Saturday Night DFS: Nylander looks to extend goal streak against Senators

It’s great to have NHL DFS back on a Saturday night, isn’t it?

The All-Star Game provided enough hockey to get us through the weekend but let’s be honest: a Saturday is not the same without some DFS on Yahoo.

With 11 games on the main slate, we’ve got a whole lot of hockey to enjoy. Here are my recommendations for your lineup.

The Value Guys

These are the players that are not the most or least expensive on the board, but solid options for your lineup.

C Sean Monahan, CAL vs. EDM ($19)

The last time the Calgary Flames squared off against the Edmonton Oilers, Monahan made his presence felt with his fists.

There are reasons to believe that the 25-year-old can make an impact on the scoreboard this time around. For starters, he’s recorded eight shots over his past three games, ranking second among Flames forwards in that span. Additionally, his career post-All-Star Game numbers are quite good. He’s averaged .71 points prior to the mid-season break and .90 points following the event. The Oilers playing their second game in as many nights will also be working in his favour.

W William Nylander, TOR vs. OTT ($22)

Nylander has been absolutely tearing it up lately for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Behind Auston Matthews, he’s been the team’s best player. The 23-year-old is currently riding a five-game goal streak and has been shooting the puck like a mad man. Nylander has put 26 shots on goal over his past six games and that figures to continue against the Ottawa Senators, who have allowed the third-most shots against in the NHL with an average of 33.6 per game.

D Erik Karlsson, SJS vs. TBL ($20)

We can all clearly agree that Karlsson has not looked anything like the player we all remember him being. That being said, he’s also not priced like the player he used to be, coming with an affordable $20 price tag. He hasn’t gone off recently but he’s consistently found the stat sheet, notching a point in eight of his last 10 games. Drawing the Tampa Bay Lightning is not favourable, but the Bolts will be playing their second road game in as many nights, so that should help Karlsson’s case.

G Philipp Grubauer, COL @ PHI ($30)

After a rough stretch that saw Grubauer win just two games in 10 appearances, the German goaltender has won a pair of starts, including his first shutout of the season against the Sharks. His opponent on Saturday, Philadelphia, just dropped an emotional contest to the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime on Friday and will have to travel back home for this game. This seems like a solid spot for Grubauer.

Offence to Stack

When a team is having a good night offensively you want to have as many pieces as possible. Stacking an offence can be a rewarding strategy.

Toronto Maple Leafs

C John Tavares ($29) + C Alex Kerfoot ($15) + W William Nylander ($22)

Based on affordability, I really like the idea of loading up on Toronto’s second line.

Kerfoot’s price tag is more than reasonable, especially when considering he has notched a point in three-straight games. The spot at home against a Sens team that played the night before is also appealing and should be a get-right game for Tavares. The talented Maple Leafs centre has gone three-straight games without a point, but that could certainly change this Saturday.

Expensive, But Worth It

Sometimes you can’t help but spend a decent amount of your budget to get elite fantasy production.

Mika Zibanejad, NYR @ DET ($29)

DJ ZBad got the best of the Detroit Red Wings in Friday’s matchup, tallying a goal and two assists. Given Detroit’s defensive struggles in 2019-20, it’s not hard to imagine he has similar success on Saturday.

Detroit has the worst penalty kill in the NHL, and Zibanejad took advantage of that by notching a power-play marker on Friday. The Red Wings don’t appear to have an answer for the elite talents the Blueshirts have on offense.

Chasing the Cheap Win

It may be silly, but when selecting a goalie the first question running through your mind should be: What is his team’s chance to win?

Henrik Lundqvist, NYR @ DET ($27)

I’m not going to get too in-depth when discussing why you should start Lundqvist, because it’s pretty simple. He gets to play against the Red Wings, and although Hank hasn’t been at his best recently, the Rangers should find a way to gather another pair of points against Detroit.

Cash Savers

Spent some major cash on some potential game-changers? These inexpensive players can help fill out the rest of your lineup.

C Nazem Kadri ($17)

C Alex Kerfoot ($15)

W Ondrej Kase ($15)

W Pavel Buchnevich ($14)

W Andrew Mangiapane ($12)

W Kailer Yamamoto ($11)

D Jakob Chychrun ($15)

D Mike Reilly ($14)

More fantasy hockey coverage from Yahoo Sports