This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Friday does not intend to make things easy for you. There are only two NHL games, but at least all four teams will be fresh, since none of them played Thursday. You don't have a ton of options, but I'm here to help you find some good values and avoid questionable choices.
GOALIE
Devan Dubnyk, MIN at CGY ($39): Dubnyk and Carey Price are both slated to start Friday, and they also happen to be the top two goalies in save percentage. Price is one percentage point up on Dubnyk (.947 to .946), but Dubnyk has an easier matchup. It's never a bad idea to go with Price, but Dubnyk seems like a slightly better choice against the struggling Calgary offense, and he's one dollar cheaper, too.
GOALIE TO AVOID:
Martin Jones, SAN at MON ($33): On the flip side of Dubnyk and Price are Jones and Chad Johnson. Once again, this isn't so much about the goalies, but rather the matchups. Montreal is a little tougher than Minnesota, and Jones costs one dollar more than Johnson does – probably because he's won four of his last five starts.
CENTER
Charlie Coyle, MIN at CGY ($16): Obviously, you're going to want to look for players whose job is to score on Johnson and jones rather than the two elite netminders. Enter Coyle, who has eight goals, with three of them on the power play. He's playing 2:37 a night with the extra man, and the Flames have the 28th-ranked penalty kill. That's enough to entice on a slim night.
CENTER TO AVOID
Joe Pavelski, C, SAN vs. MON ($28): Pavelski has been very good this year, there's no doubt about that. However, Price is a former MVP winner with the league's best save percentage. Pavelski is the most expensive center Friday, and it's hard to trust him to reward you for paying that price. The matchup is just too tough.
WING
Nino Niederreiter, MIN at CGY ($16): We've talked about how good the Canadiens and the Wild are at goal prevention, but the Sharks are right up there with them – those three teams own the NHL's top three GAAs. Basically, it's hard to choose anybody who isn't playing for Minnesota in Friday's action. Niederreiter has seven goals and 14 points, but mostly he's playing for the right team.
Zach Parise, MIN at CGY ($23): Parise is the most expensive wing lacing up his skates Friday, but unless you want to delve deep into Minnesota's depth chart, you should probably scoop him up. He's been good enough to earn his price tag, as he's put 48 shots on goal in 15 games. On a day like this, with such scarce options, sometimes you can't find steals.
WINGS TO AVOID
Brendan Gallagher, MON at SAN ($20): Gallagher represents a bit of a pricy option when you consider that the Habs are way out on the West Coast against a tough defensive squad. The small but talented winger has a three-game point streak going, but he also only has five goals on the season and one power-play point. Gallagher's good, but he's not good enough to feel comfortable about using him in this matchup.
Patrick Marleau, SAN vs. MON ($18): Marleau won't have any easier a job than Gallagher, and unlike the young Hab, the 37-year-old is well past his prime and now experiencing a serious drop in minutes. He does have six goals in 24 games, but he only has two assists, and scoring on Price is a titanic task.
DEFENSEMEN
Jared Spurgeon, MIN at CGY ($18): Although Ryan Suter ($24) is a sensible choice, you can probably get away without having to spend money on him, especially if you also paid the price for Parise. Spurgeon only has six points in 18 games, but his shooting percentage is at a career low. He's notched 39 shots on goal and 39 blocks, giving him a nice floor, and he's playing 2:33 a night on the power play.
Mathew Dumba, MIN at CGY ($14): Like Spurgeon, Dumba is playing 2:33 per game on the power play. Against Calgary's questionable penalty kill, that represents an opportunity. Dumba's got three power-play points, and he's taken 45 shots on goal in 22 games. He's also pretty cheap, all things considered.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Mark Giordano, CGY at MIN ($21): Giordano has been a bit unlucky, as he only has one goal on 58 shots, and it's hard to imagine him getting any luckier against Dubnyk's elite puck-stopping skills. The veteran blueliner takes a lot of shots and blocks even more, so he should provide a decent floor, but when you're spending north of $20, you're looking for elite upside, and he's unlikely to flash that Friday.
Andrei Markov, MON at SAN ($18): Markov went on an assist tear earlier this season, so he's got 15 helpers to his credit, but he's cooled down over his last few games. He's also only taken 33 shots on goal in 23 games, which isn't terribly impressive. Markov is a solid choice in the right matchup, but he's got one to avoid in San Jose.
