Daily Fantasy Hockey 2015: NHL DraftKings Studs and Duds for March 31

The final two playoff positions in the Eastern Conference come into sharp focus on Tuesday night, as the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers are all involved in crucial games.

A week ago, the Senators were red-hot and the Bruins were fading, but Boston seems to have solidified a bit, the Senators have hit the brakes and the Panthers are climbing the ladder.

DraftKings fantasy players will have their eyes on those teams and the rest of the Tuesday night card. As always, you will have a $50,000 salary cap to put together a winning team, and that means you have to find some sharp bargains in addition to the superstars. In today's feature, we look at the studs to play and the duds to avoid as you set your lineup.

Pos.	Player	Notable Numbers	Salary
C	Ryan Spooner	four goals, three assists in last 10 games	$4,500
W	Nick Foligno	10 goals, 15 assists on the power play	$5,200
D	Niklas Kronwall	three goals, 19 assists on the power play	$4,300
G	Braden Holtby	eight shutouts	$8,300

Studs

Forwards: Center Ryan Spooner ($4,500) and Nick Foligno ($5,200)

Ryan Spooner of the Boston Bruins has given head coach Claude Julien's team some much-needed offense since he was called up from Providence in late February. The slick-skating center has 15 points in 18 games, including seven goals, as he has manned the pivot between left wing Milan Lucic and youngster David Pastrnak.

There are some deficiencies to Spooner's defensive game, but he is quick, creative and a threat every time he has the puck in the offensive zone. Spooner has four goals and three assists in his last 10 games, and he's a bargain at $4,500.

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

Left wing Nick Foligno has been one of the best and most consistent players on the Columbus Blue Jackets this season, and his 29 goals and 36 assists demonstrate that he is fully capable of getting on the score sheet on a regular basis. He is just a notch below the league's top superstars, but his $5,200 price tag makes him a medium-priced buy who regularly provides excellent value.

Foligno is a wrecking crew on the power play with 10 goals and 15 assists.

Defenseman Niklas Kronwall ($4,300)

Defenseman Niklas Kronwall is one of the Detroit Red Wings' best players on the blue line, and he is the steadying force that head coach Mike Babcock depends on whenever his team is faced with a crucial on-ice situation. Kronwall is a tough, physical defenseman, but he is a great contributor on the offensive end with his big shot and accurate passing.

He has scored nine goals and 33 assists this season, and his 19 power-play assists makes him one of the most dangerous blueliners in man-advantage situations.

Lance Thomson/Getty Images

Goalie Braden Holtby ($8,300)

After getting knocked out of last Saturday's game against the Nashville Predators when he gave up three first-period goals, Holtby showed off his ability in holding the New York Rangers to two goals and defeating the Broadway Blueshirts at Madison Square Garden Sunday.

Holtby should be able to lead the Caps to a second straight win when Washington hosts the Carolina Hurricanes, who are not in contention for a playoff spot. He has a 37-19-9 record this season along with a 2.21 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage. While he has a high price tag, he is quite dependable when the game is on the line.

Position	Player	Warning Sign	Salary
C	Kyle Turris	one goal in last four games	$6,700
W	Rick Nash	one goal in last 10 games	$8,700
D	Keith Yandle	one goal since Dec. 23 (43 games)	$6,000

Duds

Forwards Kyle Turris ($6,700) and Rick Nash ($8,700)

Kyle Turris has been one of the key players responsible for the Senators' late-season turnaround that has put them on the precipice of a playoff spot. However, the Sens have hit a roadblock with three consecutive losses, and it appears they are feeling the pressure.

Turris has scored six goals and four assists in his last 10 games, but the gravy train comes to an end in Detroit against the Red Wings. The Senators and Turris were hot for a long time, but this high-priced scorer comes up empty here.

Rick Nash was a legitimate contender for MVP honors for most of the season, and he may be able to get hot when the Rangers enter the playoffs in a couple of weeks. However, he's in a late-season funk with just one goal and two assists in his last 10 games.

Nash is going to face a lot of physical play when the Rangers go to Winnipeg, and he's not going to have anything to show for it. Stay away from the flashy, pricey winger in this game.

Jared Silber/Getty Images

Defenseman Keith Yandle ($6,000)

The Rangers made a big move in adding Keith Yandle from the Arizona Coyotes at the trade deadline, and his ability to carry the puck out of his own zone and make positive offensive plays has been one of his strengths throughout his career.

Since coming to the Rangers, he has done a decent offensive job with one goal and five assists in 14 games, but he has not looked comfortable with the Rangers' defensive scheme. While he undoubtedly will make an adjustment, the Jets will put pressure on him with their heavy checking style, and Yandle should not be in your lineup Tuesday night.

Stats courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com and DraftKings.

Steve Silverman covers daily fantasy sports for Bleacher Report. Follow and interact with him on Twitter.

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