Daily Fantasy Hockey 2015: DraftKings NHL Optimal Lineup for December 17

We have made it a point that you can't fill your lineup with superstars in fantasy hockey. Not if you want to have a full roster that includes two centers, three wings, two defenseman, a goalie and a utility player. 

Stock up with superstars, and you won't even get through the defensemen.

But sometimes you have to go for the studs, and we are not hesitating with our DraftKings lineup for Thursday. The superstar at the the top of our lineup is Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin.

Now in his third year with the Stars, Seguin continues to ascend into the upper atmosphere of the league's great players. Seguin is the league's second-leading scorer with 42 points, just behind the Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane (46 points).

Seguin has a blistering wrist shot, and he has found the back of the net 17 times. He is clearly on pace to fly past the 40-goal mark, and if he does that, it would be the first time in his career he accomplishes the feat. He has scored 37 in each of his first two seasons with the Stars. He is well worth the $8,800 we are paying in salary for him.

Seguin also has 25 assists, and he should be in prime position to add to both his goal and assist totals against the Calgary Flames. The Flames beat the Stars 4-3 in a Dec. 1 meeting in Calgary, and Seguin did not score a point in that game. Look for the player and his team to get revenge in this game.

Position	Player	Team	FPPG	Salary
C	Tyler Seguin	Dallas	5.6	$8,800
C	Leon Draisaitl	Edmonton	4.0	$4,700
W	Alexander Steen	St. Louis	3.9	$7,100
W	Joel Ward	San Jose	3.1	$4,600
W	Milan Lucic	Los Angeles	2.6	$4,800
D	John Klingberg	Dallas	3.6	$5,900
D	Hampus Lindholm	Anaheim	2.3	$4,000
G	Martin Jones	San Jose	4.5	$7,100
U	Vernon Fiddler	Dallas	1.7	$2,900

Centers: Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars ($8,800) and Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers ($4,700)

Leon Draisaitl is becoming a mainstay for the Edmonton Oilers in his second season. The 20-year-old is playing fearless hockey, and he is not afraid to go into the corners or in front of the net and throw his weight around. 

Draisaitl is 6'2" and 204 pounds, and he has been on fire with nine goals and 18 assists in 22 games. Draisaitl has excellent instincts, and he is taking on more of a leadership role with the Oilers. He is also a factor on the power play with two goals and three assists with the man advantage. Draisaitl is connecting on 19.6 percent of his shots, and he should get on the board as the Oilers continue their road trip when they play in Chicago on Thursday night.

Bill Boyce/Associated Press

Wings: Alexander Steen, St. Louis Blues ($7,100), Joel Ward, San Jose Sharks ($4,600) and Milan Lucic, Los Angeles Kings ($4,800)

Alexander Steen may not be a superstar, but he is a productive player who is dangerous every time he steps on the ice. Steen is a powerful skater who knows how to find the dead spots in the offensive zone where he can unleash his powerful shot.

Steen has scored 11 goals and 18 assists in his first 32 games this term, and he has long been known for his power-play production. While he has just one extra-man goal thus far, he has 10 assists when the Blues have the man advantage. Steen should get on the board as the Blues host the Nashville Predators.

Joel Ward was a long-time role player during his career with the Washington Capitals and a good one. He scored a number of important goals in the postseason, including an overtime series-winner in the seventh game of a 2012 series with the Boston Bruins.

Ward moved to the San Jose Sharks in the summer, and he is no longer just a role player. He is a solid contributor who has scored 10 goals and 13 assists in 30 games. He has two goals and six assists in his last 10, and he should be in a good position to score as the Sharks visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.

Paul Vernon/Associated Press

Milan Lucic is rapidly finding his way with the Los Angeles Kings. The longtime Boston Bruin is using his aggressiveness to become a huge contributor for the Kings. Lucic has 10 goals and 10 assists in 30 games, and he has connected on an impressive 21.7 percent of his shots on net. Lucic has registered 111 hits, and he can often create turnovers with his physical play. Lucic will score at least one point and continue with his physical play against the slumping Montreal Canadiens.

LM Otero/Associated Press

Defensemen: John Klingberg, Dallas Stars ($5,900) and Hampus Lindholm, Anaheim Ducks ($4,000)

John Klingberg has been one of the keys in the Stars' rise to the elite levels of the NHL standings. Klingberg is a smart player with excellent offensive instincts. The blueliner has five goals and 26 assists in 31 games, and there's no reason he can't keep up his point-per-game pace for a while longer. Klingberg will get on the board at home against the Flames.

Hampus Lindholm of the Anaheim Ducks has not been as productive as Klingberg, but he is a smart and athletic defenseman who skates extremely well. Lindholm has two goals and five assists thus far, but he could pick it up any time because he is not afraid to attack in the offensive zone. Look for Lindholm to get involved as the Ducks travel to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Goalie: Martin Jones, San Jose Sharks ($7,100)

The San Jose Sharks have been a streaky team this year, and that can be dangerous when selecting a goalie. Though they recently lost six consecutive games, the Sharks are coming off a confidence-building 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.

The Sharks are playing at Toronto on Thursday, which represents another good chance for them to come up with a win. Martin Jones has a 13-10-1 record with a 2.24 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. Jones should pick up the win at Toronto and give up two goals or less.

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