This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Saturday's evening NHL slate is a busy one, with 18 teams in action. Stacking against poor defensive teams like the Avalanche and Jets is a valid strategy as usual, but it's still important to pick the right players from their opposition. The players below are all in excellent positions to provide given their current combination of price, role and opponent:
GOALIE
Frederik Andersen, TOR at CAR ($32): Andersen is heating up at the right time for a Toronto team desperately trying to claw its way into a playoff spot. He has held four straight opponents to two or fewer goals, and owns an impressive .940 save percentage over that span. With the league's sixth-best offense backing him, Andersen should have no problem nabbing a third consecutive win against a flailing Carolina squad that has averaged just 1.69 goals per contest in dropping 10 of its past 13.
Goalie to Avoid
Anders Nilsson, BUF vs. CLS ($29): Don't get too cute here. Nilsson's .920 save percentage suggests he's usually a strong value play at $29, but this tough matchup changes the equation. Even with backup Joonas Korpisalo likely to be in net for Columbus, it will be tough to contain a Blue Jackets offense that has mustered 3.15 goals per game.
CENTER
Jean-Gabriel Pageau, OTT at COL ($17): Pageau has excelled in a top-six role with Kyle Turris (finger) sidelined, scoring in three straight while also mustering an assist and six shots in his last outing. His 6.6 percent shooting percentage is still due for upward correction toward his career rate of 10.2 percent, and a matchup against the league's worst defensive team is a prime opportunity for that correction to continue. Pageau's value will take a significant hit when Turris returns, so take advantage of his temporarily increased role while you still can.
Center to Avoid
Jeff Carter, LA vs. WSH ($26): Even with just one goal in his past 11 games, Carter is still shooting 14.4 percent. That rate seems unsustainable considering the 32-year-old has never topped 13.5 percent in nine previous seasons with at least 50 games of action. Reversion to the mean is likely to continue against a Capitals team that has allowed a league-low 2.09 goals per game.
WINGS
Johnny Gaudreau, CGY at WPG ($22): Gaudreau has been on another level with three goals, five assists and a plus-10 rating over the past five games. The young winger has also fired multiple shots on net in 16 of his past 17 games for the surging Flames, demonstrating the elite offensive form that has led him to a career rate of 0.88 points per game. That level of production deserves a valuation well above $22, especially against a Jets team that has surrendered 3.16 goals per game.
Carl Hagelin, PIT at VAN ($13): His combination of role and opponent makes Hagelin a can't-miss value at just $1 above the minimum. Injuries have allowed the speedy winger to climb the depth chart onto a skilled line alongside Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. It's hard not to produce skating with two players who have combined for 130 points in 123 appearances this season, especially if you're a three-time 30-point scorer facing a defense that has allowed 2.84 goals per game.
Wings to Avoid
Micheal Ferland, CGY at WPG ($17): Ferland has scored four goals in his past five games, but the bottom-six forward is unlikely to keep producing given that he has still topped 15 minutes of playing time in only one game this season. Given his season average of just 3.6 fantasy points per game, $17 is a massive overpay for Ferland even against a defensively-challenged Jets team.
Andrew Ladd, NYI at STL ($16): If you think Ladd's having a disappointing season now, just imagine how bad it would be if he wasn't scoring on a career-high 17.0 percent of his shots. The $38.5 million man has exceeded his career rate by a full 5.0 percentage points despite looking otherwise out of sorts in the offensive zone and managing just six assists in 62 games as an Islander. Don't expect him to get lucky against a Blues team that has held opponents to 1.73 goals per game in Mike Yeo's first 15 contests as head coach.
DEFENSEMEN
Erik Karlsson, OTT at COL ($29): Karlsson's 28.0 fantasy points Thursday against the Coyotes shows the skilled blueliner has no problem outplaying his lofty price in the right matchup. An encore performance could well be in the cards against an Avalanche team that has surrendered a league-high 3.27 goals per game, especially with Karlsson playing at a consistently high level with 17 points in his past 14 games. His price still lingers below $30 despite the recent success, which is a bargain for a player in serious contention to wind up as the night's leading fantasy scorer.
Alex Pietrangelo, STL vs. NYI ($19): Pietrangelo averaged 16 power-play points in four full seasons between 2010-11 and 2014-15, and he is back to being the go-to point man in St. Louis with Kevin Shattenkirk taking his talents to Washington. His move back to that role has already paid dividends, as Pietrangelo has already generated three points with the extra man and four total in the team's first five games sans Shattenkirk. Continuing that offensive success shouldn't be difficult against an Islanders team that ranks 17th on the penalty kill and 25th in goals allowed per game.
Defensemen to Avoid
Kevin Shattenkirk, WAS at LA ($20): While his ex-teammates in St. Louis have a favorable matchup, Shattenkirk will be going against a Kings team that ranks fifth defensively and third on the penalty kill. Given his minus-12 rating and low blocked shot total for a blueliner, the power play maven will find it difficult to generate value if his impact on the scoresheet is limited.
Cody Ceci, OTT at COL ($16): Stacking Senators is a good idea against the worst team in the league, but don't let Ceci's four points in the last five games fool you into thinking he's on offensive threat. The stay-at-home defenseman has dramatically underperformed his already modest career rate of 0.25 points per game this season, and simply doesn't move the needle offensively despite his hefty ice time load.
