Yahoo DFS Hockey: Wednesday Picks

Yahoo DFS Hockey: Wednesday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.

It's not the most-robust slate for the NHL on Wednesday. That was never going to be the case, as there were three games on the docket until Islanders-Canucks was postponed. Instead, we have two games, but the DFS contests remain. 

Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineup...

GOALIE

Jack Campbell, TOR vs. EDM ($42): Both of the expected home goalies Wednesday – Campbell and Tristan Jarry – have been quite good. Well, Campbell has been more than good. He has an 1.89 GAA and .939 save percentage. You might assume the Oilers have a better offense than the Blues because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but in fact the Blues have scored 3.45 goals per game to the Oilers' 3.30.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Jordan Binnington, STL at PIT ($24): I'm cool with Campbell and Jarry, and I don't think you would risk Mikko Koskinen, so I am mentioning Binnington here. The Penguins have averaged the fewest goals per game of these four teams, but they still have put up 3.16 goals per contest. Binnington, meanwhile, has struggled after his lengthy absence. Over his last three starts he has a 3.39 GAA and .895 save percentage.

CENTER

John Tavares, TOR vs. EDM ($28): Tavares has been scorching hot. He has at least one point in 10 of his last 11 games. Auston Matthews just tested positive for COVID-19, which means he will almost definitely miss this one. That likely means Tavares on the top line, which means playing alongside Mitch Marner. As for the Oilers, they have a 3.30 GAA.

CENTER TO AVOID

Ryan O'Reilly, STL at PIT ($17): I thought about the two big guns in Edmonton, but it's hard to completely write off Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. O'Reilly, though, is a different story. He's been good recently, with eight points and 33 shots on net in his last 10 games. However, Jarry has an 1.93 GAA and .932 save percentage for the Penguins, and that doesn't bode well for O'Reilly.

WING

Jake Guentzel, PIT vs. STL ($29): Guentzel missed five games, but he picked up where he left off. With two points in his return, Guentzel has a 14-game point streak. That's fantastic, and I can see it moving to 15 on Wednesday. Jordan Binnington has a 2.89 GAA and .910 save percentage.

Michael Bunting, TOR vs. EDM ($14): Bunting had 11 points over eight games prior to his current four-game pointless streak. However, in those four contests he's put 10 shots on net, so he's stayed active. Though Matthews will presumably not be around, he still gets the red-hot Tavares as his center. He also gets to likely face Mikko Koskinen, who has a 3.19 GAA and .900 save percentage.

WINGS TO AVOID

David Perron, STL at PIT ($20): Perron has a point and four shots on goal in each of his two games since returning to action. That's good, but the Penguins have only allowed 29.6 shots on net per contest. When shots get to Jarry he's handled them quite well too, given his .932 save percentage.

Jesse Puljujarvi, EDM at TOR ($17): Here's where I am willing to be skeptical about the Oilers. Like I said, Campbell has an 1.89 GAA and .939 save percentage. He's an early Vezina favorite. Puljujarvi may play on Connor McDavid's line, but he is not Connor McDavid.

DEFENSE

Kris Letang, PIT vs. STL ($23): Bad puck luck has limited Letang to one goal in 27 games. His 1.5 shooting percentage is bound to improve. Besides, he has 21 assists on the year as well, so it's not like he's not contributing. Given that Binnington has a .910 save percentage, maybe this is the day he'll light the lamp again.

Rasmus Sandin, TOR vs. EDM ($12): Sandin has nine points in 26 games, all assists. I like him because he gets some power-play time. The Swede has averaged 1:30 per game with the extra man, making him the only defenseman save for Morgan Rielly who plays much on the power play. It's not a lot, but it's something, and the Oilers have a middling penalty kill.

DEFENSE TO AVOID

Darnell Nurse, EDM at TOR ($20): Unsurprisingly, Nurse couldn't sustain his 10.4 shooting percentage from last season. Even if he was a hot hand this year, I still would be skeptical in this matchup. Just to reiterate, Campbell has an 1.89 GAA and .939 save percentage.

Torey Krug, STL at PIT ($17): Krug has tallied eight of his 17 points with the extra man. We've gotten used to Krug being primarily a power-play weapon. This is not the matchup for that. The Penguins have the league's best penalty kill.

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. Chris Morgan plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: cmorgan3, DraftKings: cmorgan3.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only NHL Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire NHL fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Morgan
Chris Morgan is a writer of sports, pop culture, and humor articles, a book author, a podcaster, and a fan of all Detroit sports teams.
NHL Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week
NHL Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week
NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Friday, December 6
NHL Best Bets Today: Expert Picks for Friday, December 6
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Friday, December 6
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Friday, December 6
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Friday, December 6
NHL DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Friday, December 6
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Thursday, December 5
NHL DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Thursday, December 5
The Goalie Report: Risers and Fallers
The Goalie Report: Risers and Fallers