Why Steven Stamkos makes a great daily fantasy play and other good options.

Top Budget Plays

Centers

Joel Eriksson Ek $2500 – The center is truly a value on Saturday just because of his price. He is the perfect punt play who hits value if he even reaches a couple DraftKings points. With Erik Haula coming back, he may be moved to wing against Dallas. Do not expect a ton of minutes played by any means but why not roll the dice now.

Wingers

Brett Ritchie $3100 – There is the ideal that Dallas may keep him on the top six just because of the injuries. Lindy Ruff may shuffle the lines one more time on Saturday but if all stands good then Ritchie might just be worth a play. This is a pricing night where there are not as many good values as usual so low floors have to be expected in the hopes of a good reward.

Defensemen

Patrick Wiercioch $3400 – Early on, taking risks in moderation is paramount in DFS hockey. Wiercioch has five points in six games. The only bad thing is he typically plays third pairing ice time minutes wise for a defenseman. However, he has a good shot when he does use it. Colorado is on a back to back but at least they are up against Arizona and that should hopefully count for something.

Goalie

Pekka Rinne $7100 – It is insane to even think of this as anything more than a high risk GPP choice. Oh wait, it is. However, Cory Schneider is $7200 which is all anyone needs to know about what kind of night this could be. Either could be used as a play and they may be higher owned than usual because of the price drops. Rinne stopped 42 of 45 shots against Los Angeles and seems to be altering between two bad games and two good games in a pattern. It is worth a shot.

Since we saved some money on the budget plays let’s look at the few of the pricey options that are worth paying up for today.

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Centers

Steven Stamkos $7800 – Stamkos has to be considered at the very least a moderate risk on Saturday against New Jersey. This is because of Cory Schneider who is arguably one of the best three or four goalies in the league. However, the Devils showed Friday night that they can give up opportunities and fall apart against speed. The first line with Vladislav Namestnikov and Nikita Kucherov is a frightening mix of speed and power. They are also a threat on the man advantage where New Jersey has been almost impenetrable with Schneider in net. The fast object meets an immovable force.

Wingers

Alex Ovechkin $8400 – Though Ovechkin only has one power play point on the year, he seems due. He also is only averaging 4.17 shots per game. The left winger is missing on his chances more than usual. Some of that is part of a typical slow start but there are signs he could break out of it at any time. The problem is no one wants to be on the wrong side of that. Ovechkin is a very good cash play and some players are going to find a way to sneak him in GPP’s also.

Defenseman

Shea Weber $6700 – So, Brent Burns will be played a considerable amount. However, Weber is a whopping $1600 cheaper yet still a high budget play because he is the second highest priced defenseman on the board. Weber has been ridiculous on the man advantage and is a whopping +12 on the season. His floor is a little low for a top defenseman but Toronto is a great match-up for Montreal. Goals are likely and the over is a good possibility which means more Weber chances for points.     

Goalie

Braden Holtby $8100 – The choices out there may appear to be better but Vancouver has hit a dose of reality this week as their scoring futility has returned. Holtby had some real bad luck against Edmonton including a few goals that just bounced around like a pinball. Any road trip like this has a risk but Washington’s power play will be something that Vancouver may not be able to contain. A concern could be shot volume but if the Canucks go low enough from the offensive standpoint then this may just all be worth it.

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Also, check out Jonathan Coretti's picks for the best bets to win on Saturday.

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Chris Wassel has been playing DFS for the past couple years and has played Fantasy Hockey for over two decades. You can follow him on Twitter @ChrisWasselDFS. Please note that this is a mega Saturday slate. We are targeting the nine game evening slate portion to give readers more of a range on what to go on. Some teams are going to have little to play for so keep that in mind. Finally, please note that Saturday is slate with several options and smaller Turbo and Late options. Thanks for reading and welcome back daily fantasy hockey fans!