Squad Up Daily NHL Fantasy Dose: Jets can ground Karlsson-less Senators

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Saturday, April 1 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):

Dynamic Duos

C Bryan Little (41K) and RW Patrik Laine (47K), Jets (vs. Senators): Playing together both on the power play and on Winnipeg's second line, Little and Laine have combined for just one point (a goal) in their last six games. Laine has pumped in 20 shots in that span, though, so he's unlucky to have scored just once. Both players are affordably-priced and should be aided by facing an Ottawa team without superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson.

LW Brad Marchand (68K) and D Torey Krug (42K), Bruins (vs. Panthers): The day's earliest game pits Marchand, the NHL's second-leading goal scorer, against third-string Panthers netminder Reto Berra, who has a 3.38 GAA in five appearances. C Patrice Bergeron (62K) doesn't offer great value, so power play specialist Krug gets the nod as Marchand's partner. Krug, perhaps coincidentally, has nine points in 10 day games this season.

C Elias Lindholm (47K) and Sebastian Aho (54K), Hurricanes (vs. Stars): Despite some better recent defensive efforts, Dallas still allows the third-most expected goals per 60 minutes and holds the fourth-worst GAA. Lindholm has been a reliable point producer, with at least an assist in 11 of his last 13 games. Linemate Aho managed 12 points in that stretch and is more of a threat to find the back of the net.

Goalie Breakdown

TARGET - Frederik Andersen (104K), Maple Leafs (at Red Wings): It can be a gamble to trust the occasionally erratic Maple Leafs, but they're on a roll, having won five of their last six games. Back from injury, Andersen has allowed more than two goals in just one of his last 11 appearances. He's a perfect 3-0-0 with a 1.96 GAA against Detroit this season.

BARGAIN - Carey Price (76K), Canadiens (at Lightning): Price enjoyed a stellar month of March, going 9-2-0 in 11 starts with a 1.81 GAA and a .941 save percentage. Even on the road against the high-powered Lightning, Price is hard to resist at a salary just above the minimum.

FADE - Reto Berra (94K), Panthers (at Bruins): The aforementioned Berra is priced higher than Bruins counterpart Tuukka Rask (89K) despite having allowed 10 goals over his two starts this season. The injury-riddled Panthers have lost three straight games and seven of their last eight road contests.

CONTRARIAN - Connor Hellebuyck (96K), Jets (vs. Senators): Ottawa lost 5-1 in Minnesota on Thursday, generating just 19 shots in goal without the injured Karlsson around to drive play. Karlsson is set to miss out again on Saturday. Hellebuyck has fared better at home this season, holding a 13-10-1 record through 27 starts, and goal support shouldn't be an issue.

Bargain Plays

C Rickard Rakell (34K), Ducks (at Oilers): Despite a team-leading 32 goals, Rakell isn't priced all that far above the minimum level. He's recorded at least one point in three of four previous meetings with Edmonton this season, and just completed a strong month of March in which he notched eight goals, five assists and 43 shots in 14 games.

D Radko Gudas (25K), Flyers (vs. Devils): It's a bonus that Gudas has scored a goal in two of his last three games, as his style of play is perfectly suited to Squad Up's scoring system. Gudas averages approximately eight combined hits, blocks and shots per game, providing a solid floor when he can't find the score sheet.

LW Philip Danault (25K), Canadiens (at Lightning): Despite his classification in Squad Up, Danault centers Montreal's first line of Max Pacioretty and Alexander Radulov. The role hasn't resulted in a windfall of offensive impact, but Danault did record seven points in 13 March games, and enters Saturday with a goal, an assist and seven shots in his last two outings.

Top Fades

C Claude Giroux (67K), Flyers (vs. Devils): Giroux rarely proved worthy of his premium price tag during Philadelphia's busy March, recording 11 points in 15 games and recording more than two shots on goal on just three occasions. A line shuffle in the wake of an injury to LW Matt Read may not ultimately benefit Giroux, as the pair had been playing together on the top line.

RW Nikita Kucherov (80K), Lightning (vs. Canadiens): Before sitting out Tampa Bay's last game due to illness, Kucherov had been scorching hot, recording five straight multi-point efforts. It's unclear whether he'll be healthy enough to return to the lineup, but at a salary only matched by Oilers C Connor McDavid, he's arguably too much of a risk at less than 100 percent against the strong form of the above-mentioned Price.

LW Thomas Vanek (41K), Panthers (at Bruins): Aside from a four-assist outburst in the middle of March, Vanek hasn't been much of a factor since being acquired at the trade deadline. The Austrian winger has found the score sheet in just five of his 15 games as a Panther, and has recorded no more than a single shot on goal in eight of his last nine contests.

Contrarian Options

LW Mike Cammalleri (36K), Devils (at Flyers): After missing nearly all of March with a shoulder injury, Cammalleri returned to the Devils' lineup on Friday, playing 13:38 and recording a shot on goal in a loss to the Islanders. For what it's worth, he has recorded three assists over two earlier meetings with Philadelphia, and the Flyers' goaltending has the fifth-worst 5-on-5 save percentage, increasing low-scoring New Jersey's hopes.

D Dion Phaneuf (28K), Senators (at Jets): Karlsson's injury is bad news for the Senators as a whole, but it's a positive for Phaneuf's potential fantasy impact. Phaneuf played over five minutes of power play time in Ottawa's last game, and while his best offensive days are behind him, 16 of his 30 points this season have come with the man advantage.

C Jason Spezza (38K), Stars (at Hurricanes): Spezza's even strength role fluctuates, but he maintains a steady presence on the power play. He hasn't recorded a point in three straight games, but was explosive in March, with four separate multi-point efforts. A matchup between two of the top 10 teams with the most expected goals allowed per 60 minutes looms as a high-scoring affair.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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