Squad Up Daily Fantasy Dose: Minnesota's 1st line could go Wild vs. Stars

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Thursday, Feb. 16 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):

Dynamic Duos

• C Eric Staal (48K) & RW Nino Niederreiter (52K), Wild (vs. Stars): Staal is severely underpriced. Niederreiter has six points in his last five games. His physicality gives him a high floor. The first-place Wild should take advantage of a Stars team which has received terrible goaltending all season long.

• C Jeff Carter (63K) & LW Tanner Pearson (52K), Kings (vs. Coyotes): Arizona has the highest xGA60 (expected goals for per 60 minutes) and SCA60 (scoring chances against per 60 minutes) in the league. Carter's price remains much lower than it should considering he has 29 goals. He is still somehow cheaper than first-line C Anze Kopitar.

• C Connor McDavid (87K) & LW Patrick Maroon (42K), Oilers (vs. Flyers): The Flyers will be playing their second game in as many nights. McDavid's speed is already a major mismatch for any team, let alone a tired one.

Goalie Breakdown

• TARGET - Jake Allen (86K), Blues (vs. Canucks): Allen has gone 4-1 with a .953 SV% since Mike Yeo took over as head coach. Expect this success to continue against a Canucks team ranked fourth-last in goals per game.

• FADE - Connor Hellebuyck (99K), Jets (at Penguins): Hellebuyck has a sub .900 SV% and a GAA of 3.20 on the road. He cannot be trusted against Pittsburgh's vaunted offense.

• CONTRARIAN - Robin Lehner (106K), Sabres (vs. Avalanche): With plenty of bargains available between the pipes, Lehner's ownership will likely be low with his position-leading salary. However, Colorado is the worst offensive team in the NHL by a landslide, and the Swedish netminder has a .946 SV% in his last seven games.

Bargain Plays

• RW Michael Grabner (31K), Rangers (at Islanders): Grabner has 26 goals on the season. Twenty-five of them have come at even strength, with the other being a short-handed goal. The Islanders have the second-highest xGA60 and SCA60. He will surely be playing with an extra jump in his step against the team he was drafted by.

• C Jake Guentzel (28K), Penguins (vs. Jets): Guentzel is currently playing RW on Pittsburgh's first line with C Sidney Crosby and LW Chris Kunitz. He doesn't shoot the puck as much as you'd like, but he does have 41 hits in 18 games and three points in his last four outings.

• D Dion Phaneuf (30K), Senators (at Devils): Phaneuf has points in three straight games. His real value comes in secondary categories such as hits (93), blocks (101) and PIMs (72).

Top Fades

• RW Bobby Ryan (43K), Senators (at Devils): Ryan has been horrid this season. He is now stuck on the third line and has a slim chance at returning value to his mid-tier salary. He somehow costs more than Winnipeg Jets RW Patrik Laine.

• C Henrik Sedin (52K), Canucks (at Blues): Sedin doesn't shoot the puck enough or provide any secondary stats to be a trustworthy fantasy option, especially against the surging Blues.

• LW Loui Eriksson (45K), Canucks (at Blues): Eriksson has been a complete bust this season, but his salary hasn't really moved.

Contrarian Options

• RW Jordan Eberle (57K), Oilers (vs. Flyers): Eberle has been ice cold, going without a point in eight straight games. Despite his struggles, he has been promoted to the top line with McDavid. He could snap out of his funk against a tired Flyers team.

• LW Evander Kane (49K), Sabres (vs. Avalanche): Kane missed Buffalo's last game due to an illness. The questionable tag will drive owners away, but he has four goals in his last five games. If he suits up, he could have a big game against the NHL's worst team.

• C Ryan O'Reilly (71K), Sabres (vs. Avalanche): O'Reilly will likely have low ownership since teammate and fellow center Jack Eichel is cheaper and has been more productive. However, O'Reilly is still a viable fantasy option, especially against his former team.

(Photos courtesy Action Images)