This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
Braden Holtby, WAS vs. VAN ($8,200) – Goals have not been easy to come by for the Canucks, who have scored just four goals in their past three games. Super rookie Brock Boeser – who's the Canucks' best offensive weapon – has just one goal in his past four games as teams have keyed in on him. Sven Baertschi is back in the lineup, but he'll need to shake off some rust. The Canucks are 0-2 in their road trip so far and playing their third game in four nights, while the Capitals will try to extend their winning streak to five.
CENTER
Blake Wheeler, WPG at BUF ($7,700) – With Mark Scheifele out of the lineup, Wheeler has made a seamless transition to the center of the ice, and he's currently on a six-game scoring streak with five goals and four assists. Neither of Buffalo's top centers, Jack Eichel or Ryan O'Reilly, can match Wheeler's skill or size, so he'll be a handful as the Jets try to push their winning streak to three. The Sabres have lost four straight and allowed 17 goals in that span.
Bryan Little, WPG at BUF ($5,100) – It's slim pickings with just three games Monday and Tuesday, so it's not a bad idea to load up on one of the league's best teams going up against one of the league's worst. Little has been dominant lately, winning 27 faceoffs in his past two games, and scoring three goals and an assist in his past six games. Buffalo's defense hasn't been very good, their goaltending can't steal wins, and their forwards have been ineffective for the most part of the year. Also, with Scheifele out of the lineup, Little has gotten more ice time.
WING
Artemi Panarin, CLS at TOR ($6,300) – The Leafs have limited their opponents to just two goals in each of their past three games, with their most recent win coming against a depleted Canucks squad. Panarin has just one assist in four games even though he's put 18 shots on net, and he's just far too talented to go on an extended slide. Remember that the Leafs defense is playing two youngsters in Connor Carrick and Travis Dermott and a human pylon in Roman Polak. Panarin will most likely see Morgan Rielly or Jake Gardiner, but there's nobody Panarin can't beat one-on-one.
Mitch Marner, TOR vs. CLS ($5,100) – His recent stats (just one assist in three games) belie how well he's been playing of late. He looked good in a 2-0 loss against the Lightning and put in strong games against the Sharks on Thursday and the Canucks on Saturday, even though he failed to stuff the score sheet. The Jackets won't be easy to score on, but it's just a matter of time before the puck starts bouncing in Marner's favor. He's played at least 15 minutes in each of his past six games after spending half of December on the fourth line.
DEFENSE
Dustin Byfuglien, WPG at BUF ($5,400) – He scored his first goal of the season against Buffalo on Friday, so maybe lightning will strike twice. His ice time has fluctuated depending on how many power-play opportunities the Jets get, but even at even strength the Sabres shouldn't pose much of a challenge. The Jets have won five of their past six, and Byfuglien has nine points in 22 career games against the Sabres. Something about Buffalo just brings out the beast in Byfuglien, who also has 62 career PIM against them.
Travis Dermott, TOR vs. CLS ($2,900) – Dermott is a fantastic skater, and the physical embodiment of high-risk, high-reward. He skated 12 very solid minutes in his NHL debut Saturday against Vancouver, dishing out two hits and collected an assist for his first career point. Dermott's skill set will come in handy against the Jackets, who like to play a very fast north-south game; it's the type of game Dermott excels at, and with a strong debut he's earned some trust from Mike Babcock. The Leafs will likely have Morgan Rielly, Jake Gardiner and Ron Hainsey going head-to-head against the Jackets' top lines, which hopefully gives Dermott some easier matchups.
