Daily Fantasy Hockey 2015: NHL DraftKings Strategy for April 11

It's crazy to think that the regular-season NHL finale is already here, but at least the 2014-15 season will go out with a bang as all 30 teams are set to play on Saturday.

Many of the playoff questions were answered on Thursday, but the fates of Pittsburgh, Ottawa and Boston still remain very much up in the air. Those already into the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be intent on entering the postseason with some momentum, so don't expect a drop-off in the level of play despite it being game 82.

All 30 teams playing can up the salaries of your household names, but it also allows immensely valuable players to surface with low prices. With that in mind, let's break down the top salaries while finding an affordable—yet dependable—option at each position.

Pos.	No. 1	No. 2	No. 3
C	Sidney Crosby ($9,200)	Steven Stamkos ($9,200)	Logan Couture ($9,000)
W	Alex Ovechkin ($9,200)	Rick Nash ($8,900)	Max Pacioretty ($8,600)
D	Erik Karlsson ($8,600)	P.K. Subban ($8,400)	Dennis Wideman ($7,800)
G	Henrik Lundqvist ($9,500)	Tuukka Rask ($9,400)	Sergei Bobrovsky ($9,200)

C Kyle Turris, Ottawa Senators (OPRK 24th, FPPG 3.4): $5,500

Kathy Kmonicek/Associated Press

The Senators are coming out in full force Saturday hoping to secure their playoff spot, which means more chances in front of net for one of their hottest offensive forces as of late. Center Kyle Turris has points in five straight games, along with three goals and eight assists in his last 10.

Turris hasn't scored a point in two meetings against Philadelphia this season, but neither of those games were preceded by him scoring five points in his previous three games. He'll have a killer's mentality knowing that a loss could spell the end of Ottawa's season.

W Brendan Gallagher, Montreal Canadiens (OPRK 29th, FPPG 3.3): $5,300

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher is putting a spectacular end to his second full season as a pro, scoring a goal in four straight games back in March and notching five scores in his last 10 games. He's averaging more than four DraftKings points per game in that span, absurdly overplaying his price tag.

With 11 points in 17 playoff games last season, Gallagher peaked entering the postseason, and his gaudy numbers late in this season prove he's doing the same. Against a Toronto Maple Leafs squad that gives up 3.14 goals per game, Gallagher will continue wreaking havoc in front of net.

D Alexander Edler, Vancouver Canucks (OPRK 27th, FPPG 2.9): $4,600

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

In terms of scoring defensemen, you won't find a bigger bang for your buck than Alexander Edler. He's an assisting machine, notching a hat trick of helpers Thursday night against Arizona—which also marked his third straight game with an assist.

To help his cause even more, the Canucks close the regular season against the Edmonton Oilers—owners of the league's third-worst record who have lost four of their last five. Edmonton has given up 22 goals in those five games (not a typo), which means Vancouver should explode for more goals as it looks for playoff momentum.

G Semyon Varlamov, Colorado Avalanche (OPRK, FPPG): $8,400

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

You won't get by in this loaded 15-game slate without setting aside some cash for a strong goaltender, but you can still separate yourself by grabbing the 13th highest-salaried goalie in Colorado's Semyon Varlamov.

The Avs have won two straight and face a Blackhawks team on a three-game skid. Varlamov dazzled with 40 saves against the Predators in his last start, and he is expected to close the regular season in net Saturday.

He's stopped 81 of 82 shots against Chicago in two wins already this season, including an amazing 54-save shutout in January. Don't expect much different on Saturday.

Advanced stats courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com and DraftKings.

Steven Cook covers daily fantasy sports for Bleacher Report. Follow and interact with him on Twitter.

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