This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Thursday is a busy night in the NHL, with 20 teams slated to take the ice. There are unsurprisingly quite a few interesting matchups, most notably the Blackhawks going for their 13th consecutive win against a Tampa Bay team on a six-game winning winning streak. That high-quality game figures to have all the unpredictability of a playoff matchup, so fantasy owners might be more interested in contests like the Flames-Blue Jackets game pitting the NHL's two worst defensive teams against each other. Whatever your cup of tea may be, the players listed below all have a strong chance of providing value regardless of what environment they play in.
GOALIE
Craig Anderson, OTT at NJ ($33) - It may not always look pretty, but Anderson has managed to amass a very respectable 19-13-4 record with the Senators this season. In a format that awards six points for wins, Anderson will have a great chance to secure victory No. 20 against a New Jersey team that has scored just 12 goals in its last eight games. With just four goalies priced cheaper, Anderson makes for an excellent investment from all angles.
Goalie to Avoid:
Sergei Bobrovsky, CLS vs. CGY ($37) - The price-makers weren't kind to Bobrovsky, giving him a $37 mark in his return from a groin injury that made a 1.0-point, five goals allowed performance even more painful for those misguided enough to draft him. Neither his season-long results nor his recent output offer much encouragement, so stay away from the Vezina Trophy winner until he flashes the 2012-13 form that put him in position to win that award.
CENTER
Joe Thornton, SJ at ARI ($23) - Jumbo Joe has rumbled along for eight points during his six-game point streak, and Arizona's 27th-ranked defense seems ill-equipped to slow him. Thornton's 76 career points in 70 games against the Coyotes are more than he has scored against any other franchise, leaving little question as to the opposition's inability to contain him. With more than 19 minutes of ice time in nine of his last 10 games, the ageless center should see plenty of Grade-A opportunities to extend both his point streak and his dominance of the Coyotes.
Center to Avoid:
Jonathan Toews, CHI at TB ($28) - Toews' road struggles have been well documented, but they bear repeating. Just 11 of the the Chicago captain's 35 points have come away from United Center, and his minus-3 road mark is a far cry from his plus-19 performance at home. At $28, that poor split should be enough to steer owners in another direction.
WING
Taylor Hall, EDM at DAL ($23) - Hall's heating up again. With two goals and three assists in his last three games, Hall heads into this clash with the Stars in form reminiscent of the late-October and mid-December hot streaks responsible for pushing his price into the high $20s for most of the season. Dallas' early success may scare some away from the 2010 first overall pick, but there shouldn't be much to fear about a team that has dropped seven of its last eight. Utilize Hall at his more affordable price while you still can.
Artemi Panarin, CHI at TB ($21) - The Lightning should be thanking their lucky stars that the Blackhawks didn't have Panarin in the Stanley Cup Finals last season, or Tampa's respectable six-game defeat would likely have turned into an embarrassing sweep. As it is, the Calder Memorial Trophy frontrunner has managed six goals and eight assists during Chicago's 12-game winning streak, and should find plenty of open ice against a team that will be dead-set on containing linemate Patrick Kane following his two-point cup-clinching performance in Game 6 of last year's finals.
Wings to Avoid:
Daniel Sedin, VAN at BOS ($23) - Sedin looked out of sorts in his first game playing without injured twin brother Henrik, registering just two shots on goal and 2.0 fantasy points in Tuesday's loss to the Rangers. It may take some time for Daniel to get used to playing without Henrik, and there's no reason for DFS players to go through those growing pains with him.
Filip Forsberg, NAS at WPG ($21) - Forsberg has combined for zero points and a minus-3 rating in two previous January meetings with the Jets. Don't expect their third encounter in three weeks to be much different for the Swedish winger, especially with his team on the road.
DEFENSE
Zdeno Chara, BOS vs. VAN ($17) - On a night rife with recent Stanley Cup Finals rematches, it's only natural to use the veteran defenseman who was such a driving force in Boston's seven-game triumph over Vancouver in 2011. The rejuvenated Chara has already exceeded last season's point total while working as a key cog in Boston's polished offensive machine, boasting a tremendous all-around resume for a $17 defenseman. Chara's 24 points and plus-9 rating are both top-30 marks among NHL blueliners, and his abillity to also contribute in shots, blocks and power-play points allows him to accrue fantasy points in a variety of ways on any given night. The easiest path to fantasy points is obviously offensive production, and Chara should be on the ice for a lot of it against Vancouver's 20th-ranked defense.
Shayne Gostisbehere, PHI at PIT ($17) - It's tough to understand why Gostisbehere is still priced at just $17. While his Flyers teammates may not be the most offensively gifted, the rookie defenseman continues to shine on that end. He has accrued eight goals and nine assists in just 26 games, and his 15 shots on goal over the last three show that the youngster is still generating as many chances as ever. Those concerned about his effectiveness on the defensive end needn't worry either, as his plus-5 rating continues to prove the age-old mantra that offense is the best defense. As long as Gostisbehere continues to be here for $17, pencil him into your lineup and don't look back.
Defensemen to Avoid:
Anton Stralman, TB vs. CHI ($18) - Ask yourself this: do you really want to roll with a player responsible for defending Patrick Kane and/or Jonathan Toews for most of the game? Stralman's recent uptick in production has raised his price all the way to $18, but that increase should price him out of smart players' lineups Thursday considering he doesn't possess the offensive upside to offset this daunting matchup.
Alec Martinez, LA vs. MIN ($19) - Martinez has failed to reach double-digit fantasy points in any of his last 10 games, picking up just one measly goal and an assist in that span. Slow and steady may win a marathon, but DFS sprints require higher upside.
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