JG Pageau makes a great daily fantasy play today. Who else should you slot into your lineup?

Top Budget Plays

Centers

Jean-Gabriel Pageau $4,000 – We are opting for the higher risk evening slate that includes an outdoor game as well. However, we are fading most of that contest for Ottawa and Calgary which figures to be the highest scoring game of the night session. Part of that reason is a guy like Pageau who has flourished in his ascension to the top six while potting 17 points in his last 22 contests. He also wins face-offs and can block shots on occasion.

Wingers

Zack Smith $3,500 – Smith has almost been right with Pageau over the last few weeks as far as scoring. However, his six goals in the last nine contests is what is now drawing everyone’s eye. His price remains just low enough for now though do not expect that to last. Remember, on DraftKings, goals are king. Smith has even seen increasing time on the power play. Expect his ice time to continue to tick upward.

Defensemen

Alec Martinez $4,500 – There is this feeling that though Martinez has struggled that he is bound to break out some. He does have nine blocks in the last three games but only has a couple scoring chances in the previous five. Martinez must shoot more especially when he has the chance to do so. Too many times, he passes up opportunities for others and that cuts into his bottom line. His DraftKings price may dip a little more but in case it does not, Morgan Rielly or Jake Gardiner might suffice.

Goalie

Joni Ortio $6,700 – Ortio has had a couple solid starts for Calgary since being called up. With Jonas Hiller rumors heating up, it would not shock anyone if he started on Saturday. The reality is there are few values on the evening slate in net so even this is taking a huge risk. Ottawa can score goals like they give them up. This would be a high risk GPP play even if the young goalie plays. At the very least, it will not be dull.

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

Anze Kopitar $6,400 – It is true that Robin Lehner can stand on his net but this is an 11:00 pm ET start and Buffalo will have played three games in four nights basically on the West Coast. The lag and tiredness could really hit here and that benefits the Kings number one center greatly. Kopitar has five goals in the last five games but missed most of the St. Louis game due to a nagging minor injury. That has healed and the reality is few players on Buffalo can match a rested Kopitar this Saturday night.

Wingers

Johnny Gaudreau $7,100 – The numbers that Gaudreau has at home are absurd. Basically he is averaging over a point and a third a game at the “Saddledome”. He, Sean Monahan, and really whomever they stick on the other wing will be a threat all night against Ottawa. The one thing Calgary does is score at home. Overall, the left winger has seven points during this latest five game point streak. It is too hard not to pass up Gaudreau whether it be in your cash or GPP lineups on Saturday.     

Defenseman

P.K. Subban $6,300 – Subban has just had one bad season to be honest from a goals standpoint. Everything else has actually been not too awful aside from that and the Habs record. The last three games have seen him fire nine shots on net but that was after two straight goose eggs. He has to get pucks on the net but especially on the power play where it looks like he has been almost neutralized at times by design. It is hard to rein in a fantasy stud but Michel Therrien has managed to do so. Maybe Toronto will stir up the echoes.

Goalie

Jonathan Quick $8,400 – This is the safe play but remember that Buffalo is hit or miss on the road when it comes to shots on goal. The risk is that they score up to almost a half goal a game more on the road than at home in the last couple months. Quick has had five straight quality starts and none have featured a save percentage below .935. For all the grief that the goalie gets, he has been 3-1-1 in those starts and draws up against a Buffalo team that is looking towards the lottery once more.

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 four game evening schedule and will have all the breakdowns of the day games as well on Twitter. Finally, please note that Saturday is a split slate. Thanks for reading.