This article is part of our DraftKings NHL series.
GOALIE
Anton Khudobin, BOS vs. DAL ($8,100) – Khudobin has been confirmed to start against the Stars, a team that is 8-11-2 on the road despite having seven more wins than losses overall and that just lost to the Avalanche on Saturday. Khudobin's having one of those seasons where he teases you with the idea that maybe he could be at least a No. 1B starter, having lost just two games in regulation this season while sporting a .925 save percentage. Hitchcock went 1-1 against the Bruins in each of his three final years with the Blues and this will be the first time he's faced them since joining the Stars, but their inexplicably terrible performances on the road gives the edge to the Bruins.
CENTER
Anze Kopitar, LA vs. SJ ($6,700) – He's a having a Selke-caliber season and is currently on a four-game tear with a goal and four assists and 46 faceoff wins, and he'll be playing against a team that allowed five goals against Arizona on Saturday and has coughed up 14 in their past three games. He may finish over a point-per-game this season, which would be a first in his career, and of the three California goalies playing Monday, Martin Jones is the weakest link. San Jose is still trying to prove they can be contenders, but a meager plus-5 goal differential and five wins in their past 10 games suggests otherwise. Kopitar has 52 career points in 66 games against San Jose, and also has 75 more career points at home than on the road.
Mathew Barzal, NYI at MON ($5,800) – Carey Price is clearly not the league's best goalie this season and Barzal is coming off a five-point performance against the Rangers. Barzal's grip on the Calder Trophy is tightening, and the Habs offer up an intriguing matchup with their lack of depth down the middle. If Claude Julien has Tomas Plekanec matched up against John Tavares, it's open season for Barzal, who is already a much better center than Jonathan Drouin. Barzal's recent hot streak gives him 44 points in 44 games, which ranks first among rookies and is tied with elite talents Vladimir Tarasenko and Jonathan Huberdeau.
WING
David Pastrnak, BOS vs. DAL ($6,700) – Confirmed starter Kari Lehtonen is the NHL's greatest gift for deadly shooters like Pastrnak. Despite playing well enough to potentially earn an extension, Lehtonen has been his usual mediocre self with a save percentage below .910, a mark he has not surpassed in any of his past three seasons. He allowed four goals in his previous start, which was exactly a month ago on Dec. 15. Brad Marchand has the hot hand on the Bruins' top line, which can only mean more good things for Pastrnak. The Czech sniper had six points in four games before getting shut out against the Habs.
Mikko Rantanen, COL vs. ANH ($6,100) – Rantanen has already surpassed last year's point total despite playing half the games, and the Avalanche should be taken seriously this season. John Gibson is in net, which is not great news for Rantanen, but he's playing with Nathan MacKinnon on one of the league's best lines. Rantanen had eight points in three games prior to Saturday's game against the Stars and 32 of his 41 points have been scored at home. Clearly, Jared Bednar knows how to maximize his top line's production when he gets last change at home.
Alex Galchenyuk, MON vs. NYI ($4,900) – Galchenyuk has two goals and an assist in his past four games, which also coincides with a recent uptick in ice time. Just spitballing here, but if the Habs are shopping Galchenyuk – which has been rumored in the past as well – it would make sense to showcase him a little more. That means playing Galchenyuk with Jonathan Drouin and giving him lots of time on special teams. In fact, both of his recent goals have come on the power play. The Islanders are sneaky good but their defense is banged up and who knows how good their goaltending will be each night, while Galchenyuk's been playing well and thriving when given the opportunities.
DEFENSE
Brent Burns, SJ at LA ($7,200) – He's firmly back in elite fantasy status after an extremely slow start with 21 points in his past 18 games. Who knows why it is, but Burns has fared much better against the Kings than the Ducks in his career, scoring seven more points and having a shooting percentage that's 4.2 percent better. The big man on the blue line is currently on a five-game point streak with a goal and seven assists.
John Klingberg, DAL at BOS ($6,100) – Burns may belong in his own tier but Klingberg's scoring at a similar pace with two goals and seven assists in his past six games. He's integral to the Stars offense and continues to lead all defensemen in scoring with 40 points, five ahead of John Carlson and seven ahead of Burns. The Bruins have not lost in regulation in their past 10 games, but that doesn't mean they can't be scored on. Klingberg is having the best season of his young career and has five points in six career games against the Bruins.
