3 NHL FanDuel Value Plays to Target on Monday 2/14/22
Spending lower in any daily fantasy lineup is a way to incorporate some diversity into your roster. In NHL DFS, there is typically more value in this strategy but also a good deal of risk, too. The right low-salary plays can give you good production while affording you more chances to roster high-salary studs.
Monday night has four games on the slate. Let's dig into some values!
Nico Sturm, Center, Minnesota Wild
FanDuel Salary: $3,900
Nico Sturm is a bottom-six option on Monday night at home against the Detroit Red Wings.
The vital part is to not expect a bounty of DFS points. The hope is that Sturm can take advantage of a young Detroit team that plays poorly on the road.
Sturm has a couple of plus performances and four real-world points in his last seven games.
When scraping the bottom-sixes for centers, it is always a dangerous proposition. Sturm could surprise a bit on Monday
Matthew Nieto, Wing, San Jose Sharks
FanDuel Salary: $3,300
Perhaps Matthew Nieto might be worth a look on Monday versus the Edmonton Oilers.
Nieto has been far from an offensive force but lately, he is averaging around 15 minutes of ice time each game. That recent uptick is a jump from his more typical fourth-line usage.
His low salary is tremendous in this spot, though. In order to afford the best Edmonton options on the other side, one has to spend lesser somewhere. The Sharks have a good matchup at home against Edmonton and Neto's speed could be used.
Nieto has just four shots and six scoring chances in his past four games. However, he has an assist and a goal with ten blocked shots during that time.
There is a chance for some elevated offense in this tilt, so even Nieto may provide a boost.
Ville Heinola, Defenseman, Winnipeg Jets
FanDuel Salary: $3,900
The Winnipeg Jets' defense needs to create and shoot more. Thankfully, Ville Heinola is starting to get the hint.
Heinola has fired 12 shots on goal in the past three games, and he even recorded his first assist of the season over the weekend. He only has three blocked shots in seven games, but the young blueliner has two or more shots in six of his seven appearances.
Chicago is just so bad defensively that any Jet is a target. Winnipeg ranks bottom-third of the NHL in three core defensive categories -- goals per game allowed (3.38), shots allowed (32.1), and penalty kill (74.5%).
Heinola again may only play around 13 minutes or so, but unlike other Jets defenders, he is not afraid to shoot his shot.
Chris Wassel is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Chris Wassel also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username chriswassel. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
