Daily Fantasy Hockey 2015: Best NHL DFS DraftKings Lineup for Feb. 5

The first Thursday night in February is loaded with several juicy NHL matchups for fantasy players to salivate over. Prior to the start of a full slate on Feb. 5, here's a look at an optimal lineup for DraftKings owners.

Pos.	Player	Opp (OPRK)	FPPG	Salary
C	Nicklas Backstrom	@ OTT (17th)	3.8	$7,000
C	David Backes	@ BUF (30th)	3.5	$5,500
W	T.J. Oshie	@ BUF (30th)	3.4	$5,700
W	Radim Vrbata	SJ (24th)	3.7	$5,700
W	Alex Killorn	@ DAL (29th)	2.3	$4,600
D	Mike Green	@ OTT (30th)	3.2	$5,500
D	Travis Hamonic	@ PHI (25th)	2.2	$4,200
G	Roberto Luongo	LA (27th)	4.4	$7,300
UTIL	Patrick Eaves	TB (15th)	2.2	$4,200

C Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals ($7,000)

Glenn James/Getty Images

Goals	Assists	SOG	Hits	BS
3	10	20	12	10

For a player who has consistently been a contributor for the Washington Capitals, Nicklas Backstrom is often overlooked. While he comes at a high price, the center is worth it with his recent production.

Facing the struggling Ottawa Senators, Backstrom will excel for daily owners. If the Capitals are going to continue their output from the 4-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings, they'll need Backstrom to keep up his impressive play.

W T.J. Oshie, St. Louis Blues ($5,700)

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

It took a while for him to get going, but T.J. Oshie finally has the look of a reliable fantasy option. The St. Louis Blues winger had three assists on Sunday against the Capitals. While he didn't replicate that success on Tuesday, he still had over 22 minutes of ice time.

Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers his take on Oshie's recent play:

Oshie had a five-game scoring streak with seven points over that span before being shut out against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Getting a chance to begin anew versus the porous Buffalo Sabres defense, look for Oshie to get back on the board in a big way.

D Travis Hamonic, New York Islanders ($4,200)

Mike Stobe/Getty Images

He may be young, but Travis Hamonic has been relied upon more heavily by the New York Islanders recently. With over 20 minutes in ice time in all but one game during January, the 24-year-old looked much more comfortable offensively.

Quietly increasing his production over the last five games, he's had at least two blocked shots in every game and an assist in three of the last four. At such a low cost, expect Hamonic to outplay his value against the Philadelphia Flyers.

G Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers ($7,300)

The last time out, Roberto Luongo gave up five goals and looked dreadful against the New York Rangers. Now that that's out of the way, let's take a look at why he should be started against the Kings.

LA has been awful recently on offense, scoring just one goal in the last two road games. Even with Luongo struggling, he is experienced enough to recover against the Kings. With a .915 save percentage this season at home, the veteran will produce at a reasonable asking price for a goaltender.

UTIL Patrick Eaves, Dallas Stars ($4,200)

Francois Lacasse/Getty Images

Though he's not one of the biggest names, Patrick Eaves is a quality utility player at his salary. His value has slowly crept up in the last four games with an average of 4.75 points per game. Being on a top line with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn will do that for a player.

Even with the Tampa Bay Lightning playing well recently, they have six goals in their last two road contests. If Eaves can connect with his teammates and continue to block shots, he will make a perfect addition to any lineup as a utility player.

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