Squad Up Daily NHL Fantasy Dose: Minnesota’s offense is running wild

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Sunday, Jan. 15 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):

Dynamic Duos

C Nicklas Backstrom (53K) and RW T.J. Oshie (45K), Capitals (vs. Flyers): There's no overthinking things in pairing together two-thirds of Washington's productive first line (LW Alex Ovechkin and his 74K salary fails to make the cut). Backstrom and Oshie each had a goal and an assist in Friday's 6-0 rout of Chicago, and the Flyers have the third-worst team GAA (3.09) and the second-worst 5-on-5 save percentage.

C Eric Staal (43K) and D Ryan Suter (36K), Wild (at Blackhawks): Minnesota is on a goal-scoring tear, having found the net 12 times over its last two games. Staal notched four points in that stretch and has found the score sheet in 14 of his last 15 games. His linemates are Charlie Coyle, a fellow C in Squad Up, and pricey LW Zach Parise (57K), so Suter gets the nod as Staal's partner. Suter has three points in his last two games and sees a massive 27:12 nightly workload.

C Ryan Kesler (49K) and RW Jakub Silfverberg (48K), Ducks (vs. Blues): Two-thirds of Anaheim's second line at even strength, Kesler and Silfverberg rank first and fourth, respectively, in team scoring, and have combined for 11 points so far in January. The Blues have the NHL's third-worst 5-on-5 save percentage, and expected starting netminder Jake Allen has allowed three or more goals in five of his last six appearances.

Goalie Breakdown

TARGET: Braden Holtby (98K), Capitals (vs. Flyers): Holtby is hard to ignore, given that he's won his last five starts, with three shutouts and a total of three goals allowed in that stretch. Philadelphia has lost its last eight road games, heightening Holtby's appeal in the earliest game of the day.

BARGAIN: Devan Dubnyk (83K), Wild (at Blackhawks): A relative bargain, Dubnyk has only fared marginally worse on the road, holding a 1.85 GAA and a 10-3-3 record compared to 1.69 and 12-4-0 at home. He's won all three of his starts in January, and should be assured of plenty of goal support given his teammates' recent form.

FADE: Steve Mason (83K), Flyers (at Capitals): Mason has beaten the Capitals once this season, though that outing came in Philadelphia. He's struggled on the road, holding a 3.09 GAA and winning just four of 15 starts. A meeting with the red-hot Holtby and the high-scoring Capitals isn't likely to go well for the former Calder Trophy winner.

CONTRARIAN: John Gibson (93K), Ducks (vs. Blues): Gibson is nearly playing as well as Holtby, having won five of his last six starts, including two via shutout, but draws a tougher opponent in the Blues. The Ducks allow the eighth-fewest scoring chances against per 60 minutes, and Gibson's understudy, Jonathan Bernier, kept up the team's strong defensive play with a shutout on Saturday.

Bargain Plays

RW Ryan Hartman (28K), Blackhawks (vs. Wild): Despite playing on the third line at even strength and seeing little in the way of power play time, Hartman has notched six points in his last five games, including a hat trick and a two-assist effort. Ranking second among Blackhawk forwards in Corsi For percentage (52.64), Hartman has managed to drive possession in his limited role.

C Jori Lehtera (25K), Blues (at Ducks): On Sunday's small slate, viable bargain options are hard to come by, especially at C and LW. Lehtera has just 13 points in 38 games, but centers St. Louis' second line featuring high-scoring RW Vladimir Tarasenko at even strength. Lehtera scored on Saturday, and has notched a point in three of his last six games.

D Jared Spurgeon (25K), Wild (at Blackhawks): The 5-foot-9 Spurgeon doesn't often feature on the Wild's top power play unit, but with 19 points in 37 games, offers some offensive punch from the back end. Spurgeon has seven points in his last eight games, and also averages nearly four combined blocks and shots on goal per game.

Top Fades

C Henrik Sedin (59K), Canucks (vs. Devils): With one point and seven shots on goal in his last five games, name recognition and respect for his career must be the justification for Sedin's ranking as Squad Up's second-priciest center. The stingy Devils allow the ninth-fewest scoring chances against per 60 minutes, increasing the chances that Sedin will have another fruitless outing.

RW Patrick Kane (86K), Blackhawks (vs. Wild): Kane is as reliable a scorer as there is, averaging exactly a point per game after 45 contests. He's priced so prohibitively high, though, that only a multi-point effort will allow him to live up to his salary. Against the NHL's leader in both GAA and save percentage (Dubnyk), that seems an unlikely proposition.

D Shayne Gostisbehere (44K), Flyers (at Capitals): Gostisbehere was a healthy scratch for Saturday's game in Boston. While he could regain his place in the lineup for Sunday's clash in Washington, there's still a large degree of risk in selecting him. The healthy-again Mark Streit could monopolize power play duties, and there's of course the matter of facing a hot goaltender in the Capitals' Holtby.

Contrarian Options

C Bo Horvat (57K), Canucks (vs. Devils): Vancouver's leader in goals (13) and points (30), Horvat likely won't garner too much fantasy attention thanks to a relatively high salary. He's been extremely consistent of late, recording at least a point in eight of his last nine games. He's also fared better at home, where he's scored 10 of his goals in 23 games.

RW Justin Williams (40K), Capitals (vs. Flyers): A slow start that saw him record just four points in 21 games through November has contributed to Williams' underwhelming average of 13.1 fantasy points per game. Since December, he's turned things around, notching 10 goals and eight assists in 21 outings.

LW Jason Zucker (38K), Wild (at Blackhawks): Despite the lack of regular power play time, Zucker has notched six points in as many games, including three goals. He may fly under the radar compared to some of the better known options at his position, but like the majority of his teammates, he's been finding the score sheet with regularity.

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