This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are 12 NHL games on the slate Thursday night, so November is kicking off with a bang. Here are the players I recommend targeting, and avoiding, while you fight off that Halloween sugar coma…
GOALIE
Cory Schneider, NJ at DET ($31): Schneider made his season debut in New Jersey's last game, spelling Keith Kinkaid who had allowed seven goals against the Lightning. He'll likely get his first start against the Wings, and it's a safe matchup to start him off with. Detroit has only scored 2.50 goals per game, and also only managed 27.9 shots on net per contest.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Pekka Rinne, NAS at TB ($38): Rinne is off injured reserve, but you may want to wait before putting him in a lineup. This is not so much because of his play this year, as he's been fine. The fact is, he hasn't played in Nashville's last five games, and a matchup with the Lightning on the road won't be easy. Tampa Bay has averaged 3.64 goals per game.
CENTER
Mika Zibanejad, NYR at ANA ($20): Zibanejad has started the season off on a total tear. He's notched 10 points in 12 games, four on the power play, and put 49 shots on goal. That latter number could certainly come into play Thursday. The Ducks have a solid 2.77 GAA, but they've allowed a league-high 38.8 shots on net per game.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mikael Backlund, CGY vs. COL ($14): Backlund got off to a good start to the season, but he has zero points in his last four games. He also doesn't have a goal since the season opener. It will be hard for him to amend that in this matchup, as the Avalanche have a 2.17 GAA.
WING
Jonathan Marchessault, VGK at STL ($27): Marchessault no longer is the surprise performer he was when he broke out with the Panthers. Now he's just one of the most reliable wingers in the league. He's got 12 points in 12 games, and has put a whopping 52 shots on net. The Blues, meanwhile, have a 3.90 GAA, and last season Jake Allen had a .906 save percentage, so it's not like he's suddenly struggling out of nowhere.
Jordan Eberle, NYI vs. PIT ($18): It's easy to overlook Eberle, but he has six points this season, including two goals in his last game. That just so happened to be in matchup with these same Penguins. Don't select Eberle because of that, though. Do it because Matt Murray has a 3.76 GAA and .893 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Viktor Arvidsson, NAS at TB ($23): Arvidsson has eight goals this season, although his 25.0 shooting percentage is going to regress in time. This isn't about his performance as much as it is the opponent. Andrei Vasilevskiy has a 1.98 GAA and .935 save percentage, and the Lightning also have the league's best penalty kill.
Patrick Marleau, TOR vs. DAL ($15): With Auston Matthews out, Marleau now has Nazem Kadri as his center. Kadri is a fine player, but he's not on Matthews' level. That makes it harder for the veteran to find his footing, as he only has one goal this season. On top of that, the stars have only allowed 29.8 shots on goal net per game.
DEFENSE
Oscar Klefbom, EDM vs. CHI ($20): Klefbom doesn't have a goal yet, but he's put 37 shots on net through 11 games. The goals will come at that rate, and he has five assists anyway. The Blackhawks are the sole team playing the second leg of a back-to-back Thursday, and that means Cam Ward (3.92 GAA, .889 save percentage) will likely be starting.
Thomas Chabot, OTT vs. BUF ($17): If you're waiting for Chabot to slow down, you'll have to keep waiting. He's got 13 points through 11 games. The 21-year-old has been helped by the fact he's stepped into Erik Karlsson's minutes, as he's played 22:42 per game, with 3:18 of that ice time coming on the power play. Carter Hutton has not retained the form he showed in St. Louis last year, as he has a 2.94 GAA and .910 save percentage.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Alex Pietrangelo, STL vs. VGK ($21): Pietrangelo did have three points in his last game, but that gives him only four points on the season. It will be hard for him to add to that total Thursday. Vegas has a 2.75 GAA, top 10 in the NHL, but they've also allowed a league-low 24.4 shots on net per contest.
T.J. Brodie, CGY vs. COL ($12): Brodie stepped into Dougie Hamilton's role on Calgary's top pairing with Mark Giordano, but so far that hasn't really worked out for him. The 28-year-old has four points, all assists, and none of them have come on the power play. That's not likely to change in this one, as the Avalanche have a 2.17 GAA.
