This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Thursday's eight-game NHL slate promises to be an exciting one, as it includes a battle of elites between the Capitals and Canadiens, as well as hot-starting teams like the Rangers and Stars looking to keep the good times rolling. While members of the Dallas and New York rosters will be featured extensively in many lineups, it's important to know which players from those teams to pick in addition to which guys from less obviously lopsided matchups to deploy while filling out your lineup. Find which players give you the best shot at victory (and which ones to avoid) below.
GOALIE
Pekka Rinne, NSH vs. FLA ($31) - Rinne's body of work the last few seasons puts him in elite company, and he's still 11-5-4 with a 2.33 GAA despite enduring a four-game losing streak prior to Tuesday's win over the Coyotes. The Finnish netminder has won eight of his 11 home starts this season, yet he can be had for just $31 against a middling Panthers offense at Bridgestone Arena.
Goalie to Avoid:
Braden Holtby, WSH at MON ($38) - Holtby is coming off a brilliant November, but it would be wise to hold off on using him in his first appearance in December. The Canadiens are 10-2-2 at the Bell Centre, and it's hard to justify spending so much of your cap space on a goaltender who faces such an uphill battle.
CENTER
Oscar Lindberg, NYR vs. COL ($16) - Lindberg's price has predictably come down as he has failed to maintain his ridiculous early season scoring pace, but he still ranks second among NHL rookies in goals. Now that he's available at a reasonable price, the Swede makes for an enticing play against a porous Avalanche defense, especially with Derek Stepan sidelined. Lindberg has been asked to play a more offensive role since Stepan suffered broken ribs on a cheapshot by Matt Beleskey on Friday, and he will continue to generate plenty of chances playing for an elite Rangers team.
Center to Avoid:
Alex Galchenyuk, MON vs. WSH ($23) - Don't be a prisoner of the moment. Galchenyuk's five-goal outburst in a four-game span Nov. 22-28 has raised his price to $23, but it's virtually impossible to maintain a pace anywhere near that level while playing just 14:33 per game as Galchenyuk has been this season. Even with this recent hot streak, Galchenyuk's seven goals and 11 assists through 26 games indicate his true value is well below the asking price.
WING
Bobby Ryan, OTT at CHI ($23) - Ryan has been dominant after a slow start, recording seven goals, 11 assists and a plus-6 rating in his last 17 games. The former Duck is now firmly entrenched on Ottawa's first line with Mike Hoffman and Kyle Turris, and that threesome could be in store for a big night against a Blackhawks team that has surrendered 15 goals over the last five games. Ryan's well worth his low-$20s price as long as he keeps chugging along at the point-per-game pace he's maintained for more than a month now.
Jason Pominville, MIN vs. TOR ($17) - Pominville has scored in back-to-back games after opening the season with a 21-game goalless drought, and has a good chance to make it three straight against a Maple Leafs team playing the second game of a road back-to-back set. The veteran winger maintained a role on Minnesota's first line despite his early struggles and has reaped the benefits of playing alongside Zach Parise since the latter's return from injury. Pominville has 30.0 fantasy points in three games since Parise rejoined the Wild, and 47.0 in his last five games overall.
Wings to Avoid:
Jannik Hansen, VAN vs. DAL ($18) - Facing Dallas hasn't been a very fun task for NHL teams this season, and Hansen seems a bit overpriced before even considering the caliber of the opponent. He has just five points over his last 10 games, scoring 1.0 or fewer fantasy points five times in the last eight.
Alexander Ovechkin, WSH at MON ($34) - You can't help but be disappointed when comparing Alex Ovechkin's numbers with those of the other wingers in his price range. There's nothing wrong with his 12 goals and 10 assists through 22 games, but you may as well grab Patrick Kane (15 goals, 23 assists), or Jamie Benn (18 goals, 17 assists) if you're going to spend top dollar on a winger, especially considering both face easier opponents Thursday.
DEFENSEMEN
Keith Yandle, NYR vs. COL ($17) - Yandle has scored just more than one point per two games played since joining the Rangers at last season's trade deadline, but the offensive-minded blueliner has a chance to significantly outperform that pace in Thursday's tilt against the Avalanche. New York's power-play points leader among defensemen should get plenty of opportunities to add to that total against an Avalanche team that ranks in the bottom third of the NHL in penalty kill percentage and just outside the top 10 in penalties taken.
John Moore, NJD at CAR ($12) - Moore has quietly stepped up his game recently, logging three points while playing almost 22 minutes per game over his last three. Throw in the fact that he's seen over two minutes of power-play ice time in four of his last five appearances, and Moore suddenly looks like an enticing play at the minimum price against the team with the league's third-worst penalty kill.
Defensemen to Avoid:
Tyson Barrie, COL vs. NYR ($18) - The majority of Barrie's value stems from his power-play prowess, which makes using him against the league's fifth-ranked penalty kill a risky proposition. Barris has just three even-strength points and a minus-3 rating in his last 10 games, and frankly there are more sensible options available at the same position for the same price on his own team.
Jeff Petry, MON vs. WSH ($18) - Just like Tyson Barrie, Petry would make a weird lineup choice because there's a superior option available from his own team for the same price (Andrei Markov). Petry averages just 3.8 fantasy points per game the last five, as he has just a plus-1 rating with no goals or assists over that span. Don't expect him to suddenly break out against a hot Capitals team.
Get a FREE RotoWire 10-day trial (no credit card required) at RotoWire.com
