This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Thursday's eight-game NHL slate is very Metropolitan-heavy, as the Rangers and Islanders clash in a battle for New York metropolitan area supremacy, while five of the division's top six teams are scheduled to be in action. The red-hot Capitals once again find themselves heavy favorites at home, while Carolina could be an appealing team to stack against on the road in St. Louis, but it's important not to narrow your focus too much with a plethora of other fantasy-friendly matchups on the schedule. The players listed below come from different places and derive their value in different ways, but all of them have great chances of outproducing their price tags Thursday.
GOALIE
Henrik Lundqvist, NYR at NYI ($32) - The Rangers have the superior fan base and the superior goaltender (empirically speaking), so it's surprising that Lundqvist is actually cheaper than Islanders counterpart Jaroslav Halak. Lundqvist has sent Rangers fans home happy much more often than not with a 29-15-6 record, 2.20 GAA and .922 save percentage against the Islanders in his career, and he should be able to pick up victory No. 30 playing behind a team that has scored 22 goals while going 4-2-1 in its last seven games. The King stopped 36 of 37 shots through overtime in the teams' last meeting Dec. 2, and $32 would be a small price to pay for a similar performance.
Goalie to Avoid:
Cam Talbot, EDM at SJ ($36) - Talbot has struggled mightily in his first season outside of New York, taking a 7-13-2 record and 2.75 GAA into Thursday's road tilt at San Jose. His road numbers are even worse: 2-6-2 with a 3.01 GAA and .901 save percentage. All of the stats mentioned above show that Talbot's true value is nowhere near $36.
CENTER
Ryan Johansen, NSH at WPG ($18) - A move to Nashville has breathed life into Johansen, as he has a goal, two assists and 27.0 fantasy points in three games since making his team debut Jan. 8. The formerly disgruntled center had 59 goals and 134 points over his previous two seasons with the Blue Jackets, so expect him to continue paying dividends now that he's back in the playoff hunt on a superior roster. It's only a matter of time until Johansen's production forces his price to shoot up from its current $18.
Center to Avoid:
Jonathan Toews, CHI at MON ($26) - Just 10 of Toews' 32 points this season have come away from the United Center. Since Montreal has a league-wide reputation for being one of the tougher road venues to produce in, it's going to be very hard for Chicago's captain to live up to his price as the night's third-most expensive center.
WING
Justin Williams, WAS vs. VAN ($18) - Williams has two goals and an assist in the last two games while tying a season high with five shots in both contests. Vancouver has the ninth-worst defense in the NHL, so Williams could easily extend his goal-scoring streak to three games if he continues to generate chances at the rate he has been.
Sven Baertschi, VAN vs. WAS ($16) - The matchup against the Capitals is daunting, but it also paves the way for those who choose to play Baertschi to be in possession of a rarer asset should he deliver a big game. Considering the Swiss winger has five goals and three assists in his last eight appearances, getting a big game from him shouldn't be a problem. Getting to play an offensive role for the first time in his career alongside Bo Horvat and Radim Vrbata on the second line, the 23-year-old Baertschi has proven that all he needed to display his scoring touch was a chance. Those who follow in Vancouver's footsteps and give the moderately-priced winger a chance in their lineup won't be sorry.
Wings to Avoid:
Viktor Stalberg, NYR at NYI ($16) - Stalberg is overpriced at $16, as his three goals in the last five games can be attributed mostly to puck-luck considering he's topped 12 minutes of playing time just once in that span. The veteran is nothing more than a bottom-six forward, and his 13 points through 36 games are an accurate representation of his offensive ability.
Jason Chimera, WAS vs. VAN ($19) - It's foolish to expect Chimera to sustain his current scoring pace, as the 36-year-old forward has topped 40 points just once since cracking the NHL in the 2000-01 season, never exceeding 42. Paying $19 for a third-line winger is usually a losing proposition.
DEFENSEMEN
Kevin Shattenkirk, STL vs. CAR ($19) - Shattenkirk had to deal with some early-season injury issues, but he's managed to put those behind him and accrue 25 points in the last 30 games. There's going to be pressure on him to perform due to swirling trade rumors, but a resume that features over 40 points in each of the last three non-lockout-shortened seasons speaks for itself. Shattenkirk's biggest flaw is a far-from-ideal minus-12 rating, but his plus/minus risk will be mitigated playing at home against a Carolina team with a minus-15 goal differential.
Dustin Byfuglien, WPG vs. NSH ($19) - Byfuglien is in the midst of a nasty slide that has seen him go pointless over the last five games, but there is a silver lining. The offensively-gifted blueliner's price has dropped from its usual mid-$20s perch down into the teens, offering owners who like to save money on defensemen a rare opportunity to grab him. Byfuglien couldn't ask for a better opportunity to break out of his slump, as Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne is 4-9-3 with a 3.00 GAA on the road.
Defensemen to Avoid:
Tyson Barrie, COL vs. NJ ($22) - Much of Barrie's value stems from his power-play production -- 14 of his 29 points have come with the man advantage. New Jersey's top-10 penalty kill could stifle that part of his game, leaving owners paying $22 for a minus-6 defenseman who doesn't block many shots.
Justin Braun, SJ vs. EDM ($18) - With just one goal and 17 points this season on the heels of 17-point and 23-point campaigns, Braun doesn't bring a ton of offense to the table. Those starting Sharks on Thursday should be hoping to exploit Edmonton's suspect defensive play, and Braun doesn't really fit into that plan.
