This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
How was your Thanksgiving? Still feeling stuffed? Well, the NHL has what you need. There are 15 games on Friday. Every team except one is in action, and the games are stretched out throughout the day. The first game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET. You can wait until 7 p.m. and play the main slate of eight games. It's a holiday weekend, though. How often do you get a chance to pick your daily fantasy lineup from 30 team's worth of players? Here are my Black Friday recommendations.
GOALIE
Casey DeSmith, PIT at BOS ($8,200): With Matt Murray on injured reserve, DeSmith is the clear starter for the Penguins for now. He's been the better of the two netminders anyway, as he has a 2.39 GAA and .924 save percentage. The Bruins have only averaged 29.7 shots on goal per game, and they are ravaged with injuries at the moment. That includes Patrice Bergeron being on the shelf.
CENTER
Sebastian Aho, CAR vs. FLA ($6,500): Aho has gained attention with his hot start, which is hard to do in Carolina, thanks to his 24 points in 21 games. He's far from a fluke, as he had 29 goals and 65 points last year. Roberto Luongo got off to a great start to the season, but since returning from injury, his numbers have taken a dive. In nine games he has a 3.32 GAA and .896 save percentage.
Kevin Hayes, NYR at PHI ($5,400): Hayes has taken his game up a notch recently, as he has 11 points in his last 11 games. He's also playing the most minutes of his career, as he's averaged 19:15 per game in ice time. Meanwhile, the Flyers have a 3.62 GAA, and their top-two goalies are currently injured.
WING
Evander Kane, SAN vs. VAN ($6,400): Kane is a prolific shooter, as last year he scored 29 goals on 307 shots. This season, he has seven goals on 87 shots through 22 games. The Canucks have allowed 32.7 shots on net per contest, and on top of that they have a 3.58 GAA, third highest in the NHL.
Alexander Radulov, DAL vs. OTT ($6,200): Since returning from injury, Radulov has five points in five games. Overall, he has 16 points in 12 contests. This is as good of a matchup as you are going to find. The Senators have a 4.27 GAA and have given up 37.9 shots on goal per game. Both are worst in the league. On top of that, they rank last on the power play.
Kyle Okposo, BUF vs. MON ($5,200): The Sabres have gotten hot, and Okposo has five goals and six assists in his last 14 games. He's averaged 3:01 per game on the power play, which is business as usual for him, and he's tallied at least 21 points with the extra man in each of his last three seasons. As for the Canadiens, they have a 3.41 GAA, which is fifth worst in the league.
DEFENSE
Keith Yandle, FLA at CAR ($5,400): Yandle has 19 points in 19 games, which is great, but not even the thing that stick out to me most. He's averaged 4:03 per game on the power play and notched 12 points with the extra man. The 32-year-old is a power-play machine, and the Hurricanes have the 26th-ranked penalty kill. That bodes well for Yandle.
Mike Green, DET at WAS ($4,800): Green started the season injured, but he has nine points in 12 games. He only has one goal, but he's put 28 shots on net. His 3.6 shooting percentage seems likely to improve, as it's his lowest since his rookie season. Perhaps he will light the lamp against his former team in Washington. The Capitals have a 3.24 GAA, and they also have the 28th-ranked penalty kill.
