DFS: Counterattack - Monday's Top Contrarian Plays
G Garret Sparks, Maple Leafs (vs. Oilers)
It was announced Sunday that Sparks will make his NHL debut, with James Reimer nursing an undisclosed injury and Jonathan Bernier mired in a long slump.
Sparks, Toronto's seventh-round pick in 2011, has played well in the AHL this season, compiling an 8-2-1 record with a 1.90 GAA and a .938 save percentage. While rookie jitters could be a concern, the Oilers, Monday's opponent, have won only two of their last eight road games, and have conceded four goals in five of those contests, meaning that Sparks may well get the run support needed for a win.
Assuming he's added to your DFS game of choice in time, Sparks will likely be cheaply-priced and low-owned, making him a viable play in GPP formats.
C Nazem Kadri, Maple Leafs (vs. Oilers)
Kadri's been featured in this space before, with the rationale typically being the same: his futility can't possibly last this long. Kadri ranks seventh in total shots, and every other player in the top 10 has at least nine goals. Kadri, of course, has two, despite a top line role and power play duties.
Edmonton's giving up an average of 3.08 goals per game, and with the team's recent road defensive struggles, as long as Kadri keeps firing almost four shots per game, the puck will eventually start finding the back of the net with regularity.
W/C Elias Lindholm, Hurricanes (at Rangers)
On Monday's small slate, the obvious mismatch appears to be Carolina's low-powered offense (a 28th-ranked 2.04 goals per game) on the road against likely starter Henrik Lundqvist. Someone has to score for the Hurricanes, and it may as well be Lindholm, who's on a four-game point streak while also registering 11 shots in that span.
A nominal center, the fifth overall pick in the 2013 draft has ascended to a wing role on the team's top line alongside Eric Staal and Victor Rask, and also sees first unit power play time.
D Justin Faulk, Hurricanes (at Rangers)
Like Lindholm, Faulk seemingly doesn't have a great matchup on paper, but is a safe play due to his team-leading 25 minutes per game of ice time and propensity to fire the puck on net (3.3 shots per game). Faulk leads the Hurricanes with 18 points, and has registered exactly half of them, including all eight of his goals, on the power play.
He's the most dynamic offensive defenseman on the board Monday, but will likely be low-owned due to the matchup. New York has taken the seventh-most minor penalties this season, so even if Faulk can't find success at even-strength, he'll likely have ample opportunity to produce with the man advantage.