DraftKings outlook: Sharks at Blues, Game 5

NOTE: Player prices are for two-game contests spanning Monday, May 23 (one game) and Tuesday, May 24 (one game).
STEADY PERFORMER:
Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks ($5,800)
Thornton has yet to score a power-play point in four Western Conference Final games against the St. Louis Blues, but has three assists in his past two games, and eight points in seven games against them in the regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs combined. He has three goals, 11 assists, eight blocks and 24 shots on goal in 16 games this postseason (2.9 DraftKings points per contest), and continues to defy his age (36) with pristine passing and overall productivity. His price has also dipped $200 compared to Game 1 of this series. He still has a higher ceiling with the man-advantage as we reach the later stages of the series, so buckle up with Thornton for this affordable rate and enjoy the ride.

INJURY WATCH:
David Backes ($5,100) and Robby Fabbri ($4,100)
Backes, tied for second on the Blues in playoff scoring (13 points in 18 games), sustained an undisclosed injury in the first period of Game 4 and missed the second and third periods. He started the game alongside Patrik Berglund and Jaden Schwartz, who was off his usual line with Vladimir Tarasenko. If Backes plays, he could easily add to his strong home performance in the postseason; he has seven points in nine home games with two game-winning goals, one in overtime. If he's held out of the lineup, Paul Stastny ($4,600) could see a greater power-play workload after replacing Backes on the Blues top man-advantage unit in Game 4.
Fabbri, meanwhile, had an assist and two SOG in 9:21 before leaving Game 4 because of a lower-body injury. It was his first point of the series and it came on the power play. He has two points, one block and six SOG in seven games against the Sharks in the regular season and playoffs combined, but leads the Blues in points (14) in the postseason and saw time on the their first line with Vladimir Tarasenko and Jori Lehtera in Game 4. He remains a sneaky value pick if he plays.
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE:
Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks ($5,500)
The Blues were a tough matchup for Marleau in the regular season, and it hasn't gotten much better in the tightly contested conference final. Marleau has been held without a SOG in consecutive games, and has one assist, three blocks and nine SOG in seven games against St. Louis in the regular season and playoffs combined. Marleau is tied for seventh among wings in DraftKings price, a pretty penny considering his lack of production against the Blues. That said, he carries against-the-grain potential after a pair of multipoint outings in the second round against the Nashville Predators. It also gives DFS owners a glimmer of hope that Marleau remains on a line with Logan Couture and Joonas Donskoi.
VALUE PICK:
Paul Martin, San Jose Sharks ($3,300)
For $800 above the DraftKings minimum, DFS owners can employ Martin's veteran savvy for the Sharks in Game 5 on the road. He's paired with Brent Burns at even strength, which brings exposure to assists in addition to his bedrock of peripheral stats. In 16 playoff games, Martin has averaged 2.3 DraftKings points per contest with four assists, 14 SOG and 44 blocks (third in NHL). If you want to go Sharks-heavy with your defensemen, drafting this pair allows you to offset Burns, the highest-priced player in DraftKings ($8,600) so that the average prices of Burns and Martin balance out to $5,950 per defenseman. Drafting Burns on his own forces you to find less convenient ways to work around that huge salary in your DraftKings lineup.
GOALIE SPOTLIGHT:
Jake Allen, St. Louis Blues ($7,600)
Allen got the call for the desperate Blues in Game 4 and delivered with 31 saves on 34 shots faced (6.2 DraftKings points) on the road. It was his first start and third game of the postseason, but he played six games and allowed 12 goals in the 2015 postseason. He was one of the breakout goalies of the regular season prior to injury, going 26-15-3 with a .920 save percentage and six shutouts, and is the more logical DraftKings option when St. Louis returns home for Game 5, especially considering he's priced $800 less than Sharks goalie Martin Jones.
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