NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Friday, May 24

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Published on May 24, 2024

SLATE PREVIEW

There is one game on Friday as Florida will try to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals against the Rangers in New York. Your lineup will consist of five players, including a Captain spot which scores 1.5 times as many fantasy points. You get a $55,000 salary cap.

CAPTAIN

Matthew Tkachuk, FLA at NYR ($14,000): Tkachuk has been the star for the Panthers this postseason with 16 points, including a goal and an assist in Wednesday's series opener. He missed the 100-point mark for the first time in three years during the regular season, but has more than made up for it in the playoffs.

UTILITY

Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. FLA ($11,000): New York badly needs a win at home on Friday. That type of motivation would normally be a solid reason to take Zibanejad as the captain, except for the fact Tkachuk has been so good. But he's definitely worthy of fitting on your DFS lineups having managed three goals and 11 assists across the playoffs despite missing the scoresheet from two of the last three games. The Rangers require a big performance from Zibanejad if they want to even the series.

Carter Verhaeghe, FLA at NYR ($12,000): Verhaeghe – like Tkachuk – produced a pair of points on Wednesday. He's managed seven goals and six assists in the playoffs after scoring 34 times while adding 38 helpers during the regular season. Verhaeghe also participates on the second line alongside Tkachuk and Anton Lundell while also appearing on the top power play.

Alexis Lafreniere, NYR vs. FLA ($10,500): Lafreniere finally enjoyed his breakthrough campaign that many pundits thought he would achieve as he set career-highs in goals (28) and assists (29). He's carried over some of that scoring to the postseason with 10 points.

Aaron Ekblad, FLA at NYR ($7,500): I needed someone to fill out the roster, and went with Ekblad. While he's only managed four assists from 12 games across the playoffs, he's also provided 19 shots and 40 hits. Ekblad struggled offensively this season with only four goals and 14 assists during the regular season, yet was limited to 51 appearances.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Michael Finewax plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: finny_flyers, DraftKings: michaelfinewa-19CVH.