Here are theScore's defensemen value rankings for Saturday, December 19's eight-game slate (the afternoon games between the Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres as well as between the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues aren't included on the main DFS slate):
Top Options
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Suter (MIN) | at NAS | 9 |
| Sami Vatanen (ANA) | at NJ | 9 |
| Shayne Gostisbehere (PHI) | at CLB | 8 |
| Francois Beauchemin (COL) | vs. EDM | 8 |
| Justin Faulk (CAR) | at PIT | 8 |
Suter has three points in his past two games, and a minimum of three shots on goal in each of his past four. Two of his three points have come on the power play, and he continues to play the bulk of his minutes with Minnesota's best players.
Vatanen registered eight SOG in his most recent game, after being held without a shot in his previous outing. His price is still trending up, but so are his minutes. He price remains low enough he can return value with an assist and a few shots.
Best of the Rest
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Jared Spurgeon (MIN) | at NAS | 7 |
| Jake Muzzin (LA) | at TOR | 6 |
| Alex Goligoski (DAL) | vs. MTL | 6 |
| Shea Weber (NAS) | vs. MIN | 6 |
| Drew Doughty (LA) | at TOR | 6 |
Spurgeon benefits from playing the bulk of his minutes with Suter, though he doesn't offer the same skill set. Muzzin and Doughty play together on the Kings' top power-play unit, and they'll get their chances with the Maple Leafs ranking in the league's bottom-10 in penalty killing.
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Morgan Rielly (TOR) | vs. LA | 5 |
| Erik Johnson (COL) | vs. EDM | 5 |
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson (ARI) | vs. NYI | 4 |
| Roman Josi (NAS) | vs. MIN | 4 |
| Tyson Barrie (COL) | vs. EDM | 4 |
Rielly has had multiple shots in four straight games, with a goal and an assist to show for it. He's the most appealing option on an otherwise unappealing team, but he struggles to return value on a regular basis due to his supporting cast.
Nothing to See Here
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Johnny Boychuk (NYI) | at ARI | 3 |
| John Klingberg (DAL) | vs. MTL | 3 |
| P.K. Subban (MTL) | at DAL | 2 |
| Andrei Markov (MTL) | at DAL | 1 |
| Johnny Oduya (DAL) | vs. MTL | 1 |
Oduya will be likely to attract a higher ownership than usual, as he has scored in back-to-back games. He took just one shot in each contest, and went without a shot in his previous game. He hasn't recorded multiple shots in any of his past 10 games.
