This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Friday's NHL slate is light, with just six teams in action beginning at 7:30 PM Eastern time. Despite the limited number of available choices, certain players stand out as options to target or avoid. Read on to see which players fall in which category.
GOALIE
Darcy Kuemper, LA at ANH ($29): Kuemper's expected to start the second leg of Los Angeles' back-to-back after Jonathan Quick got the nod Thursday against Pittsburgh. The backup's limited exposure keeps his price down even though Kuemper has excelled on a per-start basis. His 5-1-3 record, 2.21 GAA and .931 save percentage are likely to improve further against a rival Ducks team that's had trouble generating offense with just 2.72 goals per game -- 25th in the league.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Philipp Grubauer, WAS vs. MON ($35): Unlike Kuemper, Grubauer's role as a backup hasn't kept his price from inflating to $35. It's tough to trust him at that valuation regardless of opponent, as Grubauer's 4-5-3 record, 2.60 GAA and .916 save percentage don't exactly scream "must-start", especially with his team playing for the second time in as many nights.
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CENTER
Ryan Kesler, ANH vs. LA ($15): Kesler's too good a player to pass up at $15. While he's underwhelmed a bit since returning from injury, Kesler does have at least 8.8 fantasy points in three of his past seven appearances. Considering the veteran center has a pair of 70-point seasons under his belt and ranked third among all NHL forwards with 21:18 of ice time per game last season, it's fair to assume Kesler's price won't stay down at $15 for much longer.
CENTER TO AVOID
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS vs. MON ($22): Kuznetsov has struggled lately, contributing just one goal and two assists over the past nine games for an average of fewer than 3.0 fantasy points per contest over that span. Turning things around won't be easy against Carey Price, who's been better after a horrid start with three or fewer goals allowed in 16 of his past 21 appearances.
WINGS
David Perron, VGK at FLA ($16): Perron represents strong bang for the buck at $16 given his extensive role and the strong play around him. He's averaging 17:47 of ice time per game and has skated over 17 minutes in nine consecutive appearances. With nine goals, 25 points and a plus-6 rating, Perron also brings enough offense to assume his average of 6.5 fantasy points per game is sustainable, making him a good bet to produce against a sub-.500 Panthers club.
Evgenii Dadonov, FLA vs. VGK ($17): Dadonov comes in hot, as his two-goal outing last time out pushed his point streak to four games. While this is a tough matchup on paper, it helps that the well-rested Panthers will be catching Vegas on the second leg of a back-to-back. Dadonov's also been much better in front of his home crowd, scoring seven goals to go with a plus-5 rating in 16 games at BB&T Center compared to just two goals and a minus-7 rating in 19 road appearances.
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WINGS TO AVOID
Brendan Gallagher, MON at WAS ($16): Considering he has just seven assists and a minus-7 rating in 45 games, Gallagher needs to light the lamp to provide value. He hasn't done much of that lately with only three goals in the past 17 games, and there's reason to believe Gallagher will continue to struggle considering his 11 percent shooting percentage is still 1.5 points higher than his career mark and more than double last year's performance. The scrappy winger also isn't in good position to capitalize on Washington's 22nd-ranked penalty kill, as his six power-play points are tied for sixth on the Canadiens.
James Neal, VGK at FLA ($20): With so many weapons in the deep Vegas lineup, $20 is an overpay for the slumping Neal given the ample amount of alternatives. The veteran sniper has just one goal and one assist in his past 10 games, and he hasn't been any better in his own zone with a minus-5 rating.
DEFENSEMEN
John Carlson, WAS vs. MON ($24): Carlson's minus-2 rating is poor by his lofty standards, but the all-around blueliner has made up for those even-strength shortcomings with strong power-play production, as 15 of his 35 points have come with the extra man. This matchup therefore plays right into Carlson's strengths, as Montreal's 77.9 percent penalty kill is the worst in this slate and sixth-worst in the league.
Jeff Petry, MON at WAS ($16): With Shea Weber (foot) on injured reserve, Petry has done an admirable job as the point man on Montreal's top power-play unit. He has four points -- three on the power play -- to go with 13 shots on goal in the past four games, and 10 of Petry's 18 points this season have come with the extra man. Look for his success on the man advantage to continue against a 79.1 percent Capitals penalty kill that ranks second-worst among teams in this slate, ahead of only Montreal.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Cam Fowler, ANH vs. LA ($16): Fowler just put up zero fantasy points against this opponent last Friday, and a similar fate likely awaits him here. Anaheim's first-unit point man is unlikely to find success on the power play against a Kings team that has the league's best penalty kill (87.1 percent) and allows the fewest goals per game (2.43). On the other hand, his minus-6 rating is certainly at risk of dropping further here.
Alec Martinez, LA at ANH ($17): Martinez has contributed almost nothing of value lately, producing just one assist in the past eight games en route to an average of 3.2 fantasy points per contest. Don't expect that output to change against a stingy Ducks team that allows 2.67 goals per game -- seventh-fewest in the league.
