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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for the four-game slate beginning at 6:00 p.m. EST, Sunday, March 5 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockey and apply to 5v5 situations):
Dynamic Duos
- LW Jaden Schwartz (64K) & RW Vladimir Tarasenko (93K), Bles (at Avalanche): Both Schwartz and Tarasenko are the highest-priced players at their respective position, with Tarasenko actually being the most expensive skater, overall. Schwartz has tallied multiple shots on goal in seven consecutive games but has just one goal and one assist to show for it.
- C Ryan Kesler (52K) & RW Jakob Silfverberg (48K), Ducks (vs. Canucks): With C Ryan Getzlaf and RW Corey Perry having recently been split up at 5v5, the second trio of Kesler, Silfverberg and LW Andrew Cogliano led the team with 28.16 percent of 5v5 minutes played last time out. The trio owns a Corsi For rating of 55.12 percent while together. Vancouver's CF% is just 47.63 percent on the road.
Bargain Plays
- RW Ondrej Kase (25K), Ducks (vs. Canucks): A seventh-round draft pick in 2014, Kase has compiled 14 points through 46 games in his rookie season. He has played the bulk of his 5v5 minutes with C Antoine Vermette and RW Nick Ritchie, but he has recently joined Getzlaf and RW Patrick Eaves, with the trio having a CF% well above 50 percent.
- D Noah Hanifin (27K), Hurricanes (at Coyotes): Hanifin plays on the second pairing at 5v5 and joins the second power-play unit. He had a power-play assist in two of his past four games. The Coyotes rank just 25th in penalty-kill percentage, handing a major advantage to a Hurricanes squad excelling on special teams.
Top Fades
- C Matt Duchene (49K), Avalanche (vs. Blues): Duchene costs just 2K less than C Nathan MacKinnon, who has been more productive of late and over the course of the season. Duchene has gone without a point in six consecutive games, totaling just 11 shots on goal.
- RW Corey Perry (60K), Ducks (vs. Canucks): Perry's line played more at 5v5 than the trio centered by Getzlaf, but he is still priced at the perceived upside he has while skating with the fellow Olympian. C Rickard Rakell is enjoying a strong offensive campaign, but he falls well short of Getzlaf's play-making ability. Perry won't return value with just a couple assists.
Contrarian Options
- LW David Perron (37K), Blues (at Avalanche): A cheaper alternative than both Schwartz and Tarasenko, Perron has less skill of his own, but he plays beside the superior center in Paul Stastny, as opposed to Jori Lehtera. Their line with RW Alexander Steen played 22.97 percent of 5v5 minutes last time out, the most of any Blues threesome.
- C Victor Rask (48K), Hurricanes (at Coyotes): Rask is on the Hurricanes second line, which played just 16.5 percent of 5v5 minutes in their most recent game. He did manage to play over 40 percent of the power play time as part of the second unit, which features the team's top forward in LW Jeff Skinner.
(Photos courtesy Action Images)
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