Fantasy picks: Key in on Maple Leafs

Each day this season, NHL.com's fantasy staff will provide daily picks for DraftKings NHL contests. This lineup has been constructed with expensive and value picks and should be used as a basis for your roster decision-making.

C - Mika Zibanejad, NYR ($5,900)
Zibanejad, who hasn't played since Nov. 25 after breaking his fibula, is expected to return for the New York Rangers against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Prior to the injury, Zibanejad had five goals, 10 assists and 47 shots on goal in 19 games. He's centering the Rangers' second line between Rick Nash and Pavel Buchnevich, who has two assists in two games since returning from back spasms Jan. 13 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 23-year-old shouldn't need much time to find his bearings, having missed limited games the past five seasons. Zibanejad will likely see time on the man-advantage, and the Stars have allowed 11 power-play goals in their past eight games.

C - Tyler Bozak, TOR ($4,800)
Speaking of power-play goals, Bozak has two in his past four games to go with four PP assists. He has three goals, five assists and 12 SOG during a five-game point streak, playing on a line with James van Riemsdyk (LW, $5,900) and Mitchell Marner. Bozak has 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 19 home games, and he averages 2:36 per game on the man-advantage. The Buffalo Sabres' penalty kill is ranked 29th in the NHL (74.4 percent) and the Maple Leafs have scored a PP goal in nine of their past 10 games. The chances of Bozak getting at least a point are likely, making him a prime cash-game target considering his price.
W - Artemi Panarin, CHI ($6,800)
Panarin has consistently been affordable all season long in DFS, which is surprising considering he enters Monday tied for 7th in the NHL in scoring (43 points). Since Oct. 15, Panarin has been held scoreless in 13 of 43 games (30.2 percent). Odds are he'll get at least a point, and he has 10 multipoint games, including three with at least three points. Panarin has a goal, two assists and five SOG in two games against the Colorado Avalanche this season. The Chicago Blackhawks are coming off back-to-back losses and the Avalanche allow the most goals per game (3.32). Seems like a simple recipe for success for Panarin.

W - Mitchell Marner, TOR ($5,800)
Another underpriced Maple Leafs forward, Bozak's linemate, Marner, has also been lethal on the man-advantage; he has four PP assists in the past three games, and has two goals and seven assists in his past six. Marner unconventionally has no SOG in his past two games, which should change Tuesday against the Sabres, who allow the third-most per game (33.0). Buffalo is playing the second of a back-to-back on the road, and Toronto's power-play efficiency is too enticing to pass up. Stack Marner with Bozak (or van Riemsdyk) to give yourself cap flexibility for tournament lineups.
W - Mikael Granlund, MIN ($5,600)
Granlund is one of the cheaper options among Minnesota Wild forwards, but ranks third among them in DraftKings points per game (3.3). He's been much better than that lately, averaging 4.7 DraftKings points per contest with three goals, nine assists, seven blocks and 32 SOG in his past 10 games. The New Jersey Devils have the potential to lock down Minnesota's offense, but they haven't seen its current form, which has seen the Wild score the most goals (73) since Dec. 4.

D - Justin Faulk, CAR ($5,300)
Faulk's struggles early on and inconsistencies when healthy have caused his salary to remain middling. But he's beginning to hit his stride with a goal, three assists, six blocks and 11 SOG in the past three games. He had a respectable 4.5 DraftKings points against the Columbus Blue Jackets in a 5-3 win on Jan. 10, and while his home/road splits are concerning, the Hurricanes' overall play is not. Faulk has a higher ceiling than most defensemen in his price range, plus a high floor given his strong peripheral stat coverage.
D - Nick Holden, NYR ($3,700)
It's also a good idea to get a bigger piece of the Rangers' forward group, but as far as bargain defensemen go, Holden is one of the top picks. He has points in six of 10 games (four goals, four assists), with at least 2.0 DraftKings points in seven. He leads Rangers defensemen in even-strength scoring (18 points), two more than captain Ryan McDonagh, who plays 4:03 ice time per game more than Holden. He's easy to plug in as your second defenseman and has some upside for tournaments.

G - Henrik Lundqvist, NYR ($8,200)
Lundqvist has a penchant for bouncing back in a big way. After being benched for four straight games in favor of backup Antti Raanta, he responded with a 27-save shutout against the Stars in a 2-0 win on Dec. 15. Lundqvist may not have great numbers at Madison Square Garden this season, but he has 221 wins with a 2.18 goals-against average and .920 save percentage at home in his NHL career. The Stars are reeling after consecutive losses to the Wild and Sabres, and they play the second of a back-to-back on the road.
UTIL - Elias Lindholm, CAR ($4,000)
Not counting a short injury absence, Lindholm has a six-game point streak, with three goals and six assists during that span. The Hurricanes are rolling three effective lines, Lindholm playing at right wing with Jordan Staal and Brock McGinn. Lindholm has done almost all of his damage at even-strength (16 of 18 points), but he's skated more than 16 minutes in each of the past three games. Lindholm also had an assist with four blocks for 4.0 DraftKings points against the Blue Jackets on Jan. 10. Carolina may have a tougher matchup than New York, but has appealing options for cheap stacks.
--
Check out DraftKings.com to play 1-Day Fantasy Hockey today. Entering is quick and simple: sign up for a free account, enter the $3 1-Day Fantasy Hockey contest and set your lineup, catch the games and win!
DraftKings fantasy hockey contests are operated by DraftKings Inc. and are in no way sponsored or administered by the NHL and/or any of its affiliated entities. Prohibited and/or not available in AL, AZ, DE, GA, HI, IA, ID, LA, MT, NV and WA. Offered in IL and TX pending litigation. See terms for additional eligibility rules.