DFS: 5 Power Plays to Target

Here are five power-play units worth targeting in daily fantasy:

Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings have leaned on Pavel Datsyuk centering their PP1 line since Steve Yzerman retired. That stability is now up in the air, with Datsyuk's offseason ankle surgery putting a healthy start to the season in jeopardy. Luckily, Henrik Zetterberg - tied for fourth in power-play assists with Erik Karlsson last season - is well-equipped to slide over to center the attack.

The talented Swede has centered a lineup between Gustav Nyquist and left winger Justin Abdelkader during the preseason. Abdelkader isn't as a reliable DFS player but Nyquist could emerge as a superstar, building on a season where he ranked fifth in the NHL with 14 power-play goals.

With Datsyuk's return date in question, you can find value banking on a true Swedish Tre Kronor: Zetterberg and Nyquist paired as forwards with reliable assist-man Niklas Kronwall quarterbacking the attack from the blue-line.

Dallas Stars

The Stars were one of the big disappointments of the 2014-15 season, failing to improve on a season which saw them return to the playoffs in the first year of conference realignment. But there's plenty to be excited about with the Dallas power play unit this season.

Dallas ranked second in the NHL last season in total power plays with 290; unfortunately, they only managed to convert on 19% of those opportunities, ranking 12th in that category. If Dallas can continue to draw penalties at a high rate, their man-advantage efficiency should improve.

Captain Jamie Benn comes off a career 87-point season, including 10 goals and 13 assists on the power play. He should be the lynchpin on a unit that will feature setup man Jason Spezza and talented wing scorer Tyler Seguin.

Veteran winger Patrick Sharp will join the mix, as well, after being acquired in the off-season. All Sharp accomplished in his past six seasons with the Blackhawks are three Stanley Cup Championships and 105 power-play points, including 42 goals.

The Benn-Seguin-Spezza-Sharp forward combinations are endless - and should give Dallas a chance at converting north of 20% of their power-play chances this season.

Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia boasted the third-most effective power play team last season, converting on 23.4% of their chances. Claude Giroux is going to be priced like a DFS stud and linemate Jakub Voracek has now arrived in that tier as well after a career year.

The Giroux-Voracek pairing will provide a high floor for a high cost and can be the nucleus of a DFS lineup. If the Flyers continue to use physical winger Wayne Simmonds as the third forward on the top PP line, he is certainly a player to target for value. His presence in front of the net has been deadly, totaling 29 power-play goals over the past two seasons.

Simmonds' proximity to the net allows him to rack up shots at a rate similar to players considered to be flashier options, like Patrick Kane and Jaromir Jagr.

If you want to reap some of the benefits of Philly's deadly power play without breaking the bank, Simmonds and elite set-up defenceman Mark Streit (third in power-play assists last season) will feature heavily without being the flashiest players.

Edmonton Oilers

Former first overall draft picks Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov have all reached a defining moment in their careers - and are joined by potential generational superstar Connor McDavid.

NHL players will be targeting and testing McDavid all season long. That doesn't bode well on even-strength, when it will be up to the other young guns on the Oilers to protect the newest offensive weapon. The good thing is that McDavid won't have to worry about the goons when he's playing with a man advantage with the defense on its heels.

The more open ice of the power-play is the perfect setting for play-making fireworks, which will be a boon for whoever has the luxury of being McDavid's linemates.

Toronto Maple Leafs

At 283 total power plays, the Leafs had the third-most opportunities last season but struggled to convert; opponents knew they could play aggressively and risk penalties when the Leafs were only scoring at a 15.9% clip.

Departed winger Phil Kessel had 25 power-play points last season; the Leafs will look to some unlikely sources to try and make up for that lost production now that the mercurial winger is now in Pittsburgh.

James van Riemsdyk figures to be a mainstay in Toronto and should provide some stability; he tied for 23rd in the NHL with nine power play goals last season while adding 10 assists. Nazem Kadri is still the team's top center on all scoring lines but needs to improve on an awful season where he logged just seven power-play points (three goals).

Michael Grabner completely fell out of the Islanders' favor after several seasons of decline; with few other options, Grabner may be called on to take on a larger role than he's had in recent years in an effort to see if he can return to his watermark 34-goal sophomore season.

The bottom line: someone is going to have to score some goals in Toronto this season and with very few players approaching must-play status, there are plenty of low-cost, high-reward buys to be had this season.