This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Sunday's NHL slate begins at 6:00 p.m. EDT and includes three games. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Avalanche and Stars will take the ice for the first time since Wednesday for Game 4 of a series that Dallas leads 2-1. Meanwhile, this will be the second game in as many nights for the Flyers-Islanders and Golden Knights-Canucks. The Islanders and Golden Knights both grabbed 2-1 series leads Saturday.
GOALIES
Marc-Andre Fleury ($8,600) took one of the games the last time Vegas had a postseason back-to-back set, so he's likely to be in net after Robin Lehner ($8,600) got the shutout win in Saturday's Game 3. Fleury stopped 26 of 27 shots to beat the Blackhawks in the first round, and he'll be trying to give the favored Golden Knights a 3-1 series lead.
Semyon Varlamov ($7,800) bounced back beautifully after a rough Game 2 outing, limiting the Flyers to one goal on 27 shots in a 3-1 Game 3 win. Assuming he gets the call for the second time in as many nights, the affordable Russian netminder's a strong choice in this slate's most defensive-minded series. Backup Thomas Greiss ($7,800) would also be a fine option if he gets the nod instead.
Anton Khudobin ($7,500) is an intriguing discount goalie option, as he continues to play well in Dallas' net while Ben Bishop battles an undisclosed injury. Prior to a Game 3 dud, Khudobin had won each of his previous five starts, averaging 28.5 fantasy points in that five-game stretch.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Nathan MacKinnon ($8,800) should continue to be the main building block for most lineups. The star Avalanche center has at least one point in each of his team's 11 games this postseason and multiple points in each of the past five, with a 7-13-20 line overall.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau ($4,900) was kept off the scoresheet in Game 3 after potting goals in Games 1 and 2, but the Islanders center remains a nice value option given his history of playoff success. He has six goals in 12 games this postseason and 18 goals in 47 career playoff appearances.
Denis Gurianov ($5,200) has a 5-2-7 line in his last four games. Most of that production came in Game 6 against the Flames, but the talented Russian winger has a point in each of the past two contests and offers excellent upside at his valuation against a Colorado team that's getting shaky goaltending with Philipp Grubauer (lower body) likely done for the playoffs.
Sean Couturier ($6,900) has been snakebitten this postseason, as he has just one goal on 20 shots. That 5.0 shooting percentage is well below Couturier's 2019-20 regular season mark of 11.9 percent, as well as his career regular season (11.3) and postseason (14.1) marks. Philadelphia's first-line center could be due for some positive regression, making him an intriguing against-the-grain option.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Stars vs. Avalanche
Tyler Seguin (C - $7,600), Jamie Benn (W - $7,700), Alexander Radulov (W - $5,500)
Dallas' offense started slowly, but it's rolling on all cylinders now, with 14 goals in this series' first three games after a seven-goal performance in Game 6 of the first round to close out the Flames. The top line has been leading the way against Colorado, as Seguin has a 2-2-4 line in this series, Benn's at 1-5-6 and Radulov has added a 3-2-5 line.
Canucks vs. Golden Knights
Bo Horvat (C - $6,300), J.T. Miller (W - $6,400), Brock Boeser (W - $5,900)
The Canucks roared back with five goals in a Game 2 win after being shutout in the first game of this series, and Vancouver should put forth a spirited effort in Game 4 after dropping Game 3 in shutout fashion. With Vegas' defense focused on slowing down Elias Pettersson, Vancouver's other top-six line is more than capable of stepping up. All three of these guys ranked in the top five on the team in regular-season points, with Miller leading the team at 72. In the playoffs, Horvat leads the team with eight goals, while Miller has a 5-6-11 line and Boeser has a 3-6-9 line.
Golden Knights at Canucks
Nicolas Roy (C - $3,500), Alex Tuch (W - $4,500), Nick Cousins (W - $3,200)
Tuch has been doing the heavy lifting on Vegas' third line, but his affordable linemates have chipped in enough to give this whole line excellent value. The 24-year-old power forward has a four-game goal streak going, so he should be among this slate's most popular options. Roy has chipped in a helper in each of the past two games, while Cousins has five assists in 11 games this postseason.
DEFENSEMEN
Miro Heiskanen ($5,700) is the man to lock in on the Dallas blue line. The third overall pick in the 2017 draft has a 1-6-7 line during an active four-game point streak and a 3-12-15 line in 12 games this postseason.
Cale Makar's ($5,600) playing at a point-per-game pace in the playoffs with a 2-9-11 line in 11 games on the heels of a fabulous rookie regular season during which he posted a 12-38-50 line over 57 games. If Colorado's going to even this series at two games apiece, expect the team's top blueliner to play a major role.
Alexander Edler ($4,500) continues to stuff the stat sheet for the Canucks, with 11 shots, 12 blocks and two assists in this series' first three games. The well-rounded defenseman is a bargain at $4,500 given his high floor, and any scoring from Edler is just a bonus.
Alec Martinez ($3,800) has taken his game up a notch in the playoffs, logging a point in four of the past five games. The veteran Vegas blueliner is a sensible choice if you're looking to save money on the back end.
