This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
March begins on a light note, with a mere two games on the schedule for the NHL. Your options will be limited, but here are the players I have decided to single out for targeting and avoiding from the four teams in action Wednesday.
GOALIE
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM vs. CAR ($33): With Ben Bishop traded, Vasilevskiy steps into the role of Tampa's ostensible starting netminder. In his first game in that role, he stopped 39 of the 40 shots in a win. This matchup looks good for Vasilevskiy, as the Hurricanes have scored 2.48 goals per game while allowing 2.83. Additionally, Carolina has a 7-16-6 record on the road, and the Hurricanes played Tuesday, which are two more points in Vasilevskiy's favor.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Marc-Andre Fleury, PIT at CHI ($24): The Penguins, like the Hurricanes, had a game Tuesday, which has Fleury in line for a start Wednesday. That would be the same Fleury who has a 3.16 GAA and a .906 save percentage. He's having a rough season, while the Blackhawks are 9-1-0 in their last 10 games, and they've won four in a row. Fleury's not expensive, but even with only four goalies in action there's plenty of reason to be skeptical about his chances against Chicago.
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CENTER
Artem Anisimov, CHI vs. PIT ($20): Anisimov has a 22.0 shooting percentage, which is essentially unsustainable, but yet here we are 58 games into the season and he's still going strong. In fact, in his last 10 games he's notched nine points, and he's started 40.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. That's the second highest percentage of any Blackhawk, and any player with an average over 40 percent is in the upper-echelon of the league. The Penguins have allowed 32.3 shots on goal per game, and with the way Fleury has been playing (.906 save percentage), that could be a disastrous combination for Pittsburgh. Additionally, the Penguins have the 20th-ranked penalty kill, and Anisimov has averaged 2:30 per game with the extra man.
CENTER TO AVOID
Nick Schmaltz, CHI vs. PIT ($18): While the matchup with the Penguins seems good for the Blackhawks, at least if Fleury is in net, it may not be good enough to justify paying this price for Schmaltz. While he's played well recently, he's only averaged 3.5 fantasy points per game. To find a player averaging fewer points, you have to get down to Jay McClement, who will only cost you $12. Schmaltz has only taken 40 shots on goal in 43 games, and he's only played 44 seconds per game with the extra man.
WING
Jonathan Drouin, TAM vs. CAR ($18): The Hurricanes' numbers on the season are poor, but they've been even worse in February. Leading into Tuesday night's game, they had allowed 3.00 goals per game. Eddie Lack is expected to start this game, and he's posted a woeful 3.24 GAA and a .883 save percentage. Drouin has started 38.6 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second most on the Lightning, and he's tallied 139 shots on goal in 52 games. While Drouin has done a lot of damage on the power-play (18 points), and Carolina has the top-ranked penalty kill, the Hurricanes actually only have the 11th-ranked penalty kill in February. Meanwhile, on zero days of rest, they have the 20th-ranked penalty kill.
Sebastian Aho, CAR at TAM ($15): The Lightning may have a good chance of picking up a win over Carolina for several reasons, but the fact remains Vasilevskiy only has a 2.75 GAA and a .912 save percentage. Tampa has also allowed 30.0 shots on goal per contest, and the Lightning's penalty kill ranks 17th in the NHL. Aho has tallied 39 shots on goal in his last 12 games, and he's also tallied nine power-play points over 58 contests. The rookie has some good upside for a player at this price.
WINGS TO AVOID
Ryan Hartman, CHI vs. PIT ($17): It's a good day for wings for your daily fantasy needs. The most expensive players are all reasonable options, so I had to go all the way down to Hartman before finding a (healthy) player worth questioning. Hartman has only averaged 5.3 fantasy points per game and 20 seconds on the power play. Even if Fleury is in net, you can find better options than Hartman.
Chris Kunitz, PIT at CHI ($14):Phil Kessel and Patric Hornqvist have been too good to question too much, especially with Chicago's 28th-ranked penalty kill, and Conor Sheary is injured. Kunitz is the next-priciest healthy Pittsburgh winger, and the Blackhawks are the best defensive team in action Wednesday. Backup Scott Darling will be in net, but he has a .929 save percentage, so that shouldn't really concern Chicago. That'll make this a tough matchup for Kunitz, particularly on the second night of a back-to-back.
DEFENSEMEN
Brent Seabrook, CHI vs. PIT ($15): Seabrook may only have three goals, but that's because of a 3.3 shooting percentage, which is his lowest since 2009-10. However, Seabrook has still been a key contributor, starting 37.1 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, which is the most of any Blackhawks defenseman. On top of that, he's averaged 2:54 per game on the power play, tallying 12 points in that time. Beyond that, he has 102 blocked shots in 60 games. The Penguins have averaged 59.6 shot attempts per 60 minutes, which is sixth most in the NHL, giving Seabrook plenty of chances to block a few shots.
Anton Stralman, TAM vs. CAR ($13): Stralman's fantasy production hasn't been great this year (4.3 fantasy points per game), but there is potential for him in this matchup. He's averaged 22:56 of ice time, and he's started 34.2 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. As mentioned earlier, the Hurricanes have allowed 2.83 goals per game, and Lack has a .883 save percentage. Stralman is quite cheap, and with so few teams in action, it's worth taking a shot on him in this matchup against the slumping Hurricanes.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Justin Schultz, PIT at CHI ($24): Schultz is having a breakthrough season, although recently his production has slowed down, and he missed three games with a concussion not all that long ago. Chicago's Darling has been even better than Corey Crawford, posting a stellar 2.18 GAA and .929 save percentage. Schultz will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back, and as the second most expensive defenseman available Wednesday, he'll have to do quite a bit to earn his price.
Trevor van Riemsdyk, CHI vs. PIT ($16): The blueliner only has 10 points this season, and although that's in only 38 games, he's van Riemsdyk has also recorded a career-high 6.0 shooting percentage, so he's had some puck luck. He's also only averaged 40 seconds on the power play, though, and none of his points have come with the man advantage.
