Yahoo DFS Hockey: Saturday-Sunday Picks

Yahoo DFS Hockey: Saturday-Sunday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.

The Golden Knights and the Stars held off the respective comebacks of the Canucks and Avalanche, and they won't miss a beat with Game 1 of the Western Conference final scheduled for Sunday at 8 p.m. EDT. In the East, however, we're still in the second round, as the puck drops for Game 7 between the Islanders and Flyers at 7:30 p.m.

GOALIE

Robin Lehner, VGK vs. DAL ($32): Lehner was remarkable in Game 7's shutout win over the Canucks, but his fantasy value didn't take off as expected since he faced just 14 shots. In fact, he's faced fewer than 20 shots in three straight contests. The Golden Knights' blue line is stout, but don't expect that to keep up, as the Canucks posted just 26.5 shots on net this postseason (21st) while Dallas has recorded 32.9 (10th). As a result, Lehner's fantasy ceiling is rising.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Carter Hart, PHI vs. NYI ($34): This will be the toughest test of Hart's young career. He hasn't been on top of his game lately, yielding at least three goals in six of the past seven contests. It's been the same situation for Semyon Varlamov in the opposition crease, but I'm fading the Flyers and taking the experienced, defensively sound Islanders. 

CENTER

William Karlsson, VGK vs. DAL ($20): Karlsson hasn't been capitalizing on his opportunities, but his opportunities have been plentiful. He has posted 3.68 xGF/60 at even strength this postseason, according to Natural Stat Trick, to rank third among remaining playoff participants. He should be on few rosters due to his recent slump, so take the risk and attack that high ceiling. 

CENTER TO AVOID

Jean-Gabriel Pageau, NYI vs. PHI ($17): Pageau reverted to the third line after Mathew Barzal (face) returned to the lineup, so his ice time should stay below 20 minutes in this contest. The opportunities will dry up too, as he starts 59.7 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone with the Islanders. 

WING

Reilly Smith, VGK vs. DAL ($21): Smith is a smart stack with Karlsson, as he carries a high floor with 13 shots on net along with two assists over the past three contests. His ice time rose over five minutes in Game 7 against the Canucks, so if the Golden Knights face any trouble, this line could be leaned on more. 

Anthony Beauvillier, NYI vs. PHI ($17): Beauvillier hasn't been stacking up points this postseason, but the 23-year-old passes the eye test and should be penciled in for a breakout next year. He's racked up plenty of good looks, as he's fired at least three shots on net in every game this series, providing a sturdy floor for a monstrous upside.

WINGS TO AVOID

Alexander Radulov, DAL vs. VGK ($19): Radulov apparently fired a puck at Anton Khudobin's head during warmups before Game 7, but he made up for the whiff with two goals in the winner-take-all matchup. He's been extremely flaky this postseason though, and has produced just 2.13 xGF/60 and has fired just one shot on net in three of five contests. 

Jakub Voracek, PHI vs. NYI ($17): Voracek was missing center Sean Couturier in Game 6 and managed one assist and three shots over 30:40 of ice time, but that came in a double-overtime contest. Couturier's potential absence pushes Voracek's ceiling down again, and you can't bank on overtime again.

DEFENSE

Shea Theodore, VGK vs. DAL ($25): Theodore's salary is skyrocketing, but it's justified. He's been dynamite all postseason and has posted a point in eight of nine contests, totaling 11 points -- four on the power play -- and 44 shots on net in that span. Dallas' penalty kill is slightly better than Vancouver's, but don't let that scare you from the hyper-efficient Theodore. 

Adam Pelech, NYI vs. PHI ($13): Save some salary cap space by hunting for upside with Pelech. He's on a four-game pointless streak and will have a low roster rate, so he's perfect for tournaments with his high upside and reasonable floor, as he's posted nine shots and 12 blocked shots during his scoring drought. 

DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID

Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. VGK ($18): It takes a ton of discipline to pass on Heiskanen since he's on an eight-game 13-point streak, but six of those points have come with the man advantage. Vegas has been lights out on the penalty kill, keeping the puck out of the net on 87.8 percent of attempts -- second only to Columbus this postseason.

Nate Schmidt, VGK vs. DAL ($17): Schmidt has failed to post a point in five of his last six games, and he's highly dependent on the power play for his production. As stated before, Dallas' penalty kill is better than Vancouver's, so his upside is suppressed even further, so steer clear of Schmidt as he plays his third game in four days.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Jordan Mazzara plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Mazz30 Yahoo: Mazz30 DraftKings: Mazz30.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jordan Mazzara
Jordan has produced NFL and NHL content for RotoWire since 2017. He's the beat writer for the St. Louis Blues and Seattle Seahawks.
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