This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Sunday's NHL main slate begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time and features four games. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
Offense will come at a premium, as four of the eight teams in action rank in the bottom 10 in goals per game. Expect the most-utilized players to come from the Capitals-Wild matchup and the Golden Knights at home against the Kings.
GOALIES
Marc-Andre Fleury ($8,600) is peaking at the right time. He comes in having won five in a row, with two of those victories coming via shutout. Look for Fleury to stretch his winning streak with ease against a Kings team that ranks 30th with just 2.46 goals per game.
Louis Domingue ($7,000) was acquired by the Canucks at the trade deadline, and he'll likely make his team debut in this second leg of a back-to-back. He has a favorable matchup in Columbus, taking on a Blue Jackets team that's scoring just 2.58 goals per game and has just one win in its last 11 games.
Cory Schneider ($7,100) is having a late-season resurgence for the Devils, going 1-0-1 with 54 saves on 58 shots in two games this past week after not appearing in an NHL contest since Jan. 18. He gets a nice opportunity to build on his recent success in Anaheim, as the Ducks rank third from the bottom with 2.55 goals per game.
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Jesper Bratt ($4,800) is enjoying a sustained hot streak, with a 7-6-13 line over his past 15 games. The affordable Devils winger is a nice value play in Anaheim given his recent output.
J.T. Miller ($6,400) has been the Canucks' offensive leader in his first season with the team. He's tied with Elias Pettersson for the team lead at 25 goals, and Miller's team-high 65 points (in 64 games)are five clear of Pettersson's total. Considering his better than point-per-game pace, Miller's a bargain against the fading Blue Jackets.
Nick Foligno ($5,000) has done his best to abate Columbus' recent struggles, with a 4-1-5 line in his past five games, as the veteran winger is heating up with the team attempting to cling to a playoff spot. Vancouver has demonstrated some vulnerability on defense recently, allowing three-plus goals in each of its last six games. Columbus should get its chances on offense, and Foligno is as likely as anybody on the team to bury one given recent results.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Golden Knights vs. Kings
Paul Stastny (C - $5,300), Reilly Smith (W - $5,000), Jonathan Marchessault (W - $7,000)
This trio has been key to Vegas' recent success, and racking up more offense should be easy against a Kings team that's 9-22-4 on the road. Stastny has a 1-5-6 line in his last six games, Marchessault's at 2-4-6 in the past eight, and Smith has been the hottest of the bunch with a 6-2-8 line over the last seven. The latter is an especially strong value given his affordability relative to his recent production.
Capitals vs. Wild
Evgeny Kuznetsov (C - $6,900), Alex Ovechkin (W - $8,800), Tom Wilson (W - $4,400)
Washington's top line should be worth paying up for against a Wild team that's improved lately but is still allowing 3.11 goals per game. Ovechkin ranks third league-wide in goals (43) and is four shots behind Nathan MacKinnon's league-high total with 294. Kuznetsov has a 19-30-49 line in 58 appearances, and Wilson offers strong bang for the buck considering he's already at a career-high 41 points and needs just two goals to match last year's personal best of 22.
Wild vs. Capitals
Eric Staal (C - $6,000), Kevin Fiala (W - $5,700), Gerald Mayhew (W - $3,200)
This line offers some nice against-the-grain value against a Capitals team that has slipped defensively of late, allowing three-plus goals in nine of the last 10 games. Staal has two goals and two assists over a modest three-game point streak, bringing his season line to 19-27-46. He's been the Wild's team points leader for most of the season, but Fiala has now overtaken Staal by one thanks to a prolific stretch that's included 10 goals and 19 points in his last 13 games. The affordable Mayhew is more of a cheap filler, but you can't discount his top-line usage.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson ($7,000) stands head and shoulders above the competition when it comes to offensive production from the blue line, as his 72 points in 64 games are 12 above second-place Roman Josi among NHL defensemen. Carlson and Josi are also tied for second among defensemen with 15 goals, trailing only Columbus' Zach Werenski (19).
Shea Theodore ($5,800) has 17 points in his last 18 games. The Golden Knights' top offensive blueliner should add to his recent output with his team heavily favored against the visiting Kings.
Vancouver's Alexander Edler ($4,400) is a steal at his current valuation. The well-rounded defenseman has a high floor thanks to his contributions across the board, and Edler has been flexing his offensive muscle with a 1-6-7 line over an active five-game point streak.
