NHL DFS Plays: August 4th (Day 4)

Line Stacks

Columbus 1 —Texier ($2,800) – Dubois ($5,300) – Bjorkstrand ($6,400)

The Blue Jackets did a terrific job limiting the Maple Leafs in Game 1 but CBJ1 was very noticeable at even-strength. They finished the game with a team-high seven scoring chances and posted a strong 58.62 CorsiFor% while playing primarily against the Auston Matthews line. It’s not expected to be a high-scoring game but if Columbus is going to score a couple of goals, there’s a good chance that it comes from the Dubois line. Texier’s near-bottom salary opens the door to pair this line with Zach Werenski or Seth Jones, who they play more than half of their 5v5 minutes with.

Nashville 1 — Forsberg ($5,600) – Johansen ($4,200) – Arvidsson ($4,500)

The Predators got off to a really slow start in Game 1 but once they settled in, they dominated the second half of the game, out chancing the Coyotes 14-to-7 in the second and third periods. Their top-line was specifically dominant, posting a 68.18 CF% and combining for 13 shots on goal. Forsberg scored two goals on seven shots and will be relied upon heavily to get the Predators back into this series. If you’re going to leave a player off of this stack, it should be Johansen.

Calgary 1 — Gaudreau ($5,700) – Monahan ($4,900) – Lindholm ($4,900)

Aside from an unassisted gift of a goal from Lindholm, Calgary 1 was a huge disappointment on Monday. Luckily for the Flames, they get a chance to bounce-back right away and that gives the Jets ailing forwards no time to rehab. Calgary 1 didn’t have a bad game, posting a 64.29 CF% but couldn’t convert their chances. They remain super cheap tonight and all play together on the top power-play in a penalty-filled series.

Carolina 2 — Niederreiter ($3,100) – Trocheck ($4,500) – Necas ($2,900)

CAR2 had a terrific Game 1 but was completely invisible in Game 2. The reason I’m listing them after an ugly game is because they are still a talented line, correlate together on Carolina’s PP2 and come in ridiculously cheap. This is a cheap dart throw that could link up for a goal and allow you to mix in a bunch of other high-priced pieces.

Defensemen

Ryan Ellis — NSH ($6,000)

Ellis doesn’t see power-play time with NSH1 but he’s a lot more affordable than Roman Josi ($7,200) and plays a ton with them at even-strength. He’s a do-it-all defenseman that logs heavy minutes, loves to shoot the puck and isn’t afraid to sacrifice the body to block shots. He had one goal, five shots and two blocks in over 26 minutes for 21.6  DK Points in Game  1.

Erik Gustafsson — CGY ($3,600)

Gustafsson has been underwhelming through two games, getting just five shots on net for an average of  3.75 DK Points per game. Still, his price is $200 cheaper than yesterday and he remains on the top power-play with all three members of CGY1. He logs enough minutes at  5v5 to make him a no-brainer if you’re going to Calgary tonight.

Goalies

Cam Talbot — CGY ($7,700) / David Rittich ($7,500)

Talbot made some big saves in Game 2 but it wasn’t enough to propel his team to a second-straight win. The Jets pulled out a win with a  gutsy effort but it’s going to be hard to pull it off two days in a row. They’re extremely shorthanded and the Flames have to look better today than they did in Game 2. Given that it’s a back-to-back, we could see Rittich start for the Flames and either way, I like their goalie tonight.

Alex Stalock — MIN ($7,100)

I touted Stalock prior to Game 1 and it paid off handsomely. The Wild is a lockdown defensive team that makes life easier for their goalie and Stalock delivered a 28-save shutout. He’s now the cheapest goalie on the slate and a solid option playing behind one of the most responsible teams in hockey.