This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Friday's NHL slate begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time and features five games. Read on to see which players stand out as options to target in this slate and which players are primed for failure and should be avoided.
GOALIE
Braden Holtby, WAS vs. NJ ($31): Holtby's been tremendous recently, allowing a total of four goals in winning each of his past four starts. Despite this hot streak, the 2016 Vezina Trophy winner can still be had for just $31. Don't miss this bargain against a Devils team that's won just nine of its first 23 games.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Cal Petersen, LA at CGY ($25): Petersen has outplayed his $25 valuation with a 2.46 GAA and .927 save percentage, but owners should still stay away from him on the second night of a back-to-back for the Kings. He likely won't get much help from Los Angeles' league-worst offense, while a Calgary team that's scored 26 goals in its past six games will make life difficult for Jonathan Quick's backup.
CENTER
Sean Monahan, CGY vs. LA ($23): Monahan has been a potent finisher on the man advantage, potting between seven and 10 power-play goals in each of the past four seasons. He's taken that skill to the next level in his age-24 campaign, with a team-high five power-play markers among his 13 goals through 25 games. Los Angeles' 73.0 percent penalty kill is third-worst in the league and lowest among all teams in this slate, so Monahan's primed to strike again with the extra man.
CENTER TO AVOID
J.T. Compher, COL vs. STL ($17): Compher's price has jumped to $17 thanks to six goals in nine appearances, but he's unlikely to sustain production anywhere near this level. With an average ice time under 13 minutes and a 37.5 shooting percentage that's more than three times his career mark, Compher's a prime candidate for regression.
WINGS
Jonathan Huberdeau, FLA vs. BUF ($19): Huberdeau's finally living up to his lofty draft billing as the third overall selection in 2011, with 24 points in 23 games this season and nine points in the past five. While these are not the pushover Sabres of years past, Huberdeau and the Panthers will be catching Buffalo at the right time. This is the Sabres' second game in as many nights, and they're bound to be deflated after having their 10-game winning streak snapped by the Lightning on Thursday.
Gabriel Landeskog, COL vs. STL ($26): Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon ($34) and Mikko Rantanen ($30) have been the most potent line in hockey, but it's hard to clear up the cap space to grab more than one of them at a time. With 15 goals, 28 points and a plus-18 rating, the cheapest member of the trio has returned tremendous value relative to his $26 price. Another strong performance is likely forthcoming against a Blues team that's allowing 3.35 goals per game.
WINGS TO AVOID
Kyle Palmieri, NJ at WAS ($24): It hasn't been a November to remember for Palmieri, who has just seven points (three goals) in 14 games this month after racking up 14 points (nine goals) in nine October contests. Expect another quiet performance to finish out this month against the red-hot Holtby.
Ilya Kovalchuk, LA at CGY ($20): Normally a matchup with Calgary's 75.9 percent penalty kill would present a nice opportunity to utilize Kovalchuk, but the Russian just looks lost out there right now. He's been held without a point in the past 11 games, posting a minus-7 rating in that stretch and mustering multiple shots on goal only five times. Kovalchuk's ice time has dropped to an average of only 9:52 in the past three games, so it's tough to justify paying $20 for him regardless of opponent at the moment.
DEFENSEMEN
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF at FLA ($17): Billed as a generational talent on the blue line, Dahlin is blossoming before our eyes. The first overall pick in the 2018 draft has displayed tremendous two-way ability since the start of Buffalo's winning streak, notching eight points and a plus-10 rating over the past 11 games. A Panthers team that's giving up 3.57 goals per game will have a tough time containing Dahlin, who may not be priced at just $17 much longer if he keeps this level up.
Dougie Hamilton, CAR vs. ANH ($18): Hamilton's 86 shots on goal are the second-most in the league for defensemen, but the career 5.8 shooter is stuck on three goals with a 3.5 shooting percentage. Even if his shooting luck doesn't turn around here, Hamilton's a high-floor option thanks to all those shots, and a Ducks club that's scoring just 2.22 goals per game is unlikely to exploit his minus-4 rating
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
John Carlson, WAS vs. NJ ($26): Like most elite producers from the blue line, Carlson relies heavily on the power play -- 12 of his 26 points have come with the extra man. New Jersey's fourth-ranked, 84.0 percent penalty kill is likely to limit that aspect of his game, just like in the first meeting between these teams, when Carlson scored minus-0.1 fantasy point.
Alex Pietrangelo, STL at COL ($19): Pietrangelo's rating is already an ugly minus-7, and it's likely to get worse considering he's in line to spend significant time trying to defend Colorado's super-line of MacKinnon, Rantanen and Landeskog. While he's starting to shake off a slow start offensively, there's far too much rating downside in this matchup to trust Pietrangelo.
