This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
We've got a busy Black Friday ahead of us, with 11 games – and just like the deals in big-box stores, it starts early. The first game is at 1:00 p.m. ET, so make your decisions over breakfast. Let's go over some players to shop for and others to leave on the shelf.
GOALIE
Martin Jones, SAN vs. NYI ($34): This is a good matchup for Jones to turn his two consecutive dominant wins into an official hot streak. The Islanders are 2-4-4 in their last 10, they've been struggling offensively, and they've been hopeless on the road (1-5-1). Jones has been pretty good on the whole, with a .919 save percentage, but this is really a bet on him to win, which is the key to NHL DFS success.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Henrik Lundqvist, NYR at PHI ($33): There's a good chance Lundqvist will get a win Friday, but this will probably be a high-scoring game regardless. The Flyers have been strong offensively, while King Henrik has been a bit inconsistent and only has a .911 save percentage. Lundqvist could have a busy night, especially if the Rangers take some penalties, and that makes him a risky proposition.
CENTER
Artem Anisimov, CHI at ANA ($22): Anisimov has cooled off a bit since missing a game with an upper-body issue, but he still has 19 points and is playing 2:56 a night on the power play. Ducks netminder John Gibson has weak numbers overall (2.59 GAA, .908 save percentage) and only an .889 save mark over his last four outings (three losses). There's certainly an opening here for Anisimov to get his game back on track.
CENTER TO AVOID
Evgeni Malkin, PIT at MIN ($27): The Wild have been the NHL's best team at goal prevention. Though Sidney Crosby has been too good to avoid (if you're willing to spend the money), Malkin hasn't been quite as sharp, with 17 points in 20 games and no multi-point efforts since Oct. 29. With so many games to choose from, you can find a better way to spend that money.
WING
Rick Nash, NYR vs. PHI ($21): Nash struggled last year and is sort of overlooked now, but he's off to a good start – nine goals on 63 shots in 21 games. The Flyers have been one of the league's worst teams at goal prevention, so if Nash keeps shooting, it wouldn't be surprising to see his goal total crack double digits Friday.
Milan Lucic, EDM at ARI ($16): We don't want to overvalue the four-point game Lucic had recently, but the facts are that he plays alongside Connor McDavid and he's skating almost three minutes a night on the power play. Lucic may not put up too many four-point nights, but he's still got a great matchup against the Coyotes, who are 28th in goals allowed and penalty-kill percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Blake Wheeler, WPG at NAS ($23): Wheeler has been solid this year with 15 points in 22 games, but this is a tough matchup against Pekka Rinne, who owns a 2.04 GAA and .934 save percentage. Wheeler is a very good player, but he's not matchup-proof, and this one that it's fair to be skeptical about.
Phil Kessel, PIT at MIN ($24): As previously mentioned, the Wild have allowed the fewest goals per game in the league, with Devan Dubnyk posting otherworldly numbers. Kessel is operating at a point-per-game pace, but he's scored just five goals and isn't taking nearly as many shots as he has in the past (2.35 per game, down from 3.34 last year).
DEFENSEMEN
Cam Fowler, ANA vs. CHI ($19): Although they're not as bad as they looked over the season's first few games, the Blackhawks still have the NHL's worst penalty kill; meanwhile, Fowler is a tremendous power-play threat. He had 17 man-advantage points last season, and he already has seven this year while averaging 3:51 in those situations. The Blackhawks are a tough opponent, but Fowler's been a reliable contributor, thanks in no small part to his career-best 2.2 shots per game.
Dan Girardi, NYR at PHI ($17): The fact this is a good offensive matchup for the Rangers doesn't hurt Girardi, who has six points in 17 games. However, the Flyers have been very good offensively, and that could bode well for Girardi too. He's blocked 44 shots, and he should get plenty of opportunities to put his body in front of pucks against an opponent that likes to shoot.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
John Carlson, WAS vs. BUF ($22): Carlson has been struggling mightily this season, with no goals and just eight assists in 19 contests; the Sabres, meanwhile, are only allowing 2.4 goals per game, as their problem's been offense rather than defense. The 26-year-old isn't blocking shots as readily as in past years (just 27), and he's only put one shot on goal in the last three games combined. The whole Washington offense is still in the process of getting its game together, so look for positive signs that Carlson's returning to form before rolling him out.
Dustin Byfuglien, WPG at NAS ($22): As previously mentioned, Rinne has been great for the Predators. Byfuglien has been solid, but short of spectacular, as he only has one goal and two power-play points through 20 games. His play should pick up, considering he's scored no fewer than 18 goals in three straight seasons, but this might not be the night.
