This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Avalanche, who are on a roll with a six-game winning streak, should have an easy time against the Red Wings.
The Oilers can further solidify their playoff hopes with a win, moving three points clear of third-place Calgary in the Pacific. This is a key game for the Predators, who can tie Vancouver with 74 points for the first wild-card spot. They're in a three-way tie for the second wild card spot entering Monday.
GOALIES
You can't get do any better than Pavel Francouz ($9,000) lately. He's been the league's hottest goalie over the past two weeks with six wins, and while all streaks must die at some point, it seems unlikely to happen against the Red Wings.
Juuse Saros ($8,300) has looked pretty good lately (.932 Sv% since Feb. 22) but Mike Smith ($8,100) looked fantastic against Winnipeg. There's some upset potential here, but Smith hasn't been able to string two wins together since early February, and the Preds are on a roll (6-3-1 in last 10).
VALUE PLAYS
Tyson Jost ($3,500) is a on a three-game point streak with two goals and four points and relishing his new role as a top-six forward. He's still better suited to play center but playing on the wing gives him fewer defensive responsibilities. Martin Kaut ($3,100) has also played very well despite limited ice time, scoring two goals in three games. Again, the drawback for Kaut is the lack of power-play ice time.
Colin Blackwell ($3,200) is skating on the top line, but it's not every shift. He had a four-game point streak snapped against Colorado but continues to get good opportunities. He had five points in four games prior to that.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Colorado Avalanche (TOTAL: $19,800)
C – Nathan MacKinnon ($8,900)
W – Gabriel Landeskog ($7,000)
W – Joonas Donskoi ($3,900)
MacKinnon hasn't scored a goal in six games but this line continues to generate a lot of opportunities. Landeskog is the one who's been collecting most of the points lately but it's the Red Wings, and we'd be remiss not to recommend a line stack against the league's worst defensive team.
Nashville Predators (TOTAL: $16,400)
C – Kyle Turris ($4,400)
W – Filip Forsberg ($6,800)
W – Mikael Granlund ($5,200)
They're listed as the Preds' third line but it might as well be their first considering how much ice time they get. Turris has been getting top-six minutes (finally), Forsberg has been fairly productive all season and Granlund has the hot hand. The price is nice, and it's not a bad idea to bet against the inconsistent Mike Smith.
DEFENSEMEN
Roman Josi ($6,500) is in a class of his own and deservedly so. However, don't overlook teammate Ryan Ellis ($5,500), who has eight points in four games. Cale Makar ($5,700) is the only other one who I would consider elite other than Josi.
Ryan Graves ($4,200) and Darnell Nurse ($4,100) do a little bit of everything, so they're typically low-floor guys who don't carry much risk. Ethan Bear ($3,800) is a similar case and he's played over 20 minutes in every game in 2020. He quarterbacks the second power-play unit for some added value.
