Yahoo DFS Hockey: Thursday Picks

The weather in many areas of the United States and Canada is frightful. As such, staying home and watching one (or more) of the eight NHL games Thursday could certainly qualify as delightful. You can go beyond that and play some daily fantasy as well, so here are some recommendations to help you build the best lineup possible.

GOALIE

Roberto Luongo, FLA at WPG ($33): Neither the Jets nor the Panthers have exactly been lighting the world on fire recently, but Winnipeg's offense has been particularly paltry lately. In December, they are only averaging 2.29 goals and 27.3 shots per game. Luongo has had a couple rough starts recently, but he still has a 2.39 GAA and a .918 save percentage. This should be a low-scoring game, and if Luongo picks up a win he'll be a steal at this price.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. FLA ($33): Here's some good news; the pricier goalies going Thursday all look fairly reliable. It's not until you get down to Hellebuyck that things start to get questionable. Yes, the Panthers have struggled to score, but they do average 31.1 shots per game. On top of that, Hellebuyck has a 2.74 GAA and a .907 save percentage. He's struggled this season, and if he isn't getting offensive support there's not much to like here.

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Derek Stepan, NYR at DAL ($18): The Stars remain dead-last in goals allowed, and their 28th-ranked penalty kill is only marginally better. Stepan has been limited to five goals in part because of a low 7.7 shooting percentage, but he's supplemented that with 16 assists, including six on the power play.

CENTER TO AVOID

Anze Kopitar, LOS at DET ($21): While Kopitar remains defensively stout, that's not going to help your daily fantasy team. He's been held to three goals, and he's only taken 48 shots in 23 games. Now that Jimmy Howard and his .937 save percentage are back in net, this matchup is a lot less favorable as well. Given Kopitar's relative struggles this year, it makes sense to steer clear.

WING

James van Riemsdyk, TOR vs. ARI ($21): The Coyotes are allowing 3.10 goals per game, and a staggering 35.5 shots on net as well. Van Riemsdyk has put 83 shots on goal, and he's scored 12 goals as a result of that. Mike Smith has been stopping a lot of shots, but the Coyotes give up so many that there's still potential for a nice game for JVR.

Jaden Schwartz, STL vs. NJD ($20): In recent years, we could at least rely on the Devils being good at goal prevention. This season, the usually reliable Cory Schneider has a 2.83 GAA and a .907 save percentage. The team is also giving up 32.2 shots per game, so they aren't making it easy on their netminders. The 24-year-old Schwartz is playing a career-high 19:29 per game, and he's got 11 goals and eight assists in 26 tilts. There's a lot of upside here at a reasonable price.

WINGS TO AVOID

Jamie Benn, DAL vs. NYR ($25): Benn has been solid, if perhaps not his usual self. He's averaging 6.9 fantasy points per game, which is good, but not something you usually have to spend $25 for. For example, the next highest priced wing with less fantasy points per game is Blake Wheeler (6.8) who costs $22. Beyond that, Benn will likely have to face the scorching-hot Antti Raanta, who has a 1.69 GAA and a .941 save percentage. With so many games on the docket, you can do better.

James Neal, NAS vs. MIN ($23): Neal and the Predators draw the short straw, as they'll have to go up against Devan Dubnyk, who leads the league in GAA (1.60) and save percentage (.947). Most of Neal's value comes from goal scoring, as he only has five assists to go with his 12 tallies. His shooting percentage also ties his career high, so there are a couple reasons to think Neal might not be able to light the lamp in this one.

DEFENSEMEN

Alex Pietrangelo, STL vs. NJD ($19): Pietrangelo is on pace for double-digit goals for the first time since 2011-12. He's contributing on both ends of the ice, as he has 69 shots on goal and 62 blocks in 30 games. The Devils may not give him a ton of shot-blocking opportunities, but New Jersey's issues with goal prevention were established earlier.

Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. ARI ($16): Rielly has been unlucky, as he only has one goal on 61 shots on net. Considering the last two seasons he's had a 5.4 shooting percentage, that's bound to change. On top of that, he does have 14 assists, and the Maple Leafs are scoring a respectable 2.89 goals per game. Toronto's offense shouldn't find much resistance from the Coyotes, and Rielly comes at a relatively cheap price.

DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID

P.K. Subban, NAS vs. MIN ($23): Subban is tied for being the second most expensive defenseman, which means he'll have to do quite a bit against the Wild to prove worthy of that price. It will be hard, based on Minnesota's defensive (and goaltending) prowess. Subban is averaging a healthy 6.7 fantasy points per game, but you can find players over 7.0 for cheaper, and with better matchups.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI at TOR ($19): Toronto isn't a bad matchup, but they haven't been as favorable recently. The Leafs rank eighth in penalty-kill percentage, and Frederik Andersen has let up more than two goals only once in his last 10 starts. Half of Ekman-Larsson's fantasy points have come on the power play, and he doesn't even block one shot per game, so he's not going to help you there.