Saturday Night DFS: Canucks keep scoring against Rangers

It’s a new year, but Saturday nights still remain as good of a time as any to play some NHL DFS on Yahoo.

There are only three games on the main schedule, but 12 games on the full slate, so I’ll take a closer look at the larger field on games.

Here are my recommendations for your lineup.

The Value Guys

These are the players that are not the most or least expensive on the board, but solid options for your lineup.

C Bo Horvat, VAN vs. NYR ($18)

With the Vancouver Canucks enjoying a six-game win streak currently, it seems like Horvat has elevated his play. In his last outing against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Canucks captain fired nine shots on goal, putting two past goaltender Robin Lehner. Over his past two games, the 24-year-old has five points.

W Brock Boeser, VAN vs. NYR ($23)

In DFS, it’s never a bad thing to jump on a team that has been performing well recently, and there isn’t a team in the NHL right now hotter than the Canucks. It’s likely not a coincidence (entirely) that Boeser has contributed at least a point in each game during the team’s winning streak. He’s been a model of consistency, recording 15 points in 14 games since the beginning of December.

D Ivan Provorov, PHI at ARI ($18)

Provorov has been a puck-shooting machine lately, as the blueliner has rifled three or more shots in five of his last six matches. A date against the Arizona Coyotes, who have allowed the eighth-highest number of shot attempts in the NHL over the past two weeks, seems like an ideal setup. Although he hasn’t recorded a boatload of points recently, Provorov has offered a nice floor in fantasy, posting five or more fantasy points in nine of his last 12 games.

G Jacob Markstrom, VAN vs. NYR ($31)

The latest player to be added to the All-Star Game lineup, Jacob Markstrom has been playing some stellar hockey of late. His last start against the Chicago Blackhawks wasn’t perfect, allowing five goals on 33 shots, but he still picked up the all-mighty win, as he has done in all five of his last starts. Backing Markstrom makes sense at the price if you believe Vancouver will continue its winning ways on Saturday.

Offences to Stack

When a team is having a good night offensively, you want to have as many pieces as possible. Stacking offences can be a rewarding strategy.

Vancouver Canucks

C Bo Horvat ($18) + W Brock Boeser ($23) + W J.T. Miller ($21) + D Quinn Hughes ($15)

Getting the full Canucks stack on Saturday won’t cost you too much, and should work out nicely in a home date against New York.

Each of the players listed above is a member of the team’s first power-play unit, which should see its fair share of ice time considering the Rangers have taken the most penalties in the NHL (39) over the past two weeks.

Colorado Avalanche

C Nathan MacKinnon ($35) + W Mikko Rantanen ($27) + D Cale Makar ($24)

This stack isn’t so nice on the wallet like the Canucks stack, but going on the road and taking on the New Jersey Devils this Saturday, the Avalanche have a real good chance at popping off.

Although the goals haven’t been there for him, Rantanen has recorded three shots or more in six of his last seven games. Similarly to the Canucks stack, the Avs stack benefits from its opponent’s lack of discipline. The Devils have taken the second-most penalties in the NHL over the past couple of weeks, committing 36 infractions. All three of MacKinnon, Rantanen and Makar log major minutes on the team’s top power-play line.

Expensive, but Worth it

Sometimes you can’t help but spend a decent amount of your budget to get elite fantasy production.

Nathan MacKinnon, COL at NJD ($35)

There’s nobody on the slate more expensive than MacKinnon, and there are good reasons for that.

For starters, he ranks third in NHL scoring thus far with 62 points across 41 games. Additionally, he’s taken 23 shots in his last four games. The guy is absolutely peppering the net.

Over his past two games, MacKinnon has notched six points. There are few players in the NHL that produce at an elite level more consistently than the 24-year-old.

Chasing the Cheap Win

It may be silly, but when selecting a goalie, the first question running through your mind should be: what is his team’s chance to win?

Pekka Rinne ($29) or Juuse Saros ($26), at LAK

The Nashville Predators don’t have a lot going for them lately. The club has lost each of its past three games and has struggled to find consistency from either of its netminders in 2019-20.

Still, after losing a big game the way the did on Wednesday against the Dallas Stars at the Winter Classic, I think they will be able to bounce back and play well against the Los Angeles Kings.

It seems the Predators are realizing that things will need to turn around quickly if they want to climb back into the playoff picture, and that urgency should be on display this Saturday.

Cash Savers

Spent some major cash on some potential game-changers? These inexpensive players can help fill out the rest of your lineup.

C Christian Dvorak ($15)

C Marcus Johansson ($12)

W Sam Reinhart ($14)

W Phil Kessel ($13)

W Joonas Donskoi ($13)

W Alex Galchenyuk ($12)

D Quinn Hughes ($15)

D Rasmus Dahlin ($11)

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