Thursday's showdown is a single game, VGK @ DET, with a $50,000 cap and a captain slot that scores 1.5x points at 1.5x salary. The slate locks Thu 11/5 at 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT).
Mark Stone (VGK) is the headline play at $9,000, with a 27.1 ceiling, the highest on our board. His DraftKings average is 13.0, so the case for him is upside rather than a steady floor. Jack Eichel (VGK) costs $10,600 and carries a 22.7 ceiling against a 13.3 average. On the Detroit side, Alex DeBrincat (DET) at $9,800 has a 21.2 ceiling and a 13.7 average, the best average among the top plays, and Lucas Raymond (DET) at $8,400 sits at 20.4 and 12.5.
The value is where a showdown gets decided. Victor Olofsson (VGK) is just $5,000 with a 22.4 ceiling and a 13.5 average, which is a ceiling close to Eichel's for less than half the price. Alexander Holtz (VGK) is the cheapest piece at $2,000, with a 13.7 ceiling and an 8.5 average. That is a strong return for a minimum-priced slot and a way to afford the expensive names.
On the goalie front, Daniil Tarasov (DET) at $9,600 has a 19.5 ceiling and an 11.4 average, while Carter Hart (VGK) at $10,200 has a 16.1 ceiling and a 9.4 average. John Gibson (DET) is tagged OUT by DraftKings, so Tarasov is the Detroit option here. Several other DET and VGK players carry IR tags.
Our model's top lineup uses $49,700 of the $50,000 cap. Mark Stone is the captain at $13,500, with Mitch Marner ($9,200), Jack Eichel ($10,600), Brayden McNabb ($4,800), Daniil Tarasov ($9,600) and Alexander Holtz ($2,000) in the flex spots. Pairing Stone's ceiling with Holtz's $2,000 price is what makes the salary work.
Lineups lock Thu 11/5 at 7:00 p.m. ET, so get your picks in before then.
Follow @numeric_dfs on X.