DraftKings picks: Scheifele No. 1 center material

CENTERS
Spend up for: Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets ($5,600)
Since Bryan Little was injured Feb. 18, Scheifele has been soaring for the Jets. He has 14 points in nine games, tied with Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators for the most points in the League during that span. Scheifele is operating on a line with Drew Stafford (W, $4,200) and Blake Wheeler (W, $6,900) of late and is tied for 16th in price among Tuesday centers. Although the Predators have improved on the road lately, they have still allow 2.7 goals per game away from home this season.

Value pick: Brock Nelson, New York Islanders ($4,300)
With Mikhail Grabovski injured, the shuffling on John Tavares' line continues. The Islanders captain has remained with Ryan Strome (C, $3,900), but was joined by Nelson on Sunday at the New York Rangers. Nelson scored a goal on his only shot on goal of the game, and his place on the Islanders' top unit is worth noting for DFS purposes. He's also done the vast majority of his scoring damage at Barclays Center this season, with 16 goals, 23 points, 20 blocks and 81 SOG in 31 home games (3.7 DraftKings points per game).
WINGS
Spend up for: Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning ($6,700)
The "Triplets Line" is back together for the Lightning, and Kucherov has maintained his strong production. He leads the Lightning in scoring (54 points) as well as power-play points (22) this season and has one goal, four assists, three blocks and 13 SOG in his four-game point streak. Tampa Bay and the Boston Bruins are each on the second of back-to-back sets, so this game could easily turn into a track meet. Kucherov has 34 points in 32 games at Amalie Arena this season. Stack him with red-hot Tyler Johnson (C, $5,600) and take your chances.
Value pick: Craig Smith, Nashville Predators ($4,600)
The Predators' second line of Smith, Mike Ribeiro and Forsberg is the League's hottest trio in the past month, and Smith has shaken off his inconsistent ways with the line stability. While much of his production has come at home, he has been excellent against the Jets this season with two goals, two assists, two blocks and 10 SOG in four games. Smith has three goals, five assists and 11 SOG in his four-game point streak and has 12 points in his past 10 games. He's priced 38th among wings in DraftKings.
DEFENSEMEN
Spend up for: Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins ($7,000)
Spending up for a forward means you're banking on points and SOG production. By spending up for a defenseman like Letang, you are able to tap into value picks at center or on the wing and fall back on said defenseman's coverage in blocked shots and SOG in addition to points. Letang provides $1,200 of savings compared to Brent Burns ($8,200) and $900 in savings compared to Erik Karlsson ($7,900), and had three assists, two blocks and three SOG for 9.5 DraftKings points in one game against the Islanders this season. He's nearly a point-per-game player on the season (51 in 56) and has 10 points, 13 blocks and 31 SOG in his past 10 games.
Value pick: Kris Russell, Dallas Stars ($4,500)
With John Klingberg likely sidelined again because of a lower-body injury, expect Russell to continue manning the first power-play unit for the high-powered Stars. Russell is an elite shot blocker (181 this season) and had experience running the show offensively last season with the Calgary Flames while Mark Giordano was injured. Russell should return value in this spot, similar to how he did Sunday with one assist, three blocks and one SOG against the Ottawa Senators. The Montreal Canadiens are severely depleted by injury, so don't be surprised to see Dallas score four-plus goals Tuesday. He's tied for 26th in price among D-men.
GOALIE
Against-the-grain pick: Robin Lehner, Buffalo Sabres ($7,500)
The Sabres have not defeated the New York Rangers in the past eight games dating back to March 12, 2013, but they have a much better goaltender these days and stand a chance as an against-the-grain flier in DFS. The Rangers are without Henrik Lundqvist, Rick Nash, Marc Staal and Dylan McIlrath, so the young Sabres could pounce on Antti Raanta, who has allowed four or more goals in four of his past eight starts. Lehner, meanwhile, has a .931 save percentage this season. He is 3-4-3 in his past 10 games but has a .935 SV% and is averaging more than 30 saves per game in the span -- amounting to 5.0 DraftKings points per contest.
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