DraftKings NHL: Friday Values

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Updated on February 17, 2017 12:45PM EST

There are just three games in the NHL on Friday, so it's a shallow player pool. Teams fresh off their five-day bye haven't been steamrolling opponents, but Carolina certainly has a favorable matchup with Colorado, as the Avalanche are on the wrong end of back-to-back games and have lost the first four outings of their current five-game road trip. With that mismatch in mind, here are a number of players across multiple price points to consider at DraftKings on Tuesday.

GOALIE

Cam Ward, CAR vs. COL ($8,200): It's almost impossible to be 55 games deep into a season and have just 109 goals. Colorado is achieving new lows across the board, though, including a league-low 8.69 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes. Turning to Ward is always a risk because of his underwhelming .907 save percentage over the past five seasons. However, you're only looking for him to shine Friday, and the veteran has allowed just four goals over his past three home games. His price may keep his ownership in check, too.

CENTER

Evgeni Malkin, PIT at CLM ($7,700): With consecutive multi-point outings and seven shots on goal through his first two games back from a knee injury, Malkin is back to doing what he does best. His 3.84 points per 60 minutes this season trail only teammate Sidney Crosby among skaters with at least 750 minutes, and Malkin is significantly cheaper. Malkin also shares power-play duties with Crosby on the top unit.

Brandon Dubinsky, CLM vs. PIT ($4,600): Not only is Dubinsky playing well of late (five goals and 14 points through the last 15 games), he also gets fired up when he plays against Sidney Crosby. Dubinsky has a goal and three helpers through two games against Pittsburgh this season, and while chasing narratives can be a fool's errand, this price point actually provides cap relief. The veteran pivot is centering top scorer Cam Atkinson, and he should also carry a low ownership rate.

WING

Jeff Skinner, CAR vs. COL ($5,800): Among all skaters with at least 900 minutes this season, Skinner's 11.87 shots per 60 minutes rank fourth in the league. At this salary, chasing the high-volume shooter is a solid strategy because of the high floor he provides. Additionally, Colorado owns the third-worst team save percentage (.896) and has allowed the most goals per game (3.36) in the league. Skinner's 3.1 shooting percentage over his past 11 games is also eyeing positive regression.

Jussi Jokinen, FLA at ANA ($4,200): Florida is finally healthy, and Jokinen has caught fire to the tune of four goals and seven points through his past six games. Entering the 2016-17 campaign, Jokinen owned a 39th-ranked 2.34 points per 60 minutes among all skaters with at least 4,000 minutes over the previous three seasons. He offers plenty of upside at this budget-friendly salary.

Teuvo Teravainen, CAR vs. COL ($3,900): Projected to center Jeff Skinner at even strength, Teravainen checks out as a low-price flier with upside to stack with Skinner. Teravainen has improved his production over the past two months with 18 points -- six goals -- through 27 games, and he's averaged 2:00 of power-play time during that span. As noted, this is a cushy matchup against Colorado.

DEFENSE

Kris Letang, PIT at CLM ($6,500): As the go-to offensive defenseman on the league's highest-scoring club, Letang warrants nightly consideration, especially in a shallow player pool. Letang has a goal, nine points and 27 shots on net while averaging 25:59 of ice time (2:34 with the man advantage) over his past seven outings, and his 2.09 points per 60 minutes rank second among all defensemen with at least 2,000 minutes over the past two seasons.

Justin Faulk, CAR vs. COL ($5,600): Sticking with top offensive defensemen, Faulk has four goals, nine points, 37 shots and 20 blocked shots while averaging 3:00 of power-play time through his past 13 games. Faulk also owns 1.43 points per 60 minutes over the past three years, which ranks 14th among all rearguards with at least 4,500 minutes, so he presents nice value and upside in this soft matchup.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Neil Parker plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: naparker77, DraftKings: naparker77.