Daily Fantasy Hockey 2015: Best NHL DFS DraftKings Lineup for March 26

There is no more holding back in the race to make the Stanley Cup playoffs. It's no longer time for teams or players to save themselves for the stretch run.

It's here, and these are the most critical regular-season contests of the year. Hockey fans have a full card of 11 games on the March 25 schedule, and there is no shortage of talented stars to select for the nine-player DraftKings roster. It's not just about ability at this point; it's about finding the hottest and most clutch players and fitting them within our $50,000 budget.

Here are the players who will get the job done on one of the most critical days of the season.

Pos.	Player	Opponent	FPPG	Salary
C	Patrice Bergeron	vs. Anaheim	3.6	$6,100
C	Anze Kopitar	at New York Islanders	3.0	$5,700
W	Jonathan Huberdeau	at Toronto	2.6	$4,700
W	Ondrej Palat	vs. Nashville	3.2	$5,700
W	Jarome Iginla	at Vancouver	3.2	$5,600
D	Drew Doughty	at New York Islanders	3.4	$5,400
D	Sami Vatanen	at Boston	3.2	$4,300
G	Roberto Luongo	at Toronto	4.5	$7,800
U	Justin Abdelkader	vs. San Jose	2.8	$4,600

Centers: Patrice Bergeron ($6,100) and Anze Kopitar ($5,700)

The initial inclination is to go with Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos or John Tavares, but we are choosing two of the best clutch players on two of the most desperate teams.

Bergeron saw his Bruins fall out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference when the Ottawa Senators defeated San Jose March 23, but the first-line center has been the Bruins' true leader for years and can be expected to have his best game when the Bruins host Anaheim.

Bergeron has scored 21 goals and added 30 assists this season, and he has three goals and three assists in his last 10 games, including goals in each of his last two outings. Bergeron goes to where the puck will be in the offensive zone, and that leads to a multitude of scoring opportunities.

Anze Kopitar often drives the Los Angeles Kings with his skill, athleticism and intelligence, and he may mean as much to them as Bergeron means to the Bruins.

The Kings are also desperate to earn a playoff spot, and they were in top form in their 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers March 24. Kopitar had two assists in that game and has scored points in four consecutive games. He has two goals and nine assists in his last 10 games and 15 goals with 44 assists for the season.

Look for another top effort from Kopitar and the Kings against the suddenly slumping New York Islanders (3-4-3 in their last 10 games).

Luis M. Alvarez/Associated Press

Wingers: Jonathan Huberdeau ($4,700), Ondrej Palat $5,700 and Jarome Iginla ($5,600)

Jonathan Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers is one of the most talented young players in the NHL. He has been showing improvement as the season has progressed and is playing his best hockey right now.

Huberdeau had a goal in the Panthers' 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay March 24, and he has three goals and five assists in his last 10 games. The playoff-hungry Panthers should have an easy time against the woebegone Toronto Maple Leafs, and Huberdeau could have multiple points.

Ondrej Palat is easy to overlook on the powerful Tampa Bay Lightning, but he has been a key part of the Lightning offense this season with 16 goals and 41 assists. Palat is not a big player at 6'0" and 181 pounds, but he is not afraid to go to the dirty areas and take a hit in order to make a play.

Palat has two goals and nine assists in his last 10 games. He should be able to keep his solid streak going as the Lightning host Nashville.

Paul Vernon/Associated Press

Jarome Iginla is once again a consistent scorer this season. He has been solid for the Colorado Avalanche with 25 goals and 26 assists in 2014-15 after a somewhat ordinary start. Iginla has six goals and three assists in his last 11 games, and he'll get a chance to keep that run going as the Avs go on the road to visit the Vancouver Canucks.

Iginla should be a factor on the power play, as he has six goals and five assists with the man advantage this season.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Defensemen: Drew Doughty ($5,400) and Sami Vatanen ($4,300)

With the Kings in a strong playoff drive, it is fair to expect Drew Doughty to lead the way in all clutch situations. Doughty is one of the best all-around defensemen in the NHL, and when he carries the puck into the offensive zone, it often leads to scoring opportunities. Doughty has five goals and 36 assists this year, and he will need to be at his best on the road against the Islanders. 

Sami Vatanen rarely gets credit for being a strong offensive factor for the Anaheim Ducks on the back end. The diminutive defenseman has all the skills needed to be a dominant player, and he should get his share of opportunities in Boston Thursday night because the Bruins defense has been far less effective this season than it has been in previous years.

Vatanen has 12 goals and 24 assists this season, and he has been consistently productive on the power play with seven goals and 10 assists. 

Alan Diaz/Associated Press

Goaltender: Roberto Luongo ($7,800)

On a night when Carey Price, Ben Bishop, Pekka Rinne, Tuukka Rask and Jonathan Quick are all in action, we are going to advocate keeping all of them on the bench and going with Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo.

Not only is Luongo somewhat cheaper than those goaltending stars, but he also has a favorable matchup against the Maple Leafs. Luongo should be able to come up with the victory with little trouble. He has a 25-17-11 record with a 2.35 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.

That should be good enough for an easy win over Toronto, and if he can keep them off the board in the first period, he will have a chance to pick up his third shutout of the season.

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

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