This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Saturday's 10-game evening slate offers plenty of variety, but the usual tactics of exploiting poor opponents and searching for underpriced players in high-scoring games still reign supreme. The top value plays below make the cut thanks to their combination of role, matchup and affordability:
GOALIE
Pekka Rinne, NSH vs. DET ($36): Rinne is the perfect choice to anchor a lineup, and thus well worth his $36 price in this matchup. The veteran has held opponents to two or fewer goals in six of his past eight starts while also earning six wins over that span. Staying hot shouldn't be an issue against a Red Wings team that has scored just 2.40 goals per game and comes in having dropped five straight.
Goalie to Avoid
Jean-Francois Berube, NYI vs. CAR ($32): Just because Thomas Greiss has been playing at a near superhuman level to limit Islanders opponents' scoring of late, that doesn't mean the defense in front of him has improved. That shaky defense is why Berube has just one win and a 2.82 GAA despite a .916 save percentage in six appearances. He's significantly overpriced at $32 based on those numbers, especially in a middling matchup with a Hurricanes offense that has mustered 2.63 goals per game.
CENTER
Matt Cullen, PIT at STL ($12):Conor Sheary's upper-body injury has created an opportunity for Cullen to move up to the top line alongside superstar Sidney Crosby. Turning scoring opportunities into reality shouldn't be a problem for the 40-year-old veteran against a Blues team that has allowed the fourth-most goals per game in the league. The combination of role and matchup makes Cullen a can't-miss value at the minimum price.
Center to Avoid
Eric Staal, MIN at VAN ($22): Staal's past nine games have yielded a total of 16.0 fantasy points, yet he remains the most expensive forward on his team. Getting back on track won't be easy for the overpriced 32-year-old against Ryan Miller, who has posted a 2.09 GAA and .929 save percentage at Vancouver's Rogers Arena.
WINGS
Alexander Steen, STL vs. PIT ($16): Steen's home-road splits this season are something to behold, as the Swede has eight goals and 24 points in 25 games at the Scottrade Center compared to just two goals and 10 points in 20 appearances elsewhere. Your last chance to grab him before the Blues embark on a five-game road trip comes against a Pittsburgh team that will be tired after battling the division rival Blue Jackets on Friday. Steen's five goals and eight points in his past four home games show that he is having no trouble outplaying his $16 price regardless of opposition.
David Backes, BOS vs. TOR ($13): The one good thing to come out of Backes' 11-game goal drought is his price dropping to just $1 above the minimum. That change has created a terrific opportunity to buy low on the veteran against struggling Toronto netminder Frederik Andersen, who has allowed eight goals on 39 shots since the All-Star break. Meanwhile, Backes has continued to earn ice time and create opportunities by skating over 17:30 in three of the past five games while taking 14 shots in that span.
Wings to Avoid
Bryan Rust, PIT at STL ($17): While Sheary's injury was supposed to create an opportunity for Rust to move up, Cullen's simultaneous return led to a reshuffling of lines that ultimately demoted Rust from the second line down to the third. He still costs $17 with the move not yet priced in, making the young winger a poor value despite the matchup with a defensively-challenged Blues team.
Taylor Hall, NJ at CLS ($23): Hall has put up a respectable 32 points this season, but his minus-5 rating shows the offensive-minded winger doesn't come without downside. That downside is maximized in the second game of a back-to-back on the road against an elite Columbus team.
DEFENSEMEN
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, SJ vs. ARI ($16): While Brent Burns rightfully earns the majority of attention on the San Jose blue line, Vlasic ranks second among Sharks defensemen with 17 points while also leading the team with 96 blocks. His 21:30 of ice time per game is second only to Burns, and that expansive role coupled with the ability to contribute at both ends give Vlasic a high floor for his price. Both his floor and ceiling get a further boost from playing a pathetic Coyotes team that has allowed the second-most goals per game while scoring the second-fewest.
John Klingberg, DAL vs. CHI ($15): Klingberg's offensive ability sets him apart from other $15 defensemen, and he enters this one on a three-game point streak. Twelve of his 30 points have come with the extra man, so getting on the scoresheet shouldn't be difficult against a 28th-ranked Blackhawks penalty kill that has allowed a 24.1 percent success rate. This contest shouldn't lack for goals from either team, and Klingberg offers a chance to get in on the action for cheap without using up a valuable center or wing slot.
Defensemen to Avoid
Victor Hedman, TB vs. ANH ($25): Hedman is having a fantastic campaign, but living up to his $25 price will be exceedingly difficult against a Ducks team that has managed at least a point in 15 of its past 18 games. Committing so much money to a player that has only topped 1.0 fantasy point in five of his past 10 games is already a bad idea, and doubly so against such a tough opponent.
Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF vs. OTT ($21): Seventeen of Ristolainen's 28 points have come on the power play, but adding to that total won't be easy against a Senators penalty kill that ranks ninth at 83.1 percent. The Finnish blueliner has slowed down of late with just a single assist in the past 10 games, and he should be avoided until he starts showing signs of life in the offensive zone.
