This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
It's a light Wednesday with only three games on the slate. Still, at least that means we have a little NHL action to watch. For those of you devoted to your daily hockey activities, here are some players to target and avoid…
GOALIE
Tuukka Rask, BOS vs. DET ($31): The Bruins are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games, whereas the Red Wings have been struggling, and that was the case even before they were sellers at the deadline. Detroit's offense has only averaged 28.3 shots on net per game, whereas Boston has only allowed 26.4 shots per contest. It's also a particularly uneven special teams battle, as the Bruins have the second-ranked penalty kill, while the Red Wings have the league's worst power play. Plus, Detroit will be playing their second game in as many nights, another point in Rask's favor.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. PIT ($29): It's a real case of the haves and the have-nots among goalies Wednesday, and Hellebuyck is the most expensive of the bad bunch. He only has a 2.74 GAA and a .911 save percentage, while the Penguins lead the league in goals per game (3.45). That's a recipe for disaster for Hellebuyck.
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CENTER
Kyle Turris, OTT at DAL ($17): Turris has averaged 6.5 fantasy points per game and tallied four goals and seven points in his last 10 contests. He's also started 35.0 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone and averaged 2:51 per game on the power play. The Stars have allowed 3.18 goals per game, and they have the league's worst penalty kill. Turris has tallied 12 power-play points, so he can definitely take advantage of Dallas' woeful PK.
CENTER TO AVOID
Jason Spezza, DAL vs. OTT ($17): Don't be surprised if Spezza has a rough time against his old team. Since returning to action, Craig Anderson has posted a 1.78 GAA and a .944 save percentage, making this a difficult outing for Spezza. Additionally, 17 of Spezza's 38 points have come on the power play, and Ottawa has the 12th-ranked penalty kill.
WING
Conor Sheary, PIT at WPG ($23): Sheary has returned from injury and he tallied two points and four shots on goal in his last game. He's averaged 7.9 fantasy points per game, the Jets have allowed 3.10 goals per game, and in February, Winnipeg gave up a whopping 3.73 goals per game. As previously noted, Hellebuyck has a 2.74 GAA and a .911 save percentage, so this is quite the matchup for the newly healthy Sheary.
Alex Burrows, OTT at DAL ($15): Let's not get too excited about a small sample size, but since becoming a Senator, Burrows has tallied three goals on six shots on net, and he's added an assist as well. He will probably cool down, but it may not come until after this game. Dallas has allowed 3.18 goals per contest, and their penalty kill is dead last in the league. While Burrows has only averaged 1:09 per game on the power play with Ottawa, that includes one game where he played 2:31. At the modest price of $15, it's worth seeing if he can stay hot against Dallas' porous defense.
WINGS TO AVOID
Blake Wheeler, WPG vs. PIT ($24):Matt Murray has a 2.35 GAA and a .925 save percentage, making him a difficult obstacle for Wheeler to overcome. Beyond that, Murray getting healthy has also really turned Pittsburgh's penalty kill around. While they rank 19th on the season, the Penguins' PK ranked fifth in February. With Dallas, Detroit, and Winnipeg all in action Wednesday, there's three bad defensive teams to take advantage of. As such, dropping $24 on a player going up against Murray and the Penguins is hard to justify.
Henrik Zetterberg, DET at BOS ($17): Rask has struggled at times but still has a stellar 2.28 GAA. That's partially because, as noted earlier, the Bruins have only allowed 26.4 shots on goal per game. Zetterberg has been one of the rare bright spots for Detroit's power play, but it will be hard for him to have much success on that front against Boston's second-ranked penalty kill. Plus, Detroit will be on the second night of a back-to-back, which is of extra concern when considering a 36-year-old player like Zetterberg.
DEFENSEMEN
Dion Phaneuf, OTT at DAL ($18): Phaneuf has been busy on both ends of the ice, as he's tallied 136 shots on goal and 123 blocked shots in 64 games. The Stars have allowed 30.6 shots on net per contest, but they also have attempted 59.4 shots per 60 minutes, which is seventh most in the NHL. That should mean a lot of action, and likely fantasy success, for Phaneuf. Also, he's tallied 15 power-play points, and Dallas has that league's worst penalty kill that's come up a couple times already.
Torey Krug, BOS vs. DET ($18): Krug is one of the most offensive-minded defensemen in the NHL. He's started 37.1 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone and averaged 3:17 per game with the extra man. Krug has tallied 19 power-play points while notching 173 shots on goal in 66 games. The Red Wings, who will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back, have allowed 2.97 goals per game. That could mean Jared Coreau (3.27 GAA, .893 save percentage) is in net, which would definitely boost Krug's fantasy potential.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Dustin Byfuglien, WPG vs. PIT ($24): Byfuglien is generally productive in every aspect of the game, but he will have to go against Murray in net and Pittsburgh's much-improved penalty kill. On another day, Byfuglien might seem reasonable at this price, but it's just too steep against the defending Cup champs.
John Klingberg, DAL vs. OTT ($17): Klingberg has notched 11 goals this season, although he's done that with a 10.3 shooting percentage. That's a little higher than you usually find for a defenseman, and Klingberg has only registered 107 shots on goal in 64 games. As mentioned previously, Anderson has been great for Ottawa (1.78 GAA, .944 save percentage) since returning to action, so even though Klingberg is the only real fantasy option on Dallas' back end, it's probably best to skip him Wednesday.
