Yahoo DFS Hockey: Thursday Picks

Yahoo DFS Hockey: Thursday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.

GOALIE

Juuse Saros, NSH vs. ANH ($30): Saros has endured some turbulence recently, but he's still posted a .929 save percentage and a 2.27 GAA over his last 11 home games. It's rare to get Saros at such a discount, especially considering that the Ducks aren't a particularly high-powered offense. Over the last six games, they've posted a 2-4-0 record while averaging 2.5 goals per game. 

GOALIE TO AVOID

Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. TB ($36): Markstrom has been among the best goalies in the league this season, but he's commanding too high of a salary Thursday. The 32-year-old has posted a .914 save percentage and a 2.72 GAA on the road since Feb. 1. In that span, the Lightning have averaged a whopping 4.2 goals per game while registering an 8-2-1 record.

CENTER

Jack Hughes, NJ vs. WPG ($20): Hughes has posted a point in 10 of his last 11 games, totaling six goals and 12 assists while averaging 3.5 shots per outing. He's a young superstar in the making, and this matchup is intriguing. Connor Hellebuyck is enduring a cold spell and has posted an .860 save percentage and a 4.38 GAA over his last five starts. 

CENTER TO AVOID

Brayden Schenn, STL vs. NYR ($20): Schenn is listed on the third line, and he has averaged 17:16 of ice time over the last six games while averaging less than two shots on net. While the Blues roll the top three lines fairly evenly, we want more opportunities when going up against Igor Shesterkin, who has a .970 save percentage and a 1.01 GAA over his last five road starts. 

WING

Teuvo Teravainen, CAR vs. COL ($24): Teravainen has posted five goals and nine assists over 12 games since returning from injury. He stacked up 40 shots on net in that stretch, too. He needs to get rolling on the power play to make a difference, and luckily for him, the Avalanche's PK (76.3 percent) ranks 23rd in the league. 

Patrik Laine, CLS at NYI ($22): Laine has looked like the superstar he was meant to be lately, recording 27 points over the last 17 games while adding 58 shots on net in the process. The Islanders simply aren't the defensive juggernauts they used to be. While their PK (82.4 percent) is sturdy, 21 of Laine's last 27 points have come at even strength.

WINGS TO AVOID

Cam Atkinson, PHI at FLA ($21): Atkinson has been boom-or-bust lately, posting no points in eight of the last 11 games but totaling six points in the other three outings. There's a good chance he lands in the bust category Thursday because Sergei Bobrovsky has posted a .924 save percentage at home in 2022. 

Zach Parise, NYI vs. CLS ($18): Parise has posted two points over the last six games while skating on the third line and averaging just 15:42 of ice time. His salary is a bit high for that opportunity range, and his power-play usage only has a marginal effect because the Blue Jackets' PK (80.1 percent) has been solid this season. 

DEFENSE

Thomas Chabot, OTT vs. SEA ($19): Chabot has put up seven points, 18 shots on net and 10 blocked shots through the last seven games while averaging nearly 25 minutes of ice time. The 25-year-old is already up to 10 points on the power play this year, too. This matchup is quite appealing because Philipp Grubauer has posted a 3.22 GAA this season, and the Kraken's PK (74.0 percent) is 29th in the league. 

Matt Grzelcyk, BOS vs. CHI ($13): Grzelcyk is far enough from his five-point performance that he's back in the contrarian conversation. He's expected to play despite carrying a day-to-day tag for now. The 28-year-old is a skilled puck mover who has posted 19 points through 51 games, and he handles PP2 duties. The Blackhawks rank 25th in the league with a 76.2 percent penalty kill. 

DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID

Drew Doughty, LA vs. SJ ($21): The Sharks surprisingly have the second-ranked PK (86.4 percent). Even though James Reimer (lower body) is out, Zach Sawchenko has shown some potential in limited action. Doughty leans too heavily on the power play for fantasy production, as four of his last nine points have come with the man advantage. 

Jakob Chychrun, ARI at TOR ($19): Chychrun lacks the ceiling to make up for the risk level you take on by rostering him. The 23-year-old has averaged three shots a game but has posted just 19 points through 45 games. His minus-23 rating this season is a serious issue too, especially in cash contests.

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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