NHL

3 NHL FanDuel Values to Target on Thursday 5/6/21

Chris Wassel  —  @ChrisWasselDFS May 6th, 2021
With six contests on the Thursday night NHL DFS slate, what value plays should we hone in on?

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.

Tuesday night features five games on the NHL schedule. What values may we find?

Dylan Strome, Center, Chicago Blackhawks

FanDuel Salary: $3,700

Choices are slim on Thursday night but Dylan Strome may just center the Patrick Kane line. Keep an eye on this as Strome will see top-six minutes either way since Kirby Dach has been shut down for the rest of the regular season.

The idea is that the Carolina Hurricanes will give up their fair share of scoring chances against this line. Again, Strome has centered the line with Kane before and has had some success.

With fewer choices, this means taking a few more risks is an acceptable scenario.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau ($3,600) is an extreme risk play against a New Jersey Devils team that fares quite poorly against the New York Islanders.

Nils Hoglander, Wing, Vancouver Canucks

FanDuel Salary: $3,700

Nils Hoglander was another solid option on Tuesday night and remains one on Thursday night even on the road in Edmonton. His speed and agility kept the Oilers on their toes most of the night. He has assisted in consecutive games but also fired five shots on seven attempts Tuesday.

With blocked shots in each of the last two contests, Hoglander even adds a little bit more to his floor as well. He has played top-line minutes (18-plus a night) in the last six appearances and expects to do so again tonight.

Now comes the challenge. Nick Ritchie ($3,700) is a good option against a New York Rangers team that has their minds elsewhere. Also, even Cole Caufield ($3,400) is worth a risk as the Montreal forward goes up against Toronto on Thursday night.

Mike Reilly, Defenseman, Boston Bruins

FanDuel Salary: $3,900

Mike Reilly is an assist machine of sorts. The Boston Bruins defenseman will not score goals. He has zero despite a respectable 93 shots on goal this season. Reilly even has five blocks in his last five games. Also, Reilly has averaged 2.5 scoring chances over his past four games.

The matchup is pretty good against a Rangers team that has had their issues defensively of late. Boston can turn on the heat with their top line especially, and Reilly often winds up playing with that line on the ice. Also, he is one of Boston's best, if not the best, puck-moving defensemen.

One question again will be the lesser floor but the salary is reasonable enough to roster the player.

Reliable value defensemen are out there on Thursday night. Connor Murphy ($3,800) expects to block several shots and get several shots on goal from Chicago. Furthermore, K'Andre Miller ($3,600) is playing on the top pair for the Rangers and did not look out of place on Wednesday night versus Washington.

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.