This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
SLATE PREVIEW
The Edmonton Oilers are in a must-win situation as they trail the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Finals 2-0. The good news is that they are back home for Game 3. 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
Connor McDavid, EDM vs. FLA ($15,000): McDavid has only one assist in the first two games of the series, as Sergei Bobrovsky and the Panthers have done a wonderful job at stopping the world's best hockey player. It could be a different story Thursday as the Oilers get the last change, which should keep McDavid away from Aleksander Barkov (who was hurt in Game 2 with an upper-body injury but is expected to play) during faceoffs. McDavid is leading the playoffs in scoring with 32 points in 20 games – including 27 assists, which is fifth-best all-time, just four away from Wayne Gretzky's record set in the 1987-88 season. McDavid has been strong at home during the postseason with 19 points in nine games. Look for McDavid to explode Thursday.
UTILITY
Zach Hyman, EDM vs. FLA ($13,500): Hyman has a league-leading 14 goals in the playoffs. He plays alongside McDavid on the top line, as well as on the power play. I'm going all-in on the Oilers for Game 3 as they should come out flying. Hyman has eight goals and 10 points in nine home games in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM vs. FLA ($9,500): Nugent-Hopkins is the third member of the Oilers' top line. He has been held without a point in his last three games but scored six goals and 20 points in his first 17 playoff games this season. Nugent-Hopkins is also a valued member of the vaunted Oilers' first power-play unit.
Mattias Ekholm, EDM at FLA ($9,000): Ekholm has scored the Oilers' lone goal in the Stanley Cup Final as he found the back of the net in a 4-1 Game 2 loss Monday. Ekholm has been quite productive in the playoffs, scoring five times, while adding three assists in 20 appearances. He also has 34 shots on goal and 22 hits as a valued member of the Oilers' defensive corps.
Vladimir Tarasenko, FLA at EDM ($7,500): Tarasenko picked up an assist in Monday's 4-1 victory over Edmonton, giving the 32-year-old three goals and seven points in 19 games in the playoffs. Tarasenko has managed five shots on goal and six hits in the first two games versus Edmonton. Tarasenko fills out your roster nicely in FanDuel.
