Yahoo DFS Hockey: Wednesday Picks

There are two games Wednesday. Two very good teams are playing, and two not-so-great teams are playing. Unfortunately, the two very good teams are playing each other, and the same goes for the less than stellar teams. Otherwise, we'd have a couple great matchups to play. Instead, it's a bit harder, but nevertheless here are some players to target and to avoid.

GOALIE

Braden Holtby, WAS vs. PIT ($34): One of the games Wednesday is Arizona vs. Calgary, and you don't want any part of either of those goaltending situations. The Capitals decided to start Philipp Grubauer on Tuesday, which leaves Holtby to start Wednesday. Sure, it'll be the second night of a back-to-back, but Holtby is clearly the best goalie playing. You have to choose between him and Marc-Andre Fleury ($32), and Holtby seems like a better choice.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Brian Elliott, CGY vs. ARI ($27): Chad Johnson is starting Tuesday, which leaves Elliott in line to start Wednesday. Whoever got the start Wednesday was going to be the pick here, because both of these goalies have been bad this season, and both are more expensive than Louis Dominigue ($26). Be it Elliott or Johnson on the second night of a back-to-back, steer clear.

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CENTER

Mikael Backlund, CGY vs. ARI ($13): The previously mentioned Domingue has a .899 save percentage, which bodes well for Backlund. While he's only got one goal, he's taken 36 shots on net to go with six assists. He's been Calgary's best center and is priced quite reasonably here.

CENTER TO AVOID

Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS vs. PIT ($20): Kuznetzov was very good last year and his 77 points helped provide some support to Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, but he's off to a slow start to this season. He only has seven points in 15 games, and more concerning is the fact he's only taken 21 shots on goal. His price is still somewhat bolstered by his numbers last season, but he hasn't been that kind of player this year.

WING

Radim Vrbata, ARI at CGY ($16): As previously mentioned, the Flames will be on the second night of a back-to-back, and both of their goalies have sub-.900 save percentages. Vrbata is still going strong, as he's playing more minutes than he has in his previous two seasons, and he's got six goals and 11 points in 14 games. This is probably the best matchup any of these four teams have, and that's good for Vrbata.

Max Domi, ARI at CGY ($15): Again, the Coyotes have the best matchup of any teams Wednesday. Domi has 11 points, but he only has one goal on 29 shots, so his goal total could be better. Rarely are you going to want to target Arizona wingers, but Wednesday is not your typical day.

WINGS TO AVOID

Phil Kessel, PIT at WAS ($25): Holtby and his .922 save percentage are a tougher matchup than any other team is facing Wednesday. Kessel is tied for the second most expensive wing today with Penguins teammate Patric Hornqvist. Kessel has been a little worse this year, as he still only has three goals in 15 games. There aren't a lot of options, but you can still probably find a better value.

Carl Hagelin, PIT at WAS ($16): Hagelin doesn't play on the power play, which certainly helps limit his value. He also only has six points, and he's taken 26 shots in 15 games. Most days, he'd be too far down the list of players to single out for avoidance. Today, though, it warrants mentioning.

DEFENSEMEN

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI at CGY ($22): Ekman-Larsson is a little pricey, but you are going to struggle to find much value with so few teams in action. While he's actually been a little disappointing on the power play so far, he has five goals on 37 shots on net and routinely plays more than 25 minutes per game. With a matchup this good, Ekman-Larsson should be well worth the price.

Dougie Hamilton, CGY vs. ARI ($16): Hamilton is still looking to round into form, and the Coyotes are a team that could help him do that. While he's only got six points, he's taken 45 shots on goal in 17 games after recording over 40 points in his last two seasons. Eventually, things will turn around, and perhaps that will start tonight.

DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID

Dmitry Orlov, WAS vs. PIT ($16): Orlov's minutes are up, and he's getting the most power-play time of his career. However, it hasn't paid off so far, as he's only notched four points — all assists. With all of Arizona and Calgary's defensemen getting such favorable matchups, it's hard to like Orlov as a selection Wednesday.

Ian Cole, PIT at WAS ($15): Cole is the second most expensive Penguins defensemen, and since Kris Letang is such a proven commodity, it's hard to dismiss him with so few options on the table. Cole, though, faces the same tough matchup, but doesn't have the same track record as No. 58. While Cole blocks a lot of shots, he's only taken 14 shots on goal in 15 games and doesn't play on the power play.