This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Thursday is Groundhog Day. We don't know if there will be six more weeks of winter or an early spring, but we can tell you some of the players you should target and avoid for Thursday's eight-game NHL slate.
GOALIE
Corey Crawford, CHI at ARI ($32): Both the Blackhawks and the Coyotes are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games, but that's about all they have in common. Chicago has a plus-8 goal differential, while Arizona's is a miserable minus-45. The Coyotes don't cause much concern with their offense either, as they have only scored 2.16 goals per game on average. Crawford has only been pretty good (.918 save percentage), but you've still got to like his chances of picking up a win in this game.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Robin Lehner, BUF vs. NYR ($32): Lehner has been just as good as Crawford (.918 save percentage), but the team around him has been less than stellar. He's sporting a 2.64 GAA thanks in part to the fact the Sabres give up a whopping 33.3 shots on goal per game. The Rangers have scored the second most goals in the league on average, so this is certainly a concerning matchup from Lehner's perspective.
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CENTER
Jonathan Toews, CHI at ARI ($20): Toews has had a rough season (his 7.9 shooting percentage is far and away the worst of his career), but his play has picked up a bit recently. He has eight points in his last nine games, and he took 22 shots on net in that time as well. The Coyotes have allowed the most shots on goal per game in the NHL, and their 3.14 GAA is also atrocious. With just a bit more luck, Toews could be a solid fantasy value.
CENTER TO AVOID
Claude Giroux, PHI vs. MON ($24): Giroux only has one goal in his last 16 games, and only one multi-point game in his last 22 contests. Carey Price had some struggles in January, but he's still a one-time Hart winner with a .922 save percentage this season, and Giroux has only averaged 6.3 FPPG.
WING
Mike Hoffman, OTT at TAM ($21): Hoffman is having an excellent season, especially with the extra man. He's averaged a career-high 3:16 on the power play and tallied 15 points (including 10 goals). The Lightning have allowed 2.90 goals per game, and on top of that, their penalty kill ranks 21st.
Patrick Eaves, DAL vs. WPG ($15): Eaves has had something of a similar season to Hoffman. He, too, has seen plenty of power-play time (3:06 per game), and he also has 10 power-play goals and five power-play assists. Winnipeg has allowed 3.08 goals per game, and things have gotten so bad in net they've been reduced to turning to Ondrej Pavelec. They also have the 27th-ranked penalty kill, so this is a particularly good matchup for Eaves.
WINGS TO AVOID
Wayne Simmonds, PHI vs. MON ($23): Simmonds may have been the All-Star Game MVP, but that doesn't earn any fantasy points. He's averaging 6.7 fantasy points per game, which is quite good, but to find somebody who is averaging fewer you have to get down to Kyle Okposo ($20). This is also about the matchup with Price, and with a Canadiens team that has only allowed 2.47 goals per contest. There aren't a lot of high-scoring players with iffy matchups, so by comparison that makes things look worse for Simmonds' potential.
Kyle Okposo, BUF vs. NYR ($20): Speaking of Okposo. The Rangers are middle-of-the-pack in GAA (2.68), which is due to Henrik Lundqvist's unexpected struggles. New York has only given up 29 shots on goal per game, which is the seventh fewest in the league. Okposo is having a good year, especially on the power play, but his average of 6.2 FPPG is not terribly impressive. With 16 teams in action, you can find better options.
DEFENSEMEN
Andrei Markov, MON at PHI ($18): Markov returned from injury after the All-Star break, playing 17:43 and picking up an assist. On the season, he's averaged 21:41 in ice time, so as he gets back in the swing of things his minutes should improve. Overall, he has 22 points in 32 games, including eight on the power play. The Flyers have ceded 3.06 goals per game, and their penalty kill is a mediocre 19th in the NHL.
Jacob Trouba, WPG at DAL ($16): We've already mentioned Winnipeg's defensive deficiencies, but the Stars have been even worse. They've given up 3.12 goals per contest, and their penalty kill ranks dead-last. Trouba has taken 92 shots on goal (and blocked 75) in 38 games, meaning he's been quite busy on both ends of the ice. Also, while he hasn't had a ton of power-play success yet, he has averaged 2:25 a game with the extra man over his last eight games.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
P.K. Subban, NAS vs. EDM ($22): Subban has played a ton of minutes since returning from injury, but he only has one point in those five games. Edmonton, meanwhile, has been surprisingly stingy when it comes to goals allowed. They've only given up 2.56 goals per tilt, and they're even better with Cam Talbot in net (2.39 GAA). Eventually, Subban should pick up his play, but it may not be against the Oilers.
Adam Larsson, EDM at NAS ($17): Larsson is a fine defensive player, but his fantasy output is pretty limited. He doesn't have any power-play points, and he's only taken 55 shots in 51 games. His only real notable statistic is his 90 blocked shots, but even with that he's only averaging 4.5 FPPG. Against a bad team, maybe Larsson would be worth a gamble, but he seems like a risk against Nashville.
