Fantasy picks: Patrick Marleau on tear for Sharks

Each day this season, NHL.com's fantasy staff will provide daily picks for DraftKings NHL contests. This lineup has been constructed with expensive and value picks and should be used as a basis for your roster decision-making.

C - Logan Couture, SJS ($6,500)
Expect the San Jose Sharks to jump all over the Buffalo Sabres, who will play the second of a back-to-back set. Couture likely will be involved and has been as consistent as any center in DraftKings this season. He has at least a point in eight of his past 10 games, with four goals, five assists, 10 blocks and 25 shots on goal (4.0 DraftKings points per game) in that span. The Sabres have allowed a power-play goal in six of their past nine games, and Couture is on the Sharks' first PP unit with Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. Couture's high floor makes him an excellent cash-game play.
C - Evgeny Kuznetsov, WSH ($5,600)
Kuznetsov remains affordable despite a surge since the start of 2017. He had 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in 15 games in January, and has started February off on the right foot with a goal and two assists in three games. He also has two goals and two assists (4.1 DraftKings points per game) in three games against the Carolina Hurricanes this season. Because of Kuznetsov's low salary and extremely high floor and ceiling, chances are he'll have a high ownership percentage.
W - Alexander Radulov, MTL ($6,000)
The last time the Montreal Canadiens played the Colorado Avalanche, the score was incredibly lopsided. The Canadiens won 10-1. Radulov had a goal, an assist and two SOG for 6.0 DraftKings points in that game, and has been productive in spurts lately. He has three goals and nine assists in his past 10 games, with four multipoint performances in that span. Consider stacking Radulov with cheap center Phillip Danault ($4,700) and left wing Max Pacioretty ($7,100).

W - Patrick Marleau, SJS ($5,400)
Another appealing stack is drafting Couture with Marleau, who is on a six-game point streak that began with a four-goal game against the Avalanche on Jan. 23. Marleau has seven goals, four assists and 31 SOG in his past 10 games for an average of 4.8 DraftKings points per game. His shot volume has been impressive recently; Marleau has at least four SOG in five of his past six games, and the Sabres entered Monday allowing the most SOG per game in the NHL (33.6).
W - Patrick Eaves, DAL ($5,400)
If somebody asked you who leads the Dallas Stars in goals, you'd probably guess Tyler Seguin or Jamie Benn, right? Well, Eaves' 19 goals are tied with Seguin for the Dallas lead. Once viewed as a career bottom-six forward, Eaves has made the jump into the top six with the Stars, playing with Benn and Cody Eakin. He's nearly a point-per-game player in his past 10 with four goals and five assists, and has three multipoint games in his past eight. For that reason, consider Eaves a viable target in all formats.
D - John Klingberg, DAL ($5,000)
After a slow start to the season, Klingberg stringed together his best month in January, scoring four goals with six assists and 23 SOG in 13 games. He has a goal and four assists on a four-game point streak, and had two blocks in three of those games. One of Klingberg's assists came in a 6-3 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs last Tuesday, and the rematch comes with Toronto on the second of a back-to-back. Klingberg has gone seven straight games with at least 2.0 DraftKings points, making him another ideal cash-game play.

D - Matt Dumba, MIN ($4,100)
The Minnesota Wild have scored seven goals in two games against the Winnipeg Jets this season, and that was before goalie Ondrej Pavelec was recalled. Pavelec has allowed at least three goals in seven straight starts. Dumba has a goal, an assist and five SOG in two games against Winnipeg, and is averaging 24:33 of ice time the past three games. The Wild have plenty of affordable players with high upside against the Jets on Tuesday.
G - Antti Niemi, DAL ($6,800)
Rarely does the reward outweigh the risk when considering either of the Stars goalies, Niemi or Kari Lehtonen ($6,900). That said, Toronto is on the second leg of a back-to-back set and averages the third-most shots per game (32.3). If the Stars can jump on the Maple Leafs early and get Niemi a win, he would likely have a high save volume and return immense value in tournament formats, considering his ownership percentage should be low. Here is NHL.com's
full list of projected goalie starters
.
UTIL - Jason Zucker, MIN ($5,100)
One of the Wild's cheap players with upside is Zucker, who is on pace to surpass his point total from each of the previous two seasons combined (49). He has 16 goals and 22 assists, with two goals and four assists coming on a four-game point streak. Zucker is at left wing on the second line with Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund. Though Granlund's 48 points lead the Wild, Zucker leads them with 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 28 road games.
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