Fantasy picks: Flames offer upside against Coyotes

Each day this season, NHL.com's fantasy staff will provide daily picks for DraftKings NHL contests. This list of targets includes expensive and value options at each position to help you build a winning roster.
NOTE: These picks are for eight-game Saturday contests, excluding the 1 p.m. ET game between the Dallas Stars and Philadelphia Flyers and the 4 p.m. ET game between the Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings.

C - Sean Monahan, CGY ($5,800)
The Calgary Flames have won five straight and are scoring; they have 18 goals in those games. A big reason for the turnaround has been Monahan, who has a point in six straight games (three goals, five assists). Monahan doesn't take a ton of shots (55 in 30 games) but plays on the power play and is always a threat to score with linemate Johnny Gaudreau ($7,000). Monahan is averaging 4.0 DraftKings points per contest in his past six games and gets to host the Winnipeg Jets at Scotiabank Saddledome, where the Flames have won three straight.

C - Henrik Sedin, VAN ($4,400)
The Vancouver Canucks got a 5-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday and Sedin didn't figure in on any of the goals. He didn't even have a SOG and got zero DraftKings points. However, he had a point in four straight games before that (two goals, three assists) and has 17 in 27 games. He may not take many shots (30) but has seven goals, good for a .233 shooting percentage. Sedin is a very cheap and reliable option against the Florida Panthers.
W - Jeff Skinner, CAR ($6,300)
The Carolina Hurricanes have been playing good hockey for most of the season and a big reason has been Skinner. He leads them in points (21) and is tied for the lead in goals (nine). Skinner also has eight power-play points and has taken 88 SOG, the most by a wide margin on the Hurricanes. He has two points in his past two games and is averaging 3.8 DraftKings points per contest, and if the Hurricanes are able to solve Martin Jones and the San Jose Sharks, Skinner likely will be a reason.
W - Conor Sheary, PIT ($5,400)
The Pittsburgh Penguins have Sidney Crosby (18 goals) and that's a good thing for them and his linemate, Sheary. The 24-year-old has already matched his goals from last season (seven) and has 15 points in 20 games (he had 10 points in 44 games last season). Sheary has three goals and three assists in his past five games and is averaging 2.5 DraftKings points per contest this season, but 3.3 in his past 10 games (three goals, 10 points, 28 SOG). He'll get a nice matchup against the struggling Lightning.
D - Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI ($5,000)
Five goals and 13 points in 26 games is a far cry from what we've come to expect from Ekman-Larsson, who had 21 goals and 55 points last season (each led the Arizona Coyotes) to go along with 12 PPG and 15 PPA. But he's a major scoring threat and has an assist in five of his past eight games. Ekman-Larsson is on the cheaper side because he hasn't put up his usual numbers but has 56 SOG and 24 blocks and will look to help the Coyotes end a seven-game losing streak when they play the Nashville Predators.
D - P.K. Subban, NSH ($6,500)
It may have taken a while, but Subban has adjusted to the Predators. He has seven goals and 17 points in 26 games, including four goals and three assists in his past 10. Subban has taken a lot of SOG (67) and occasionally chips in with blocks (38). He's averaged 3.6 DraftKings points per contest and is a prime option against a poor Coyotes defense.

G - Chad Johnson, CGY ($7,600)
Johnson is averaging the second most points (6.0) among goalies, trailing only Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens (6.5), but is ranked 15th in terms of price. The Flames' turnaround has a lot to do with Johnson, who is expected to make his sixth straight start against the Jets. He's 12-4-1 with a 1.98 GAA, .932 SV% and three shutouts, and has allowed two or fewer goals in 11 of 17 starts.
G - Calvin Pickard, COL ($6,900)
Pickard is an against-the-grain pick, especially because the Colorado Avalanche goalie likely will be opposing Price. However, Pickard has performed nicely in three of his past four starts, allowing two goals in each. Pickard has faced at least 30 SOG in six of his eight starts, so he should be able to pile up a few points, even if he allows a few goals. He's averaged 4.9 DraftKings points per contest and inserting him into your lineup would allow you to spend money on a big name elsewhere.
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