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Squad Up Daily NHL Fantasy Dose: Get your Anaheim Ducks in a row against the Flyers

James Guillory / USA TODAY Sports

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Thursday, October 20:

Line Stacks

  • LW Nick Ritchie (27K), C Ryan Getzlaf (66K), RW Corey Perry (64K), Ducks (at Flyers): The Ducks may not have a lot of scoring depth, but their top line pairing of Getzlaf and Perry is as reliable a combo as there is. Ritchie could benefit by virtue of playing alongside them and his reduced price makes rostering the trio possible.
  • C Tyler Johnson (47K), RW Nikita Kucherov (49K), Victor Hedman (43K), Lightning (vs. Avalanche): The Lightning have paired Kucherov and Johnson for some time, but the two have been split on the power play this season. If the Lightning score with the man advantage, one of them is on the board. They're affordable pieces who can easily convert at even strength, as well.
  • LW Max Pacioretty (68K), C Alex Galchenyuk (46K), Brendan Gallagher (66K), Canadiens (vs. Coyotes): Anticipate Coyotes G Louis Domingue to play with Mike Smith sidelined. The Canadiens haven't had trouble scoring through three games, and while the top line is a little pricey, rostering an inexpensive defenseman like Rasmus Ristolainen allows for all three, plus a top goaltender.

Goalie Breakdown

  • John Gibson (77K), Ducks (at Flyers): Gibson has been shaky through three starts, but he's shown improvement with each game. The Flyers featured a mediocre scoring attack in 2015-16 and very little has changed other than the addition of W Dale Weise. The top line might give Gibson trouble, but beyond that this looks like the best chance at the Ducks' first win.
  • Robin Lehner (75K), Sabres (at Canucks): The Canucks are undefeated but have only scored eight goals in three games. Despite winning all three, at no point were the Canucks actually playing with the lead. They had to rally and win in overtime or a shootout each time. Lehner has been good and bad. Expect the former.
  • Cam Talbot (84K), Oilers (vs. Blues): Talbot would be a fine contrarian option if his Squad Up salary didn't prohibit it. It's much too high against the Blues. The Oilers have given Talbot plenty of scoring to support him through four games, but this is the toughest test yet. Save Talbot for easier action despite being at home.
  • Roberto Luongo (80K), Panthers (vs. Capitals): A little cheaper than Talbot, Luongo has a more impressive resume and can be rostered as a tournament contrarian against the potent Capitals offense. Luongo has won both of his starts so far and should be rested after sitting out Tuesday's game against the Lightning.

Bargain Plays

  • D T.J. Brodie (25K), Flames (vs. Hurricanes): Brodie is second on the Flames with 24 1/2 minutes of ice time per game. While the scoring hasn't followed suit, he has historically showcased playmaking skills worth exploiting. He gets time on the power play and the Hurricanes still have G Cam Ward in net. He doesn't need much to return value.
  • LW Milan Michalek (25K), Maple Leafs (at Wild): With all the focus on the young guns like Ws Auston Matthews and William Nylander, Michalek makes for an affordable alternative. He may not be the 60-point scorer he was in 2011-12, but he will run into the odd goal on Toronto's second line. If he starts getting time on the power play, this salary is far too low.
  • RW Sebastian Aho (29K), Hurricanes (at Flames): Possibly lost amidst the higher profile rookies, Aho has notched a pair of assists in his first three games, though he's yet to find twine. Both helpers have come on the power play, so Carolina is entrusting him to be effective. Against the Flames who can't stop the bleeding, Aho is in a great position for his first multi-point night.

Top Fades

  • C Jonathan Marchessault (50K),Panthers (vs. Capitals): Marchessault has found good fortune, tallying four points in three games. Playing alongside RW Jaromir Jagr and C Aleksander Barkov will certainly boost his opportunities. He's doubtful to keep this pace, and he's facing last season's Vezina Trophy winner, G Braden Holtby.
  • LW Daniel Sedin (68K), Canucks (vs. Sabres): It's not a reflection of his skills, though the older he gets the less reliable he should be, but Sedin being the highest priced LW in Squad Up should be enough to force you to look elsewhere. He'll need a multi-point night, and that's unlikely if Sabres G Robin Lehner plays to his potential.
  • C Auston Matthews (67K), Maple Leafs (at Wild): The immediate output was never going to live up to the four-goal debut as Matthews has only a single assist in his following two outings. It will be a season of ups and downs, and playing on the road against the solid Wild defense and G Devan Dubnyk doesn't tilt the scales to his advantage.

Contrarian Options

  • RW Vladimir Tarasenko (95K), Blues (at Oilers): That salary is lofty enough to scare people away because it forces scrimping at almost every other position. It's hard to argue with his production, though. Tarasenko has scored four goals and added two assists in four games. He's always a threat to score multiple times per game.
  • C Jason Spezza (58K), Stars (vs. Kings): With one goal and a minus-3 through three games, Spezza has been slow out of the gate and will be overshadowed by other options in Dallas' offense. Skating with an offensively deficient Antoine Roussel hasn't helped. Spezza was a surprise with 63 points last season and could break out against Kings G Jeff Zatkoff.
  • LW Max Domi (40K), Coyotes (at Canadiens): With G Carey Price potentially returning, and Al Montoya coming off a shutout win, Domi has an uphill battle ahead of him. Take a relatively inexpensive Domi despite the difficult matchup because of possible lingering effects from Price's flu. If the Coyotes play him alongside Anthony Duclair and Dylan Strome a bit more, it's even better.

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