Wednesday features Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final and a single-game NHL slate, which begins at 8:00 p.m. ET on DraftKings. In this article, you will find DFS advice for DraftKings lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy hockey lineups here: NHL Showdown $80K Kick Save [$20K to 1st] (COL vs TB)
Captain’s Picks
Cale Makar ($15,300)
It took a game for him to settle in, but Makar has definitely made his presence felt in this series. The favorite for the Conn Smythe now at -150, Makar has now posted 25.0 or more DKFP in each of his past two games. The smooth-skating defenseman has multiple points in each of those contests and also went on to record four blocked shots in Game 3 as well. The blocked shots are often an added bonus with Makar but with Tampa Bay at home and likely able to get a few shots toward the net because of having last shift, expect Makar to potentially be productive in that department again in Game 4. His past 10 games have seen him average 2.4 blocked shots per game, while also averaging 3.0 SOG and 1.5 PPG, as well. There’s no reason not to pay up today for a player who has been shining all postseason long.
Andrei Vasilevskiy ($14,100)
The real Andrei Vasilevskiy showed up to Game 3 for Tampa Bay and a Game 4 win will likely require a similar effort from him. Whether he can stop the Avalanche again remains to be seen but if you are playing for the Tampa Bay win it’s hard to look past him. Vasilevskiy saw 39 shots against in Game 3 and his .927 save percentage at home this year is miles better than his save percentage on the road. The Russian has tended to get better as series have progressed in 2022 and maintains elite upside against a Colorado squad that has fired 30 or more shots in each of the first three games of the series. Given that he’s playing Colorado, the bust potential is high, but for GPP lineups if Tampa wins, you’ll likely be sunk if you don't have exposure to Vasilevskiy in your CPT’s spot.
Mikko Rantanen ($13,200)
Rantanen was sneakily good for fantasy purposes in Game 3, landing four shots on net and two assists. The result may not mean much for real-life purposes (given how much Tampa Bay won by) but Rantanen’s two assists brought him up to a hefty seven points for the series already (all assists). Rantanen has 41 goals this year, so while he’s turned into more of a playmaker on the second line don’t expect him to go too much longer without scoring. Expect to see Colorado’s second line get a little more run in Game 4 and for Rantanen to finally breakout with a goal and potentially act as the high scorer for the night as well.
Flex Options
Darcy Kuemper ($9,800)
Kuemper hasn’t really had to do much in this series. He didn’t blow Game 1, but only saw 36 shots in the first two games. The Lightning broke him in Game 3, however, but I’m he does set up as a potential bounce-back candidate in Game 4. The last two times Kuemper posted a loss (against St. Louis) he rebounded with solid starts on the road where he posted save percentages of .900 or better. While he may not see enough shots to be a captain candidate for our DFS hockey showdown lineups, using him in the flex does make a lot of sense if we are expecting a closer and lower-scoring game. Both goalies should be targets today with Kuemper a potential contrarian option for your flex.
J.T. Compher ($6,200)
The Avalanche didn’t get any goals from Compher or their second line in Game 3, but the line was buzzing at points. Compher himself had five shots on net in just under 14 minutes of ice time and he’ll again get to lineup beside one of the best wingers in this series in Rantanen. Given how good they were at pushing the play in Game 3, don’t be shocked if the Avalanche give their second unit a bit more run in Game 4. Compher has taken four or more shots in two of the three games against Tampa Bay and looks ready for a breakout game soon. With Game 4 looming as a potential closer and lower-scoring game, the shots on goal volume and lower salary for Compher are worth chasing.
Erik Cernak ($4,400)
If we are playing for a tighter Game 4 then our cheap value plays should be skaters who can get us points without landing goals. Cernak is still averaging around 19 minutes of ice per game while playing on the second pairing for the Lightning. Despite seeing his minutes dwindle a bit from the last series, Cernak has now hit the blocked shots bonus in three straight games and seems to have a clear assignment in terms of how he’s approaching the Avalanche shooters (use his body). With such a safe floor from his blocked shot production, any point could make him a huge value and he’ll likely end up being an ultra-valuable play if we get a lower-scoring game, regardless.
Stacking
J.T. Compher ($9,300 CP) — Mikko Rantanen ($8,800) — Artturi Lehkonen ($6,600)
This is somewhat of a higher-risk play using Compher in the captain’s spot, but the center has broken out a couple of times in the postseason already, posting multiple-goal games against both Edmonton and St. Louis. As alluded to above, his shots on goal volume has been good in this series and using him in this second-line stack keeps your average salary lower, letting you add in a Darcy Kuemper or Cale Makar to complete the Colorado onslaught play.
Set your DraftKings fantasy hockey lineups here: NHL Showdown $80K Kick Save [$20K to 1st] (COL vs TB)
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