This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
The matchups Friday might not seem like much, but with the trade deadline a month away, a seemingly innocuous win (or loss) could have significant playoff implications.
In Carolina, two points for the Hurricanes could be huge. A win would give them 50 points and keep them in the playoff race. Furthermore, staying in the playoff race would compel the Hurricanes to keep Cam Ward (concussion) and Eric Staal the rest of the year, but for a rebuilding team, letting the two veterans go for nothing could severely hinder the franchise's efforts. Eddie Lack was brilliant for Vancouver when he had to fill in, and this will be his moment in Carolina. A strong string of games would make Ward even more expendable than ever.
Meanwhile, the Avalanche will try to tighten their hold on a wild card against St. Louis, which has enough breathing room to shrug off a loss and likely will end up being one of the Central Division's top three teams. The Avs will have to fend off Nashville, who is still trying to add pieces to its lineup, as well as a slew of Pacific Division teams, including three teams (San Jose, Arizona, Vancouver) that are just one win behind and one team (Anaheim) that's just two wins behind.
GOALIE
Henrik Lundqvist, NYR at CAR ($34) - The King has won three of his last four games, and Carolina allowed eight goals in two games heading into Thursday. The Hurricanes also are playing the second half of a back-to-back, while the Rangers are coming off a two-day break after defeating the Canucks on Tuesday. If $40 goaltenders aren't palatable, Lundqvist is a good bet to notch another "W" Friday.
Goalie to Avoid
Roberto Luongo, FLA vs. CHI ($38) - Anybody remember when Luongo was on the Canucks and the Blackhawks used to torture this guy? And the Blackhawks have won 12 consecutive to set a franchise record, yes? And, wait, no Willie Mitchell, either? Case closed.
CENTER
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS vs. ANH ($26) - The Caps are a monster this year because not only have they filled that troubled No. 2 center slot, they've filled it with a potential elite first-line player. Despite playing behind Nicklas Backstrom, Kuznetsov has been dynamite with 10 points in his last three games and a plus-25 rating, second in the league. Against a team that still can't figure it out and prone to careless drop passes, "Kuzya" should rack up a few more points Friday.
Center to Avoid:
Brock Nelson, NYI at OTT ($22) - Perhaps based on a small, two-game outburst where Nelson scored five points, he's the sixth-most expensive center Friday, ahead of Ryan Getzlaf, John Tavares, Henrik Zetterberg, Dylan Larkin, Jack Eichel and a host of more consistent and productive centers. He did fire six shots and play more than 20 minutes in his most recent game against Vancouver, but it's tough to rely on him.
WINGERS
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL at COL ($29) -Alex Ovechkin ($34) and Patrick Kane ($34) are the best bets because they're the best at their respective positions, but on some nights Tarasenko isn't far off, and he comes at a pretty good discount. The Avs have allowed just four goals in their last four games, but the league's best usually can't be stopped.
Artemi Panarin, CHI at FLA ($24) - Panarin has six points in his last three games and is looking to extend his points streak against the Panthers, who are mired in a four-game losing streak during which they've allowed 16 goals. Panarin's a real talent and also plays with some of the world's best players, so the easy money is on him making the most of it. The left winger leads all rookies with 45 points, 14 more than second-place Max Domi.
Wingers to Avoid:
Kris Versteeg, CAR vs. NYR ($19) - Despite scoring five points in a previous three-game stretch, Versteeg has just one assist in his last three games. The 29-year-old is still pretty shifty, but doesn't get much help scoring and is not good enough to carry a line. He's also going against one of the league's best goalies in Henrik Lundqvist. It's well worth it to splurge an extra dollar for Evander Kane, or at least go with Gabriel Landeskog, who comes at the same price.
T.J. Oshie, WAS vs. ANH ($21) - A move to a team that played a more open offensive style hasn't boosted Oshie's production, as he has 28 points in 46 games, on pace for another 50-point season. He's a solid top-six winger with an all-round game, but doesn't score as consistently as you'd think with just one assist in his last four games. The Ducks may be a ripe target, but there are other similar options who come much cheaper, such as Gustav Nyquist ($16), Mats Zuccarello ($16) and Mike Hoffman ($18).
DEFENSE
Erik Karlsson, OTT vs. NYI ($27) - On a night where Brent Burns, John Klingberg and Oliver Ekman-Larsson aren't playing, Karlsson's a must-play because he's heads and shoulders above everyone. The Sens captain will look to extend his points streak to three games and is on pace for an 80-point season, which would be the first of his career.
Justin Faulk, CAR vs. NYR ($18) - Apologies for having missed Faulk's name in the previous paragraph, because based on pure offensive ability, Faulk's one of the league's best as well. He gets buried and forgotten because he plays for Carolina, but he's an excellent mobile defenseman who has not scored in three games, almost an eternity for a player of his caliber. He'll go against a much stronger Rangers squad, but he'll get his opportunities. He's third among defensemen in shots and second in the league with 12 power-play goals.
Defensemen to Avoid:
Matt Niskanen, WAS vs. ANH ($19) - Player values for DFS games tend to put a heavier weight on recent performances, which would explain why Niskanen, who has three points in his last two games, is one of the more expensive players Friday. Although he has six points in Janauary, remember that he had just two points in December and 21 points on the season, and has never really been regarded as an elite offensive defenseman. His 46-point season with Pittsburgh seems like an anomaly, and no doubt his role in Washington is smaller.
Mike Green, DET at BUF ($16) - Like Matt Niskanen, Green's getting a boost recently with three points in his last three games, but also has just 18 points in 40 games this season. He also has just 73 shots this season and isn't providing the offensive spark as expected. He's shooting a career-low 2.7 percent, so the pucks might start bouncing his way soon, but also don't be surprised if he lays goose eggs across the board Friday.
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