This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Saturday's 12-game NHL slate offers no shortage of lineup choices. The Toronto-Ottawa and Edmonton-Arizona games should feature plenty of scoring as none of the teams involved in those games excel defensively. It's tough to build a lineup from just two games, though, and an examination of the rest of the league in addition to the two aforementioned matchups yielded the players below as the day's top value plays.
GOALIE
Cam Ward, CAR at BUF ($34) - Ward is riding a two-game winning streak, and now owns a solid 19-15-7 record to go along with his 2.44 GAA. While those numbers aren't spectacular, his recent play and reasonable price tag make the veteran a strong option against a below-average Sabres team.
Goalie to Avoid:
Craig Anderson, OTT vs. TOR ($37) - Anderson's matchup against the Maple Leafs is appealing, but his recent level of play makes him hard to trust regardless of the opposition. He has given up 17 goals while winning just one of his last four starts.
CENTER
Connor McDavid, EDM vs. ARI ($25) - The McDavid bandwagon is running out of room, as the rookie's tally against the Wild on Thursday gave him nine goals and 24 points in 21 games since returning from a shoulder injury in early February. A point-per-game producer is a bargain at $25, especially when he's playing at home against the worst defensive team in the NHL like McDavid is Saturday.
Center to Avoid:
Frans Nielsen, NYI at BOS ($23) - Nielsen has been better lately, but $23 is still an overpay for a center with just 44 points in 65 games played. There are better ways to spend that money, especially with Nielsen facing a Bruins team that has allowed two or fewer goals in six of its last nine games.
WING
Daniel Sedin, VAN vs. NSH ($22) - Despite averaging a robust 9.5 fantasy points per game over his last 10 appearances, Sedin is priced at just $22 heading into Saturday's showdown with the Predators. Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne sports a subpar 2.64 GAA on the road, so Vancouver's most dangerous offensive weapon finds himself in a good position to capitalize on that poor split at a reasonable price.
Nikita Soshnikov, TOR at OTT ($20) - Soshnikov's 15 shots on goal within the last three games and shootout winner against the Islanders his last time out give credence to the theory that the rookie's two goals and three points through six games are far from a fluke. He's being given every opportunity to succeed offensively as part of Toronto's first line alongside Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov, and scored a goal on six shots against these very Senators a mere week ago. Don't be surprised to see a repeat performance from the Russian in their rematch.
Wings to Avoid:
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL at DAL ($24) - Tarasenko has been struggling mightily of late, totaling just 29.0 fantasy points in his last six games despite having a 16.0 night against the Senators within that span. Considering just one of his last six performances has been decent, Tarasenko's chances of a big game against one of the NHL's best teams are small.
Max Domi, ARI at EDM ($23) - Arizona's last 10 games include one which Domi missed due to suspension and nine others in which the youngster totaled no goals and just two assists. There's no colder winger above the $20 mark at the moment.
DEFNESEMAN
Erik Karlsson, OTT vs. TOR ($25) - Karlsson broke an 18-game goalless drought against the Panthers on Thursday, and will look to ride that momentum into another strong performance against the cellar-dwelling Maple Leafs. The NHL's assists leader is unlikely to drop below $25 at any point, so his combination of price and matchup is as good as it's going to get right now. Ottawa's captain has nearly unmatched upside at his position, yet seven other defensemen cost at least as much.
Shayne Gostisbehere, PHI at FLA ($21) - Gostisbehere was already showing signs of getting back on track with 10 shots on goal over his previous two games before finally erupting for two goals Monday against the Lightning. That performance gave him a Flyers rookie defenseman record 14 goals in just 47 games played, and things should only get easier for the record-setting blueliner against a Florida team that has lost five of its last seven. His scoring potential makes Gostisbehere a can't-miss value at just $21.
Defensemen to Avoid:
Jake Muzzin, LA vs, NJ ($21) - With just five points in his last 14 games, Muzzin has been relying on a combination of shots on goal and blocks for a large portion of his value. He's going to have trouble excelling in either category against a Devils squad that takes the fewest shots of any team in the NHL and also allows the sixth-fewest.
Michael Stone, ARI at EDM ($19) - With just four goals and 25 assists in 67 games, Stone lacks the offensive chops to fit into what should be a high-scoring affair against the Oilers. The forwards and offensive-minded defensemen in this matchup figure to hog all the glory.
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