This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Friday's NHL slate is a late and light one, as it doesn't start until 9:00 PM Eastern time and features just two games. Below are the players to target and avoid from the Devils, Oilers, Predators and Ducks.
GOALIE
John Gibson, ANH vs. NSH ($34): With home-ice advantage against a Nashville team that's averaging just 2.33 goals per game, Gibson would be a strong choice in large slates, let alone on a night with only three alternatives. Gibson sports a 2.83 GAA despite a solid .919 save percentage due to some loose defensive play in front of him early on, but Anaheim's likely to step things up on that end after helping its young netminder post a sterling 2.22 GAA and .924 save percentage last season.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Cam Talbot, EDM vs. NJ ($28): If told before the season that one of these teams would be 9-2-0 and the other would be 3-7-1, almost anyone with hockey knowledge would have guessed that Edmonton would be the squad off to a hot start. That hasn't been the case, however, as Talbot's 3.10 GAA and .904 save percentage have contributed to the Oilers' slow start while New Jersey's offense has been torrid out of the gate with 3.64 goals per game.
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CENTER
Ryan Johansen, NSH at ANH ($15): Johansen's too skilled to ignore at this price. Coming off four consecutive seasons with 60-plus points, it's hard to imagine the 25-year-old center staying dormant for much longer. Johansen's career 10.3 percent shooting percentage suggests he's due for a goal after failing to light the lamp on any of his first 17 shots, so buy low while you still can.
CENTER TO AVOID
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM vs. NJ ($17): Don't let Nugent-Hopkins' three-game point streak fool you into thinking he's one of Edmonton's top weapons as his price would suggest. He's not a member of the team's ultra-talented top power-play unit and the career 11.0 percent shooter is currently getting buffed by an unsustainable 21.7 percent rate.
WINGS
Taylor Hall, NJ at EDM ($22): Expect Hall to exact some revenge on the team that traded him for pennies on the dollar prior to the start of last season. The 2010 first overall pick has been red-hot with 11 points over his past six games and is even on track to finish with a positive rating for only the second time in his career. His top-end skill also nets Hall plenty of power-play time and he should feast in such situations considering Edmonton's penalty kill ranks second-worst in the league at 68.3 percent.
Drake Caggiula, EDM vs. NJ ($10): Caggiula has gotten at least 17 minutes of ice time in two of four games since returning from concussion symptoms and looked especially active with five shots on goal in Wednesday's loss to Pittsburgh. Don't be surprised if coach Todd McLellan gives Caggiula some time alongside the team's top playmakers in search of an offensive spark here. At the minimum $10 price, Caggiula's a low-risk, high-reward choice.
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WINGS TO AVOID
Corey Perry, ANH vs. NSH ($21): There's no denying that the 32-year-old Perry has slowed down considerably, as he's on pace for fewer than 15 goals this season after scoring just 19 while playing a full 82 games last year. Those numbers represent a massive decline for a guy that had scored at least 33 goals in each of his previous three seasons, and Perry's outlook takes another hit here with longtime linemate and setup man Ryan Getzlaf (face) sidelined.
Filip Forsberg, NSH at ANH ($24): Nashville's most expensive winger has struggled at even strength, as seven of Forsberg's 13 points have come on the power play and he hasn't finished a game with a rating better than even since Oct. 17. The power-play success that's been propping up the Swede's value will be hard to come by here against a Ducks penalty kill that ranks sixth at 84.9 percent.
DEFENSEMEN
Will Butcher, NJ at EDM ($17): Seven of Butcher's 11 points this season have come with the extra man. Given Edmonton's aforementioned penalty-killing struggles, the rookie blueliner's set up for further power-play success. His offensive upside sets Butcher apart from other similarly-priced defensemen.
Brandon Montour, ANH vs. NSH ($17): Montour continues to play a key two-way role on Anaheim's beat-up blue line, skating over 21 minutes per game this season while contributing all four of his goals and six of seven points in the past eight games. While he hasn't blocked many shots outside of a seven-block outburst against the Avalanche, Montour has provided value across the board with a plus-2 rating and an average of 2.9 shots per game in addition to his contributions on the scoresheet.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Kris Russell, EDM vs. NJ ($18): Russell's seen a dramatic decline in role over his last two games, skating fewer than 13 minutes in each. Even if his playing time comes back up, the stay-at-home blueliner lacks the upside to validate an $18 investment given his career points-per-game average sits below 0.3.
Francois Beauchemin, ANH vs. NSH ($16): Beauchemin's even less of a factor on offense than Russell at this stage. While the 37-year-old veteran's done an admirable job of eating minutes with a number of teammates sidelined, it's no coincidence that Beauchemin has produced just two assists without a goal despite skating over 20 minutes per game.
