Daily Fantasy Hockey 2015: NHL DraftKings Studs and Duds for April 7

Only five days remain in the NHL regular season. A handful of teams are fighting tooth and nail for their playoff lives, and daily fantasy players are trying to cash in for the last time before the postseason.

Few opportunities to do so are better than Tuesday, which features more than half the league playing with nine games on the slate. And with four 100-point teams in the mix, top seeds are also on the line in most divisions.

DraftKings is flooded with strong options as well as names to stay away from, so let's waste no time by breaking down both below.

Studs

Forwards: Anze Kopitar ($5,500) and Filip Forsberg ($5,400) 

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

The Los Angeles Kings are stepping it up as they chase a playoff spot in the season's dying days, and that includes Anze Kopitar. The big-bodied center has three points in his last two games, and a ridiculous nine helpers in his last 10 games makes him an easy bet against a hapless Edmonton crew. The Oilers concede the third-most points to opposing centers.

Nashville Predators rookie Filip Forsberg eyes a return to form entering the playoffs, and he took a step in that direction Saturday with a goal and an assist against the Dallas Stars. With three goals and one assist in four games against the Colorado Avalanche this season, he's set to shine again.

Defenseman: Alex Pietrangelo ($5,700)

LM Otero/Associated Press

As the St. Louis Blues make a surge for the Central Division title, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has been assisting at an impeccable rate with six helpers and a goal in his last 10 games. He's exceeded 4.5 fantasy points in four of those games and has five assists in four games this season against Tuesday's opponent, the Winnipeg Jets.

Goalie: Cam Talbot ($8,700)

John Minchillo/Associated Press

New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist dazzled with 35 saves in the first of two games against the New Jersey Devils Saturday, but backup Cam Talbot is getting the nod Tuesday as New York eyes the Presidents' Trophy, per NHL.com's Dan Rosen:

Talbot dominated with Lundqvist out for a long stretch of the season, so there's no reason to believe he'll struggle versus a Devils team that has lost seven of its last eight games. New Jersey also ranks a lowly 28th in the league in goals.

Duds

Forward: Matt Duchene ($7,500)

Christine Cotter/Associated Press

Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene doesn't have his normal goal-scoring prowess against the Nashville Predators with zero goals in four meetings this season. The Preds are eyeing a late climb in the playoff hunt, while the Avs are ready for the offseason.

Defenseman: Oliver Ekman-Larsson ($6,000)

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Arizona Coyotes blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson is nearing all-time-high salary after a hot streak and entering a rough matchup against the Calgary Flames—not the time you want to target a guy. Against a Flames crew that ranks seventh against opposing D-men, Ekman-Larsson is doomed for a rare point-less outing.

Goalie: Jaroslav Halak ($8,800)

Mike Munden/Associated Press

Prior to a shutout on Saturday, New York Islanders goalie Jaroslav Halak couldn't stop anything for three straight games—allowing 10 combined goals to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings. The Philadelphia Flyers—at least as of late—are more on the plane of those teams than the Buffalo Sabres one Halak shut out this weekend, indicating his struggles will return.

Stats courtesy of DraftKings.

Follow Steven Cook on Twitter.

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