Joe Pavelski and the Sharks make a great play in daily fantasy hockey.

Top Budget Plays

Centers

Peter Holland $3,600 – We are going to see how long some of the Mike Babcock experiments last but one included putting Holland on the first line which means he is going to get a ton of minutes and at the very least should play in the top six on Saturday. That means he will see some power play time and not cost much as far as your budget. Vancouver can give up their fair share of shots so maybe Holland can at least steal value and maybe just maybe, exceed it.

Wingers

Jonathan Donskoi $3,700 – Until Logan Couture is taken off this line, Donskoi has to be considered a play even on the third line for San Jose. Though he typically sees fringe power play two time at best, the forward has found ways to squeeze out production and San Jose is facing Anders Lindback more than likely on Saturday. Either way, Arizona has not played well on the road and they give up over three goals a contest typically. One might well take him or even Tommy Wingels in this situation.

Defensemen

Patrik Nemeth $2,600 – There is just something about Nemeth that translates pretty solid to daily fantasy. He may not shoot the puck with unrelenting frequency but there is something to say when a player is not afraid to carry the puck and get creative. It may not be worth a ton of fantasy points but he has a better chance of prospering than most. Washington is going to get sucked into playing a high tempo game and that literally feeds into what Dallas is more or less trying to do.

Goalie

Cam Talbot $7,300 – Cheaper goalies that perform decently well has been a bit of a challenge the past few weeks. Nobody can deny that but naturally the search is always on and there are a few viable candidates. Out of those, Talbot presents the best chance of victory given that the Oilers play much better at home. Winnipeg might get a couple goals but they may also generate 30+ shots which is just what you are looking for as far as digging for points while leaving a little extra for those higher end players.

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

Joe Pavelski $7,800 – Tyler Seguin will probably be a chalk play but Pavelski might be the second best or 1A option for most as again San Jose draws a favorable match-up and no one really stacks up well against the top or third line for the Sharks. The pivot may enjoy a very good night against one of the worst defenses on the road in the league. Watch the San Jose power play as well as their point potential is high on the night.

Wingers

Daniel Sedin $6,200 – Toronto is headed for the land of tank wars no matter how hard anyone tries to tell you different. Mini stacking the Sedin Twins is not a bad idea given that Vancouver may drive people crazy but they average around a point a game the past few seasons against the Maple Leafs. This is another case where the power play potential could be high as let’s face it, the wheels are falling off for the Buds.   

Defenseman

Brent Burns $8,200 – There is a time to play Burns and this is the time. Arizona is free falling right out of the Pacific and playoff race for the wildcard. With the way Burns carries the puck and fires on target, one of them seems likely to go in. At the very least, his high ceiling should justify a possibly lower price on Saturday. Again San Jose has one of the three highest power play point potentials and their goals expected tops the evening slate. It is almost as good of a decision as you can make with Burns these days.

Goalie

Corey Crawford $8,400 – This is a higher risk simply because we could have gone with Ryan Miller or even Martin Jones but Jones is a middle priced option. Crawford is going right for the top enchilada here. After the start Chicago had against Dallas on Thursday, they should come out steaming like an untapped geyser on Saturday against Anaheim. Typically, Crawford has a goals against at home well under two and has most of his shutouts in the friendly confines. This game has under written all over it so if you want to spend way up, here is your chance.

Chris Wassel has been playing DFS for the last year and has played Fantasy Hockey for over two decades. You can follow him on Twitter @ChrisWasselDFS. Please note that this is a large Saturday slate. We are targeting only the eight game evening schedule and will have all the breakdowns on Twitter.