DFS Lines to Target: 03/04/20

It’s a typically slow Wednesday in the NHL with just four game on the slate. I’ve highlighted my favourite high-priced and value stacks of the night below. Good luck!

High-Priced

Colorado 1 – @Gabriel Landeskog ($6,200), @Nathan MacKinnon ($8,500), @Vladimir Namestnikov ($3,500)

Colorado’s top line looks like the safest bet you can make on tonight’s slate. Namestnikov played his first game on MacKinnon’s line against Detroit on Monday and immediately capitalized. He scored a goal on the only shot he took in fifteen and a half minutes of ice-time. Namestnikov’s shot volume leaves a lot to be desired, but his time in Tampa Bay proved he’s capable of producing when given the chance to play with premier talent. Landeskog and MacKinnon have continued to dominate play at 5v5 in the absence of @Mikko Rantanen. The two have played 198 5v5 minutes without Rantanen this season, averaging 31 scoring chances while surrendering just 21 to their opposition. Colorado 1 obviously possesses more upside with a healthy Rantanen, but Namestnikov keeps the price of the full-stack within reason.

For just $18,200, the MacKinnon line can easily return value in a cushy matchup against the Ducks tonight. Head coach Jared Bednar has opted to shelter his top line of late, matching them up against opposing third lines. Anaheim’s third line, centered by @Sam Steel, has been rather mediocre at even strength this season. Steel and his line-mate @Max Jones have posted a pedestrian 47.23 xGF% together at 5v5, and that’s with playing primarily against bottom-six players. You can expect MacKinnon and company to take advantage of their lopsided matchup tonight.

Value

Calgary 2 – @Matthew Tkachuk ($6,300), @Mikael Backlund ($5,500), @Andrew Mangiapane ($4,000)

Calgary’s second line has been seeing plenty of ice-time of late, but their price-tag is lagging behind the increased usage. Tkachuk, Backlund, and Mangiapane are creating a ton of offense despite being deployed in a shut-down role, and you can expect them to get back on the scoresheet tonight. They laid an egg in Florida on Sunday after combining for six goals and eight assists in their previous three games. The three of them have been an absolute force at 5v5 this season, with a 56.02 CF% and a 57.54 SCF% to show for it. That kind of puck-dominance combined with their heavy usage leaves Calgary 2 with a lot of upside in tonight’s game against the Blue Jackets.

Backlund’s line is routinely used against the opponent’s best on home-ice, so you can expect them to see a lot of the @Pierre-Luc Dubois line tonight. Dubois is expected to have @Alexander Wennberg and @Emil Bemstrom on his wings. Dubois hasn’t played with Wennberg a lot this season, but he has played over 170 minutes with Bemstrom. They’ve posted a mediocre 50.32 xGF% despite taking almost half their faceoffs in the offensive zone. Simply put, the Dubois line doesn’t pose much of a threat to Calgary 2’s puck possession tonight. Throw in the power-play usage, and it’s hard not to play the full stack for just $15,800.