NHL

3 NHL FanDuel Studs to Target on 8/20/20

Tyler Seguin and the Stars can close out the Flames. Who else should you spend up for tonight?

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-priced 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.

After seemingly non-stop hockey playoff games, Thursday has only two games and starts later in the day. That doesn't mean there aren't a few studs we can pay up for, so let's see who's looking good on this small slate.

Tyler Seguin, Center, Dallas Stars

FanDuel Salary: $7,300

The Dallas Stars have had an up-and-down postseason to this point. They struggled in the round-robin games and then went down 2-1 in this series against the Calgary Flames before winning two games in a row. Tyler Seguin was also up and down as he didn't have any real-world points until game four of this series and also missed a game due to injury. Seguin did have two assists in Game 4 and has three points his last two games. While he hasn't been scoring goals, he is still generating shots with 19 shots on goal in his past six games.

The Stars' offense was a question mark coming into the playoffs, but it has impressed in this series. They have scored five goals in two different games and have won the expected goals battle in four straight games in the series, according to Natural Stat Trick. In Thursday's game, they have the highest implied team total on the slate, per our daily fantasy matchup heat map.

Seguin has the top projection at the center position in numberFire's projections and also is the second-highest projected skater overall. He could be on the verge of a breakout, and the Stars are starting to click at the right time.

Alex Ovechkin, Wing, Washington Capitals

FanDuel Salary: $8,700

The Washington Capitals were on the brink of elimination until Alex Ovechkin took matters into his own hands. He scored the game-tying and game-winning goals, as the Capitals staved off elimination for at least one more game. That doesn't mean they are out of the woods, though, as they;re still trailing 3-1 in the series. Ovechkin was doing his part, firing seven shots at the net in Game 4.

Ovechkin scored one of his goals on the power play, a matchup he can exploit in this game. The New York Islanders' penalty kill has been the third-worst in the postseason. Despite being down in the series, Washington is still a slight favorite to win this game and has an implied goal total of 2.78.

Ovechkin is projected two points more than any other winger on the slate, making him a tough player to fade. With the shot volume he generates, he is virtually a lock for cash games and has great upside for tournaments, as well.

Anton Khudobin, Goalie, Dallas Stars

FanDuel Salary: $8,600

With Ben Bishop still unfit to play, the Stars will continue to use Anton Khudobin as their starting netminder. This is a better situation than if most teams lost their starting goalie, as Khudobin has been solid all season long. His .930% save percentage was among the best in the league, and he ranked third in goals saved above average, ahead of Bishop.

Khudobin has won two straight games and is a favorite to win again in this game. The Flames have the lowest implied team total tonight and could be without Matthew Tkachuk again in this game. Khudobin projects as our number-one goalie on the slate and is worth spending on in this small slate.



Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. 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.