This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Saturday's eight-game evening NHL slate offers tremendous variety with all sorts of teams in action. While elite squads like the Capitals will naturally earn plenty of consideration as usual, lower-end teams like the Maple Leafs and Oilers also have plenty of individuals worthy of fantasy consideration. Out of all the available options, these guys are in the best position to outperform their prices.
GOALIE:
Craig Anderson, OTT vs. DET ($23) - Anderson is averaging 16. 3 fantasy points per game over his last six starts, with a 4-2-0 record over that span. His 2.78 GAA isn't pretty, but the veteran also leads the league in saves thanks to Ottawa's propensity for giving up shots. If Anderson stops enough pucks to let the Senators offense carry the team to victory against a Detroit team that has dropped three of its last four games, owners will reap the rewards due to the volume of his activity.
Goalie to Avoid:
Louis Domingue, ARI vs. STL ($31) - Domingue has three wins in his last four starts, but the young netminder has still allowed 26 goals in his last eight starts. Arizona's offense won't have an easy time bailing him out against a Blues team that has won four straight.
CENTER:
Connor McDavid, EDM vs. COL ($25) - Even at $25, it's not too late to hop on the McDavid bandwagon. The rookie center's five goals and nine assists through nine February contests place him among the league's top point producers, and he shouldn't have an issue adding to those totals against Colorado's bottom-10 defensive unit. McDavid's price will be pushing $30 in no time if he keeps this pace up, so you'll be getting him at a discount in a good matchup here.
Center to Avoid:
Ryan Johansen, NAS vs. LA ($22) - Johansen has cooled down considerably since his initial scoring burst upon joining the Predators, picking up just two assists and a grand total of 23.0 fantasy points in his last five games. Scoring against Los Angeles' sixth-ranked defense will be an uphill climb based on the former Blue Jacket's recent form.
WING:
Jaden Schwartz, STL at ARI ($23) - Schwartz is averaging a tidy 9.0 fantasy points per game in four contests since returning from injury, and owns eight points and an impressive plus-7 rating in 11 appearances this season. After topping 25 of goals in each of his last two seasons, the 23-year-old winger still has time to salvage a shortened campaign with a strong stretch run.
Jarome Iginla, COL at EDM ($20) - Iginla would've had a hat trick Wednesday if it wasn't for a goalie interference call wiping a goal off the board, but he's still managed to pick up four goals and five assists in his last seven games despite that minor setback. The former Flames captain lit up his long-time rival Oilers with a goal and 15.0 fantasy points last time he faced them, and comes into this contest in even better form. Don't be surprised when the league's fifth-worst defense fails to contain the streaking winger.
Wings to Avoid:
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL at ARI ($26) - While he's capable of breaking out an any time, the Russian winger has just three goals and three assists in his last 17 games. With his price remaining lofty despite the recent struggles, Tarasenko doesn't offer much bang for the buck right now.
Shane Doan, ARI vs. STL ($20) - Doan has played a part in exactly zero of Arizona's 13 goals in three games since Feb. 13, playing just 14 minutes as part of the team's third line in their most recent contest. While the Coyotes captain has scored in bunches this season, it's tough to envision him doing so from a bottom-six role against the league's second-stingiest defense.
DEFENSEMEN:
Andrew MacDonald, PHI at TOR ($12) - The last place Maple Leafs represent MacDonald's easiest matchup since earning a call-up after posting five goals and 31 assists in 43 AHL games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. His decent offensive skills are complemented by the record-setting production of rookie defense partner Shayne Gostisbehere, and the upside MacDonald flashed with a plus-3 effort Tuesday in New Jersey makes him well worth a look for the minimum price against a far inferior opponent.
Tyler Myers, WPG at FLA ($15) - Myers has found his offense in the first three games of Winnipeg's four-game road trip, following a six-shot effort in Edmonton with an assist in Carolina and a goal in Tampa Bay. The fourth game brings the blueliner to the BB&T Center to face a Panthers team against which he has had success in the past, with 13 points and a plus-11 rating in 20 career meetings. At just $15, the former Calder Trophy winner's offensive upside and history against the Panthers makes him a perfect candidate for players looking to save a few dollars on the back end.
Defensemen to Avoid:
John Carlson, WAS vs. NJ ($22) - The Devils are an offensive defenseman's worst nightmare. Their solid defensive play limits scoring production while their inability to generate shots themselves doesn't allow blueliners to pick up the blocked shots that enhance their value compared to forwards with otherwise similar stats. Expect Carlson to join the ranks of elite defensemen frustrated by New Jersey's boring style.
Torey Krug, BOS at DAL ($17) - Krug's value stems from his offensive production, so it's not surprising that he's averaging just 5.4 fantasy points per game since his last goal on Dec. 5. Until he proves otherwise, that extensive stretch of mediocrity should be considered representative of Krug's true value.
