Here are the top contrarian plays for Tuesday, January 5:
C Evgeny Kuznetsov, Capitals (at Bruins)
Though he hasn't been as productive since the return of C Nicklas Backstrom dropped him off the Capitals' first line with W Alex Ovechkin, Kuznetsov has remained a consistent contributor. He already has a career-high 12 goals, and his 35 points are just two shy of a personal best. He enters Tuesday with two goals and three assists in his past five games.
He also has 17 shots on goal in that time, providing a safe floor for cash games. His price remains in the middle tier of most DFS sites, making it easy to incorporate him into lineups.
W Zach Parise, Wild (at Blue Jackets)
Parise has gone without a point in each of his past three games and six of his past seven. His offensive struggles mirror those of the rest of his team, and show his importance to the Wild's offensive success.
As Parise's struggles persist, his DFS salary continues to drop on most DFS sites. One of the more consistent offensive players over the past several seasons has now become extremely affordable. He has six SOG over his past two games, and he faces goaltender Anton Forsberg on Tuesday. It's a good spot for Parise to return to the score sheet.
D John Klingberg, Stars (at Rangers)
Though Klingberg is routinely rostered by most DFS owners, Tuesday's tilt with the Rangers and G Henrik Lundqvist may cause hesitation. Klingberg has been his usually productive self, with five points and nine SOG in his past four games, but the Rangers are trending in the wrong direction.
Lundqvist has allowed 32 total goals over his past nine games, with an .866 save percentage. He has allowed two or fewer goals just three times in that span, having allowed five goals on the same number of occasions. Klingberg's high price tag needn't be feared.
G Antti Niemi, Stars (at Rangers)
The Rangers have a record of 4-8-2 over their past 14 games, dating back to the beginning of December. They've allowed a total of 59 goals over that span, and will now welcome the league's top offense.
Niemi allowed three goals on 30 shots in his most recent start, but he had stopped 104 of 109 shots on goal in his previous four games, without allowing more than two goals in any one. He's staying ahead of G Kari Lehtonen on the depth chart, but his price remains low.
