This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
We head into the weekend with five NHL games on Friday evening's slate. A few of the matchups seem pretty lopsided, which certainly matters from a daily fantasy perspective. Let's explore some players to target and others to avoid.
GOALIE
Braden Holtby, WAS vs. DET ($34): With a .925 save percentage, Holtby has been just as good as he was last year, when he won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goalie. Meanwhile, the Wings are 21st in goals per game. There are a few really good goalies with good matchups Friday, but Holtby will cost you a few bucks less than, say, Corey Crawford ($38).
GOALIE TO AVOID
Al Montoya, MON at CAR ($32): Montoya's overall numbers are bad, but they're really skewed by his 10-goal disaster game against Columbus. Beyond that nightmarish outing, he's been good, but his career stats are all over the place. There's a decent chance Montoya will get a win against the Hurricanes, but among the goalies who aren't obvious to avoid, Montoya is the least appealing option.
CENTER
Artem Anisimov, CHI at CGY ($21): Although Anisimov's shooting percentage is unsustainably high, he has 17 points in 16 games and is playing more than three minutes a night on the power play. The Flames are allowing 3.3 goals per game, and they have the 29th-ranked penalty kill in the NHL. Even if Anisimov has overachieved a bit, this is a great matchup he could easily take advantage of.
CENTER TO AVOID
Derek Stepan, NYR at CLM ($21): Stepan has nine assists, but he only has two goals, and he's only taken 31 shots on net in 17 games. He's been fine, but Columbus poses a tough matchup, led by goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and his .933 save percentage. You'll be better off trying to take advantage of more favorable matchups.
WING
Conor Sheary, PIT at WAS ($17): I wanted to go with Patric Hornqvist ($25), but he's day-to-day with a head injury, so it seems wise to leave him aside just in case. If he gets the go-ahead, though, he's definitely worth choosing. This is a great matchup for the Penguins, so Sheary is a nice, low-cost option. He's only played in nine games, but he has eight points in that span.
Marian Hossa, CHI at CGY ($23): As previously mentioned, the Flames have had issues with goal prevention, although Chad Johnson has been impressive in his last couple of outings. However, that shouldn't deter you from selecting Hossa, who has 15 points – six of those on the power play. He's a little on the pricy side, but he's worth it.
WINGS TO AVOID
Chris Kreider, NYR at CLM ($25): Kreider has missed a couple days with an injury, but he's expected to play in this game. However, even if he does, Kreider has been stuck on three goals for quite some time. Scoring on Bobrovsky hasn't been easy, so Kreider is going to be in for a tough matchup if he takes the ice.
Gustav Nyquist, DET at WAS ($19): Nyquist has gone goalless in 11 straight games. While his shooting percentage is perhaps a smidge low, it's not unsustainably so, and also he's only taken 36 shots on goal in 17 games. In this tough matchup against Holtby and the Caps, it will be difficult for Nyquist to end that goal drought.
DEFENSEMEN
Johnny Boychuk, NYI vs. PIT ($17): This is only a little about the fact the Penguins let in seven goals in their last game. The Islanders aren't likely to do that. However, Boychuk has taken 43 shots on goal and blocked another 43 in 16 games. Boychuk will get involved offensively, but he'll also more than likely get a chance to block plenty of shots against the Penguins.
Andrei Markov, MON at CAR ($16): Markov has been on a hot streak, netting least one point in six straight games. None of those points have been on the power play, but he has five man-advantage points on his season line anyway. He's still got some of his old offensive magic, and the Hurricanes don't intimidate many offenses, so the Russian blueliner could be in line to keep his point streak going.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
John Carlson, WAS vs. DET ($22): Carlson and the Capitals will be going up against Jimmy Howard and his .943 save percentage. That's concerning enough as is. On top of that, Carlson only has seven points (all assists), and he's only blocked 22 shots, which isn't a ton for a defenseman. It'll be hard for him to live up to this price.
Mike Green, DET at WAS ($19): Let's go to the flip side of that Capitals-Red Wings matchup. Things won't be any easier for Green and company going up against Holtby. Green had a hat trick earlier this season against Ottawa, and that was exciting, but those are his only goals of the season. It doesn't seem likely that will change Friday, and he's only taken 33 shots in 17 games, so it's not like he's giving himself a ton of opportunities.
