This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Sunday's NHL main slate begins at 5:00 PM Eastern time and features three games. Below, you'll find an overview of the matchups and suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Hurricanes, Rangers and Jets will have the edge in freshness against the Islanders, Blue Jackets and Blackhawks, respectively, as the latter three teams are all finishing up back-to-back sets. Offense could be hard to come by in this slate, as the Rangers and Hurricanes are the only teams that rank above league average offensively, while the Blue Jackets, Islanders and Hurricanes all rank among the league's seven stingiest defenses.
GOALIES
Petr Mrazek ($8,400) has left a lot to be desired with a .904 save percentage, but strong defense in front of him has still allowed Carolina's netminder to go 17-12-2 with a 2.64 GAA. The Hurricanes' possession-oriented game matches up well against the physical Islanders, as evidenced by last season's postseason sweep, and New York's 1-3-1 in its last five.
Igor Shesterkin ($7,500) is yet to taste defeat at the NHL level, stopping 75 of 81 shots en route to wins in each of his first two starts. That success is nothing new for a goalie who dominated both the KHL and AHL prior to his promotion to the NHL, and the Rangers' youngster gets a nice chance to stay undefeated against a Columbus team that's finishing a back-to-back set and averages the eighth-fewest goals in the league (2.69 per game).
VALUE PLAYS/ONE-OFFS
Patrick Kane ($8,300) has been Chicago's top producer across the board, leading the team in goals 24, assists (37), points (61) and power-play points (18). That last stat is especially significant heading into a meeting with Winnipeg's 74.4 percent penalty kill, which ranks fourth-worst in the league.
Emil Bemstrom ($3,300) has a four-game point streak going for Columbus but remains extremely affordable. The Rangers are the worst defensive team in this slate, allowing the sixth-most goals per game league-wide at 3.28.
Chris Kreider ($6,500) has caught fire of late for the Rangers, potting nine goals over his past 14 games and four in the past five. The veteran winger's elite combination of size and speed should cause trouble for a Blue Jackets team that could be a step slow after playing Saturday.
Brock Nelson ($6,300) leads the Islanders with 19 goals through 47 games, and his 37 points are three off Mathew Barzal's team lead. He's riding a four-game point streak heading into this matchup with the Hurricanes, with a 4-2-6 line over that span.
FORWARD LINE STACKS
Rangers vs. Blue Jackets
Ryan Strome (C - $5,600), Artemi Panarin (W - $8,300), Jesper Fast (W - $4,000)
Panarin leads the Rangers in goals (26), assists (42) and points (68) through 46 games, ranking among the league's scoring leaders. Strome has displayed tremendous chemistry with Panarin, accruing a 12-30-42 line that ranks second on the team in points. The affordable Fast has fit in nicely on this line, churning out a 2-5-7 line over the past five games. This line should continue to perform at a high level against a Columbus team that's likely to start third-string goalie Mattis Kivlenieks in the second leg of a back-to-back.
Jets at Blackhawks
Blake Wheeler (C - $6,500), Patrik Laine (W - $7,500), Kyle Connor (W - $6,700)
This line's upside is substantial against the tired Blackhawks, as it features three of Winnipeg's top five scorers. Connor leads the team with 24 goals and has a 24-23-47 line. Laine's at 15-28-43 and Wheeler's at 15-26-41, and the latter has heated up with a 4-6-10 line over his past nine games.
Hurricanes vs. Islanders
Sebastian Aho (W - $7,100), Warren Foegele (W - $3,900), Teuvo Teravainen (W - $6,400)
Stacking against the Islanders has been a fruitless exercise for most of the season, but they've slipped noticeably of late, allowing 20 goals over their last five games. This line should add to New York's recent struggles, as Aho leads the Hurricanes with 24 goals in 48 games, Teravainen leads them with 45 points and the affordable Foegele is capable of chipping in with a 10-12-22 line. Note that Aho's listed as a winger on FanDuel even though he's centering this line.
DEFENSEMEN
Anthony DeAngelo ($5,000) has quietly worked his way up the points leaderboard among defensemen, ranking sixth in points with a 12-25-37 line. He's in the midst of a surge with four goals and four assists in the past five games and can be had at a bargain relative to his recent production.
Seth Jones ($5,000) is primed to capitalize on the Rangers' defensive woes. His 25 points are good for fifth on the Blue Jackets, as he's on pace to top 40 points for a fourth consecutive campaign.
Erik Gustafsson ($4,200) is well positioned to deliver against Winnipeg's bottom-five penalty kill. His seven power-play points are tied for third on the Blackhawks behind Kane and Alex DeBrincat (11).
