This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
Braden Holtby, WAS vs. NJ ($7,900): The Caps are a little banged up but should still be the favorite against the Devils, who have lost three straight and five of their past six. They're also the worst team on the road with just two wins. Holtby is 15-3-3 with a 1.98 GAA in his career against the Devils and comes in hot with four straight wins. Carolina's Curtis McElhinney ($7,700) also has a hot hand and is worth considering, but Holtby is more proven.
CENTER
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS vs. NJ ($5,500): Kuznetsov has yet to be activated off the IR as of Thursday night but practiced in full earlier in the day and is expected to play. It will mark a return after a six-game absence due to a concussion, and will certainly take some pressure off Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin, who's nursing an injury. Kuznetsov went scoreless earlier against the Devils this season but chipped in with four helpers in four games against them last season.
Jared McCann, FLA vs. BUF ($3,500): He scored in back-to-back games before getting shut out by the Ducks on Wednesday, but he also skated over 15 minutes in that game, just the fifth time he's done so this season. The former first-round pick currently plays on the second line with Vincent Trocheck sidelined indefinitely, an opportunity that he'd otherwise likely never get. McCann also provides some added value playing on the second power-play unit.
WING
Mikko Rantanen, COL vs. STL ($7,600): It'd be almost crazy not to pick him. The league's top scorer has 42 points in 25 games this season, which is a pace of 137. He's on a six-game multi-point streak and the Blues are an easy target as losers five of their past six.
Elias Lindholm, CGY vs. LA ($6,500): Playing with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau makes racking up the points a little easier, and Lindholm's got 24 of them, but the biggest change so far has been Lindholm's high-volume shooting. With opposing defenses concentrating on the other two, Lindholm is averaging 2.6 shots per game (he had six against Dallas) and is shooting 16.9 percent, both of which are career highs. He's on pace for over 200 shots and 35 goals this season.
Jesper Bratt, NJ at WAS ($3,600): He's scored goals in back-to-back games and now has seven points in 10 games. He's a fixture with Nico Hischier, and with Taylor Hall joining that line, head coach Peter DeBoer has chosen to stack his talent. The Caps are not an easy opponent, but they're a little banged up and you get pretty good value at this price for Bratt.
DEFENSE
Mark Giordano, CGY vs. LA ($6,300): He's underrated and deserves some early-season Norris consideration given his 24 points, 71 shots, 44 blocked shots, plus-12 and 24 minutes of average ice time. With the Flames' multiple weapons, it's hard to see how Drew Doughty can shut all of them down. Giordano has three points in his past five games against L.A.
Aaron Ekblad, FLA vs. BUF ($4,700): He's on a three-game point streak with two goals and an assist, giving him 10 points on the season. Ekblad may never be a franchise defenseman, but he's still very good at shooting the puck. He has registered a shot every game this season and it'll be even easier against the Sabres, who allow 32.7 per game, seventh most in the league. Rasmus Dahlin ($4,100) is another option with a four-game assist streak.
