NHL

5 NHL FanDuel Values to Target on 10/17/19

Ryan Sheppard Oct 17th, 2019
Phillip Danault is centering the top line for Montreal, making him a solid value target. Which other low-cost players should you check out?

If you follow the NHL, you already know all of the top players. Obviously, when playing DFS, these players will come at a high cost. In this article, we are looking to find the cheaper value plays to help you afford the superstars.

Phillip Danault, Center, Montreal Canadiens

FanDuel Price: $4,900

Phillip Danault is centering the top line for the Montreal Canadiens with Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher on his wings. In addition, he plays on the second power-play unit, which on the surface may not seem that great as it is not the top unit, but the Habs seem to split the power-play units pretty evenly, so he gets plenty of time on the man advantage.

The Canadiens host the Minnesota Wild, a team that has looked pretty terrible this season. They are allowing 4.17 goals per game, which is the third-most in the NHL. The Wild are surrendering 31.8 shots against per game, which is pretty average, so this goes to show that their goaltending has struggled mightily this season.

Anthony Duclair, Winger, Ottawa Senators

FanDuel Price: $3,600

Playing on the top even-strength line as well as the top power-play unit is typically a fantastic role to have. However, when it is for the Ottawa Senators, the excitement has to be taken back a bit. Either way, this is the role that Anthony Duclair has found himself in this year, and he is way too cheap, all things considered.

This is a difficult matchup on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights, but even in this tough spot, Duclair is going to be given every opportunity to succeed. The Golden Knights have allowed a surprisingly high 33.3 shots against per game, the seventh-most in the NHL.

Duclair is the third-best point-per-dollar winger value on the slate, per our projections, so regardless of the difficult matchup, the value is intriguing.

Ilya Kovalchuk, Winger, Los Angeles Kings

FanDuel Price: $4,400

He certainly doesn't shoot at the rate that he used to, but Ilya Kovalchuk is off to a much better start to this season than he was last year. With six points in six games, Kovalchuk has settled into a third-line role at even strength while getting plenty of power-play time.

The matchup tonight probably is not the most ideal as the Buffalo Sabres are off to a fantastic start, but they are also on the tail-end of a back-to-back, putting them at a disadvantage. The Sabres are going with their better goalie in Carter Hutton this evening, but hopefully the Kings can get a few past him.

P.K. Subban, Defense, New Jersey Devils

FanDuel Price: $5,000

The New Jersey Devils are the only team in the NHL without a win -- something that is very disappointing for a team that came into the season full of hype. P.K. Subban was definitely expected to bounce back for a much more offensively dynamic season, but thus far, that has not happened. He is getting plenty of power-play time, as he leads the team in power-play minutes per game, but the Devils just cannot get much going.

A matchup against the New York Rangers is relatively neutral, but the price for the skill level here is absolutely worth rolling the dice on, because the upside for Subban is among the highest for defensemen.

Matt Dumba, Defense, Minnesota Wild

FanDuel Price: $4,500

Mathew Dumba is the second-best point-per-dollar defenseman value on the slate, per our projections, which makes this a bargain price for a player with a ton of offensive upside. The Wild have looked dreadful this campaign, but Dumba plays a ton of minutes, including the top power-play unit.

The Habs will have Carey Price in net tonight, but he has struggled this season with a 3.33 goals against average and .896 save percentage in five games. The sample size is small, of course, but it's still worth noting that the Habs have not looked great defensively as they've allowed 35.3 shots against per game, fifth-most in the NHL.


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