This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
Wednesday's modest NHL slate begins at 7:00 p.m. EDT and features four games. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
There's one clear favorite in this slate, which is Vegas at home against the Sharks in what's also expected to be the highest-scoring game (over/under: 6.0 goals). Most lineups will likely prioritize Golden Knights players, but that's not to say there's no value to be found in the other three games. The Wild and Predators are modest road favorites in Arizona and Chicago, respectively, while the Oilers are slightly favored over the visiting Canadiens.
GOALIES
Juuse Saros, NSH at CHI ($7,800): The Predators have had Chicago's number all season, having emerged victorious in all six of their meetings. Saros has played a major role in that success, going 4-0-0 with a 0.98 GAA and .970 save percentage against the Blackhawks. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK vs. SJ ($8,400): Vegas' alternating approach in net is expected to produce a Fleury start next after Robin Lehner handed the Sharks a sixth consecutive defeat Monday. Fleury has allowed just four goals over his personal three-game win streak and has a terrific 20-10-0 record, 2.05 GAA and .925 save percentage overall.
Darcy Kuemper, ARI vs. MIN ($7,300): Whether it's Kuemper or a different option, Arizona's netminder of choice will be an interesting value play at home against Minnesota. While the Wild won Monday in Arizona, Minnesota's still just 11-9-3 on the road as compared to 17-4-0 at Xcel Energy Center.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Alex DeBrincat, CHI vs. NSH ($7,100): DeBrincat's goal in Monday's loss to the Predators stretched his point streak to five games and upped his overall line to 23-21-44 on 42 games. It's looking like last year's 18-goal campaign was an aberration while his 41-goal output in 2018-19 was more representative of the real DeBrincat. Use him accordingly.
Michael Bunting, ARI vs. MIN ($4,700): It seems counter-intuitive that a fourth-line winger is his team's second-priciest forward, but Bunting's not just any fourth liner. While Bunting's sheltered at even strength to minimize the impact of his defensive deficiencies, his excellent shot has him working on the top power-play unit, and Bunting has buried three power-play goals among his impressive seven goals in 11 games this season.
Matt Duchene, NSH at CHI ($3,000): Duchene's capable of much more then he's shown this season, and this could be a good time to buy low on the two-time 70-point scorer. He potted a goal Monday against Chicago in what was Duchene's second game back from a lower-body injury.
Eric Staal, MON at EDM ($3,000): Maybe something about facing the Oilers brings out the best in Staal. He has just two points in nine games since being acquired from Buffalo via trade, and they're both goals against the Oilers. After potting the overtime winner in his only other meeting with Edmonton this season, Staal scored Montreal's only goal Monday. At just $3,000, it could be worth seeing whether this trend will continue for the veteran center, especially since the slumping Canadiens offense isn't exactly teeming with appealing alternatives right now.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Golden Knights vs. Sharks
Chandler Stephenson (C - $4,700), Max Pacioretty (W - $8,400), Mark Stone (W - $7,000)
Vegas' top line should thrive against a Sharks team that's allowing 3.31 goals per game and is 0-5-1 in its last six. Stone (17-35-52 in 44 games) and Pacioretty (22-23-45 in 43) occupy the top two spots on the team in both goals and points. Stephenson's an excellent value option in between the star wingers and has chipped in a serviceable 10-16-26 line in 40 appearances. Pacioretty has a 3-6-9 line in his last five games and Stone comes into this one riding a five-game streak of multi-point performances, making this line a strong choice for the "what have you done for me lately" crowd.
Oilers vs. Canadiens
Connor McDavid (C - $9,100), Leon Draisaitl (C - $8,900), Jesse Puljujarvi (W - $4,200)
So much for Montreal having the Oilers' number. Edmonton cruised to a 4-1 victory when these teams met Monday, led by three points from McDavid and two from Puljujarvi. McDavid and Draisaitl continue to occupy the top two spots in the league points race at 24-50-74 and 22-41-63, respectively, through 44 games apiece. While grabbing both requires a massive monetary commitment, picking one and adding Puljujarvi — who has come on lately with a 3-1-4 line in his last four games — is a sensible strategy.
Wild at Coyotes
Victor Rask (C - $2,900), Kirill Kaprizov (W - $6,900), Mats Zuccarello (W - $5,200)
Minnesota's top line offers a nice mix of productivity and affordability. Kaprizov is the prohibitive favorite to take home the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, as he leads the Wild in both goals (18) and points (37) through 44 games. Zuccarello actually leads the team in points per game at .87 to Kaprizov's .84, and Zucc's 10-17-27 line in 31 games includes a 4-1-5 output in his last five. Rask's deployment between these two star wingers makes him a solid value play.
DEFENSEMEN
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. SJ ($6,000): Theodore's offensive prowess has been on full display of late, as he's compiled six helpers and 20 shots in the past five games, including two assists and four shots Monday against the Sharks. He's likely to be this slate's go-to blue line option in the rematch with San Jose.
Alex Goligoski, ARI vs. MIN ($4,200): Goligoski has caught fire over the past month and is showing no signs of slowing down. He has a 3-10-13 line in his last 14 games yet remains quite affordable at just $4,200, as a slow start that featured just two points through 32 games continues to weigh down his valuation.
Ryan Ellis, NSH at CHI ($4,500): Ellis' ability to contribute across the board makes him a valuable fantasy commodity. He has scored at least 9.9 fantasy points in four of the past five games despite totaling only a goal and an assist in that stretch thanks to 13 shots and eight blocks. More offense should come for Ellis, who has just 11 points in 27 games currently but has averaged .59 points per game since the start of the 2016-17 season.
Mario Ferraro, SJ at VGK ($3,000): If you need someone to fill a cheap spot on the back end or are banking on a Sharks upset, Ferraro could come in handy. His 22:29 of ice time per game is third on the team behind Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson, and while Ferraro's primary focus is defense, he's due to catch a break offensively; the 22-year-old blueliner's 1.9 shooting percentage is the lowest of any Sharks player to score a goal this season.
