This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
New Year's Day only had one game -- the Winter Classic -- but it had everything. Fights, ejections and a two-goal lead blown. We're back to crowded slates, though, as 24 teams will gear up tonight. The premier matchup is between the Blues and Avalanche -- the top two teams in the Western Conference -- and there will be plenty of fantasy-relevant action in that contest. Read on to check out the rest of the slate as well.
GOALIES
The most expensive option is Jordan Binnington ($9,000) despite a road matchup against the league's highest-scoring offense (3.60 goals per game). Binnington has beat the Avalanche twice at home this year with a .934 save percentage between the outings, but the Avs are fully healthy now, so it's tough to justify that price tag.
Tristan Jarry ($8,800) is just a hair cheaper, but his matchup is way more favorable. The Sharks are in a major slump, as they've lost 11 of their last 13 games, including their last five road outings where they totaled five scores.
Antti Raanta ($7,800) looked quite comfortable as the starter Tuesday, shutting down the defending champs to just one goal on 39 shots. He'll look to carry the momentum into Thursday's home clash against the lowly Ducks, who rank 24th over the last two weeks with just 2.28 GF/60 at even strength, per Natural Stat Trick. Raanta is an intriguing low-cost option.
A high-risk play is Elvis Merzlikins ($7,100), but the upside is tournament-winning for a low-owned player. Perhaps the pressure has been relieved after Joonas Korpisalo's injury, as Merzlikins is coming off his first NHL win where he steered away 36 of 37 shots. And the Bruins haven't been themselves lately, losing five of the last seven at home.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jake Guentzel's long-term injury is just another hurdle the Penguins will have to get over, and Alex Galchenyk ($4,200) will get the first crack at the top line alongside Evgeni Malkin. Galchenyuk's struggling this year, but he's posted three points over the last three games, and a matchup against the Sharks' putrid crease offers plenty of bang for your buck.
Young stud Jack Hughes ($4,600) looks better every day. He averaged 2.6 shots per game in December, and he's started a whopping 70.2 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. The Islanders' lockdown defense hasn't been so lately, too, as it has let up 18 scores over the last five.
Alex Killorn ($5,400) is on a monster pace this year, and he's produced over 38.0 fantasy points in two of the last three games. The Habs have struggled mightily on defense lately, yielding 14 goals over the past three games.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Florida Panthers (TOTAL: $21,500) 
C - Aleksander Barkov ($7,700)
W - Jonathan Huberdeau ($7,700)
W - Evgenii Dadonov ($5,900)
The trio has combined for 43 goals -- 15 on the power play -- through 39 games this season. A matchup against the Senators is a prime opportunity to capitalize once again. The Sens have yielded 3.55 GA/60 at even strength over the last three weeks, and they've allowed four power-play scores over the past five contests.
Buffalo Sabres (TOTAL: $20,000) 
C - Jack Eichel ($8,100)
W - Victor Olofsson ($6,700)
W - Sam Reinhart ($5,200)
A Hart Trophy contender and a Calder Trophy candidate together is always a good option, and Reinhart has more than pulled his weight with 31 points this year. The Oilers have let up 3.66 G/60 at even strength -- the most in the league -- in December, and Eichel always gets up to face off against Connor McDavid, as he's posted 10 points over eight games versus Edmonton.
Toronto Maple Leafs (TOTAL: $17,800) 
C - John Tavares ($7,900)
W - William Nylander ($6,300)
W - Alex Kerfoot ($3,600)
Tavares has piled up 10 points over the past five games while Nylander and Kerfoot combined for 11 in that stretch. From their combined 21 points, 10 have come with the man advantage, which will be especially valuable against Winnipeg. In December, the Jets have allowed a league-high 16.62 GA/60 to opposing power plays.
DEFENSEMEN
Victor Hedman ($6,600) has racked up eight points over the last four games. He's not new to these hot streaks, and he's posted 19 of 37 points with an extra man this year. Hedman will look to leverage his power-play prowess against Montreal's 25th-ranked penalty kill (76.0 percent).
It's puzzling how Cale Makar ($5,500) is priced this low after missing a bit of time. He has just one point in three games since returning to action, but he set up a solid floor with 11 shots in that stretch. The Blues may be strong defensively, but Makar's will continue to be a solid value until his price rises again.
Tyson Barrie ($5,100) has been streaky this year, and he's hot right now with six points in four games, including 16 shots on net. He averaged 4:08 of power-play ice time in that stretch, and he'll be up against the aforementioned brutal Jets' penalty kill.
