Player props can be useful in a variety of ways -- from taking advantage of them straight up to measuring a player's potential to produce in daily fantasy hockey on FanDuel. Here, we're going to focus on the former.

Utilizing numberFire's projections as a guide, here are some NHL player props bets that look appealing via the NHL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Please note that betting lines and numberFire's projections may change throughout the day after this article is published.

NHL Prop Bets

Frank Vatrano To Score a Goal (+180)

While the Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks are both out of the playoff picture, we can look for a prop from a key player.

That player is Frank Vatrano, whose name is swirling around when it comes to trade rumors. The NHL trade deadline is just over a week away, hopefully adding a bit of extra motivation for Vatrano to put up some good performances and land himself on a playoff bound team.

He comes in with a team-high 26 goals this season while averaging just over three shots on goal per game. Vatrano has done all of that while on the second forward line and the first power-play unit, which has a chance to excel in this soft matchup.

Over the last two weeks, the Sharks are allowing a staggering 4.72 Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, which is the worst in the league by nearly a full goal.

Vatrano has no goals over his last three games, and the Sharks should be a welcome matchup, as he has three goals in three games against them this season.

Auston Matthews Over 4.5 Shots on Goal (-102)

As massive -245 moneyline favorites, the Toronto Maple Leafs should undoubtedly pile up the goals versus the lowly Arizona Coyotes.

Auston Matthews is the current favorite (+190) to win the Hart Trophy for MVP of the league. He's bordering on a historic season as he pushes to 70 goals, and that will roll on tonight against the Coyotes, who are on a 13-game losing streak.

Considering Matthews' goal odds (-130) are not a spot to target, we'll stick with his shot prop tonight. As I discussed on Covering the Spread today, this is a spot to ladder Matthews' shot prop, so I'll touch on that at the end.

Matthews comes in averaging 4.2 shots on goal this season, but he's coming off a game where he recorded just a pair of shots and has no goals in his last two games.

Over the last two weeks, the Coyotes have allowed the second-most (3.77) Goals per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations, making this an elite matchup for goals. Considering Matthews is on this pace for 70 goals and is a favorite to win MVP, this is a pedal-to-the-metal type of situation where he will look to shoot early and often.

The matchup should allow him to get back on track with goals, which all start with plenty of shots. So, I'll ladder Matthews' shot prop with 6+ Shots on Goal (+185) and 7+ Shots on Goal (+370), too.

Mikko Rantanen Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (-114)

Finally, we turn to Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche with a favorable matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Whether we look at the entire season, the last month, or the last two weeks, the Blackhawks are consistently in the bottom 10 for Total Shot Attempts allowed per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations.

They have a Swiss cheese defense, and it always puts opposing offenses in a spot to generate a ton of chances.

That brings me to Rantanen, who has 31 shots on goal over his last 10 games while seeing time on the first forward line and the first power-play unit. He's been over this mark in five of his last 10 games, and this favorable matchup should help push him over the top.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.