ekholm may be the healthiest he has been in several years. His speed and quick decision-making skills have been on full display and need to be seen more consistently.

Shayne Gostisbehere ($3,900) has four-plus shots in three of his last four games for the Philadelphia Flyers, and Filip Hronek ($3,500) is at the DFS minimum salary on Thursday night for Detroit.

Igor Shesterkin, Goalie, New York Rangers

FanDuel Salary: $7,200

With New Jersey playing disastrously bad at home (2-7-1 with just 18 goals scored), Igor Shesterkin as a projected starter carries far more value into tonight's matchup despite how the first two meetings with New Jersey went (nine goals allowed).

This features risk, as New Jersey does seem to have Shesterkin's number a bit. Again, New Jersey is at home and likely without Nico Hischier. Also, the key may be if the Rangers don't fall behind New Jersey. The Devils are 0-7-1 when tying or trailing after one period. Shesterkin has to make key saves early, which is something he did not do in the first two meetings, or recently for that matter, versus New Jersey.

The goaltending position could see some value open up later. Mackenzie Blackwood is just $6.700 for New Jersey and even Anton Khudobin ($7,400) may have some value from the Dallas Stars.

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.