4 NHL FanDuel Values to Target on Wednesday 5/5/21
Rostering low-salary players 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, as there are a lot of lower-salaried options.
Tuesday night grants us an eight-game slate. Let's look at some value picks.
Ryan Hartman, Center, Minnesota Wild
FanDuel Salary: $3,100
Taking a risk on some players is okay. Ryan Hartman, at his price, for the Minnesota Wild is an acceptable choice. If he continues to play 16+ minutes, as he has for three straight games, the hope is that the 2-3 scoring chances created a game of late translates into something tonight versus the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Minnesota Wild can use all the offense they can get against a Vegas Golden Knights team that can score four or five goals at a moment's notice. Lately, Cam Talbot has struggled in goal so the offense is definitely needed (14 goals allowed in last three starts). This option again saves a ton of salary to spend elsewhere.
Another option could be Filip Chytil ($3,900) who may move up from the New York Rangers due to lineup changes and injuries to Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, and others. Victor Rask ($3,900) is also a risky play from Minnesota as well.
Daniel Sprong, Wing, Washington Capitals
FanDuel Salary: $3,700
Would the Washington Capitals consider not playing Alex Ovechkin one more game on Wednesday given the ugliness between the Capitals and the Rangers? It's an excellent question and still a possibility. New York made a statement off the ice and intends to make one on it tonight.
This is a riskier pick than most because Sprong could miss more than hit here. However, he does have five goals in his last five games while exceeding value in four of those contests. That included seven shots on Monday night against the Rangers which got lost in all the Tom Wilson mess.
This nine-game slate has a little bit more value from the wing position. That includes Samuel Blais ($3,600) from the St. Louis Blues and maybe perhaps Jordan Kyrou ($3,400) also from St. Louis.
Justin Faulk, Defenseman, St. Louis Blues
FanDuel Salary: $3,800
Does Justin Faulk become an almost stud-like value option against the Anaheim Ducks tonight?
The St. Louis Blues' defenseman has looked better of late and has five or more shots on goal in three of his last four games. He brought the offense on Monday night as he tallied a couple of assists to go along with five shots and two blocked shots.
The concern is that Faulk has not scored a goal since April 9th against Minnesota where he added two assists? Then again, maybe he is due for a goal. Either way, Faulk has more value and has played over 27 minutes a night in the last four games. Opportunities will be in abundant supply.
Elsewhere, Sean Walker ($3,700) could be worth the danger from Los Angeles. Maybe even Oliver Ekman-Larsson ($3,700) could be a chance worth taking from Arizona tonight against the Kings.
Connor Hellebuyck, Goalie, Winnipeg Jets
FanDuel Salary: $7,000
How does Connor Hellebuyck become an extreme risk choice on Wednesday night? Honestly, it is because Winnipeg has lost seven straight games and the goaltender looks lost searching for answers. He has allowed 21 goals on 140 shots (.850 save percentage) and been pulled once in his last six starts (all losses).
The goalie is a low-salary play because that number has dropped so much the past few weeks. Against the Calgary Flames, the hope is that Calgary will not generate a lot from the goal department. In his last two starts versus the Flames, Hellebuyck has two wins while yielding just three goals.
It is extremely unusual to see Hellebuyck at a salary of around $7,000 but here we are. Winnipeg desperately needs a win to hold off Montreal so the pressure is on.
Who may start from the Arizona Coyotes is a good place to look for alternatives. Darcy Kuemper ($6,900) should have a plus matchup versus Los Angeles tonight.
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.
