Daily Fantasy Hockey 2015: NHL DFS Must-Starts for Each Position December 30

In between taking down Christmas decorations and making New Year's Eve plans, true daily fantasy hockey players are busy setting lineups. The Wednesday slate may be scant with only five games, but there are several stars to decipher for DFS owners.

Sorting through the pile isn't an easy task, so we've taken the liberty of finding the best targets for you. Here's a look at top options at each position for December 30 on DraftKings.

Center: Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks ($4,800)

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Joe Thornton's best hockey days may be in the past, but the San Jose Sharks' alternate captain is still producing. Currently riding a six-game scoring streak, he's certainly worth the $4,800 mark for a solid No. 2 center.

During that stretch, Thornton has two goals and eight points with five of those games on the road. Playing a second straight home game against the Philadelphia Flyers, expect similar results. The Flyers rank 29th in fantasy points allowed against opposing centers, making Thornton a perfect choice on Wednesday.

Winger: T.J. Oshie, Washington Capitals ($5,800)

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Similar to Thornton, T.J. Oshie is expected to tally a ton of assists on a strong top line for the Washington Capitals. The weird part? He's actually scored more goals (13) than assists (10) to this point on Alex Ovechkin's line. 

He's also averaging more time on ice (19:09) than his last three seasons with the St. Louis Blues. Suffice to say, he's one of the most potent weapons on the best team in the Metropolitan Division.

At just $5,800, Oshie is a solid No. 2 winger against the Buffalo Sabres—a team he just scored an assist against on Monday.

Defenseman: Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins ($5,600)

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OK, I know Kris Letang has only played in three contests in December for the Pittsburgh Penguins. But when he plays, Letang has been a great DFS option with 4.4 fantasy points over his last eight starts.

Luckily for owners, Letang returned to practice on Tuesday after suffering an undisclosed injury against the Minnesota Wild, via Sam Kasan of Penguins.com. Facing a Toronto Maple Leafs team that ranks 30th in points allowed to defensemen, Letang should be started if he plays.

All good owners also have a backup plan. Ours is Morgan Rielly, who has three assists in his last five games. At a measly $4,300 against Penguins backup goalie Jeff Zatkoff, Rielly is a perfect piece to save salary for a top winger or goalie.

Goalie: Michal Neuvirth, Philadelphia Flyers ($7,100)

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Well hello, Michal Neuvirth. The Philadelphia Flyers' backup goalie to start the season has risen to the occasion thus far. He has three shutouts, a microscopic 2.06 goals-against average that ranks sixth in the NHL and a .937 save percentage that tops all goalies, via SiriusXM NHL Network:

Steve Mason, the Flyers' normal starter, has allowed seven goals in his last two games combined. With Neuvirth clearly outplaying him this season, he should get a shot to start against the Sharks. If he does, Neuvirth is a bargain at his $7,100 price point.

Follow R. Cory Smith on Twitter for more DraftKings advice.

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