Fantasy Hockey Cheat Sheet: Top DraftKings NHL DFS Picks, Values, Lineup Strategy for December 21

It’s a quiet two-game night in the NHL on Tuesday. The Capitals visit the Flyers, and the Golden Knights host the Lightning. Washington and Vegas are both slight favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. Given the eventfulness of the past week-plus, it will be important to keep tabs on the news ahead of each game to make sure all the players in your lineups are going to suit up and hit the ice.

Editor’s note: Tonight’s game between the Flyers and Capitals has been postponed.

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Top Line Stacks

Flyers vs. Capitals

Oskar Lindblom ($2,600) - Claude Giroux ($5,700) - Cam Atkinson ($5,200)

With the Capitals missing a number of key players, and Philadelphia having the last change advantage Tuesday, look for Philadelphia’s new-look line of Giroux, Lindblom and Atkinson to receive plenty of favorable looks. The trio also has respectable numbers of late. Giroux has collected four goals and four assists through his past nine games, Lindblom has two goals through three outings since joining the line, and Atkinson has racked up nine points – five tallies – over his past nine contests.

Golden Knights vs. Lightning

Max Pacioretty ($8,700) - Chandler Stephenson ($5,100) - Evgenii Dadonov ($3,100)

Another cost-effective stack, Dadonov skated on the No. 1 line with Mark Stone nursing an undisclosed injury. Should Stone return, he’s obviously an upgrade for the trio. Stephenson, Pacioretty and Dadonov dominated possession with a 66.7 Corsi For percentage during Sunday’s game, and they also all project to skate on the No. 1 power-play unit. It’s also worth noting that a mini-stack of just Stephenson and Pacioretty is in play, as they’ve clicked for 7.0 goals per 60 minutes this season.

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Superstar to Build Around

Alex Ovechkin, WAS at PHI ($9,600) - While there is definitely star power in the player pool Tuesday, going to the top of the salary list and targeting Ovechkin is definitely in play. He’s found the scoresheet in 12 of his past 14 games for 10 tallies, 11 helpers and 73 shots while averaging 22:37 of ice time (4:28 with the man advantage). The Flyers have surrendered the most expected goals per 60 minutes in the league, too.

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Value on Offense

Lars Eller, WAS at PHI ($4,300) - Projected to center Alex Ovechkin on the top line and skate with the No. 1 power-play unit again Tuesday, Eller will likely be a popular target. While he’s missed the scoresheet in consecutive contests, the veteran had a four-game point streak before the skid, so the potential is there.

Joel Farabee, PHI vs. WAS ($3,600) - There could be sneaky potential here. Farabee ranks 23rd in goals per 60 minutes over the past two seasons and found the back of the net in his return to action Saturday after missing seven games with an upper-body injury. The 21-year-old winger offers nice upside from this salary range.

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Stud Goalies

Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB at VGK ($7,600) - It’s not out of the question to blindly back Vasilevskiy at this salary. He’s won six straight starts with a .935 save percentage and 1.98 GAA, after all. Obviously, it’s a tough road matchup with Vegas ranking fourth in goals per game, but there’s also risk built into the salary.

Carter Hart, PHI vs. WAS ($7,500) - As noted, Washington is dealing with a slew of injuries, so this could be a favorable spot for Hart and the Flyers. The 23-year-old netminder is also sporting a solid .918 save percentage for the campaign and .942 mark through his past four outings, so the current form is encouraging.

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Value on Defense

Dylan Coghlan, VGK vs. TB ($2,800) - With two tallies, three helpers, 10 shots and 10 blocks through his past six contests, this salary is probably a little short. Coghlan is projected to skate with the No. 2 power-play unit Tuesday, and his cross-category coverage offers a respectable fantasy floor from this salary range.

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Power-Play Defenseman

Victor Hedman, TB at VGK ($7,400) - In the midst of a career year, Hedman’s uptick in offense has helped mitigate the absences of a couple key contributors for the Lightning. He’s also been especially impressive of late with four goals, seven assists, 21 shots and nine blocks through eight December games. It’s worth noting, Vegas has surrendered the seventh most expected goals per 60 minutes in the league, too.

Alex Pietrangelo, VGK vs. TB ($7,000) - A pillar of consistency, Pietrangelo has produced at a point-per-game pace through 10 December games while adding 27 shots and 21 blocks. In a shallow defense pool, he’s also the least expensive of the big three behind John Carlson ($7,500) and Victor Hedman ($7,400).

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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is naparker77) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.

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