Below we’ve got a discussion of the best matchups and potential stacks of the day followed by player rankings for Tuesday’s 9-game evening slate of NHL contests on DraftKings and FanDuel.

As always, make sure to check Twitter for any injury news, and check LeftWingLock for starting goalies and line combos.

Game Breakdowns

Winnipeg Jets  @ Toronto Maple Leafs

Vegas has set the total for this contest a six, and that still isn’t high enough. There’s a 100% chance that the over hits in this one, so make sure to load up on as many forwards in this game as possible.

Let’s start with the Toronto side of things. Head coach Mike Babcock has put Auston Matthews and William Nylander together on the third line, which is just perfect. With Mitch Marner out due to injury, the leafs will need someone to step up, and that’s going to be Nylander & Matthews. Not only do the duo play together five-on-five, but they also play together on the second power play unit.

On the flip side, the Winnipeg Jets have a couple of options to choose from. Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine are expected to skate on the second line together, so they are definitely an option to consider. They also skate together on the top power play unit, so that’s an added bonus. Their price tags are a bit high for my liking, but that second line should have no problem dominating Toronto’s weak defensive core.

Speaking of defensive core, Dustin Byfuglien is a stud option to consider. Again, it’s going to be a challenge to fit all these players into one lineup, but this game could easily finish 7-5 for either team.

Los Angeles Kings @ Colorado Avalanche

This is usually the part where I recommend that everyone should stack the team playing against Colorado. Not today. Don’t get me wrong– The Avalanche are a garbage hockey team that would probably lose to an ECHL team at home, but taking into consideration how below-average the Kings are on the road, there’s some potential here for Colorado.

The Avs will most likely match their top line against LA’s top line, so there isn’t much to like about Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon. Their second line of Matt Duchene, Mikko Rantanen and Blake Comeau is a better option, but Rantanen and Duchene play on separate power plays, which extinguishes some of the excitement.

If you loaded up on WPG/TOR players, you’re going to need some cap friendly players, so Rantanen and Mark Barberio are two players worth taking a look at. For Barberio, he’s getting a chance to showcase his skill on the top power play unit and is seeing upwards of 20mins a game. At $3400 on FanDuel, he’s worth the risk.

Speaking of risk, Calvin Pickard is a solid GPP option, but don’t be afraid to use him in cash. The Kings are 27th in GF/60 on the road (5v5 adj.), ahead of only Colorado, Philadelphia and Calgary. That’s #NotGood. Pickard will most likely see a ton of shots, which is a good thing, and if Colorado by some miracle can pull off a 2-1 victory at home, Pickard owners will be beyond happy. It’s a bold risk to take, but it could be the difference between a mediocre GPP and a top-10 finish.

Chicago Blackhawks  @ Minnesota Wild

This game is one that most DFS players will likely pass on, but shouldn’t. The Wild are a high scoring team when they play at home (3.00 GF/60) and Chicago is a middle-of-the-pack team defensively on the road (2.41 GA/60). There is a ton of potential in this game for players to go off, especially on the Minnesota side, so don’t sleep on this game!

Let’s start with Minnesota’s third line of Zach Parise, Jason Pominville and Erik Haula. Pominville and Parise play together on the top power play unit, so they are an option to consider. Parise is slightly overpriced on both sites, so he’s not a “must play” option, while Pominville has a decent price tag, but nothing spectacular. The good news is their ownership will mostly likely be below 10% in almost every GPP, so they should get some consideration for that.

The real bargain in this matchup is Minnesota’s top line, specifically Eric Staal and Charlie Coyle. Both players are very reasonably priced on Fanduel, so you can easily pay up for some superstars and still fit both players in nicely. On top of it all– they join Parise & Pominville on the top power play unit. If you had to pick just one duo, make it the Staal/Coyle one.

Devan Dubnyk is having himself another fantastic season, and that trend should continue tonight. He’s an expensive option, but he’s an elite option, so if you can fit him into your lineup, do it.

Player Rankings

Note: Player rankings are based on projected value, not on who will score the most points.

Centers

1. Auston Matthews–Toronto Maple Leafs
2. Matt Duchene–Colorado Avalanche
3. Charlie Coyle–Minnesota Wild
4. Phillip Danault–Montreal Canadiens
5. Mark Scheifele–Winnipeg Jets
6. Sidney Crosby–Pittsburgh Penguins
7. John Tavares–New York Islanders
8. Ryan Johansen– Nashville Predators
9. Eric Staal–Minnesota Wild

Wingers

1. William Nylander–Toronto Maple Leafs
2. Jonathan Drouin–Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Mikko Rantanen–Colorado Avalanche
4. Nikolaj Ehlers–Winnipeg Jets
5. Patrik Laine–Winnipeg Jets
6. Zach Parise–Minnesota Wild
7. Blake Wheeler–Winnipeg Jets
8. Max Pacioretty–Montreal Canadiens
9. Nikita Kucherov–Tampa Bay Lightning
10. Anders Lee–New York Islanders

Defenceman

1. Mark Barberio–Colorado Avalanche
2. Victor Hedman–Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Dustin Byfuglien–Winnipeg Jets
4. Nick Leddy–New York Islanders
5. Justin Faulk–Carolina Hurricanes
6. Ryan Suter–Minnesota Wild
7. Roman Josi–Nashville Predators
8. Kris Letang–Pittsburgh Penguins
9. Erik Karlsson–Ottawa Senators

Goalies

1. Devan Dubnyk–Minnesota Wild
2. Pekka Rinne–Nashville Predators
3. Cory Schneider–New Jersey Devils
4. Calvin Pickard–Colorado Avalanche
5. Ben Bishop–Tampa Bay Lightning (GPP only)
6. Matt Murray– Pittsburgh Penguins (GPP only)
7. Carey Price–Montreal Canadiens (Gpp only)