This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
The Western Conference Finals kick off Saturday night. Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals is Sunday. You can choose players from both for your daily fantasy lineup. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for the weekend slate.
GOALIE
Braden Holtby, WAS at TAM ($31): All four goalies still going have impressed in the playoffs, so there is little to separate them. Holtby happens to be the cheapest, though, which is a point in his favor. In the playoffs he has a 2.04 GAA and .925 save percentage, and he's only picked up a loss in two of his 11 starts.
Goalie to Avoid:
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM vs. WAS ($36): This is not about Vasilevskiy getting pulled in Game 1 against the Capitals, though that certainly isn't an argument for him. He still has a 2.43 GAA and .920 save percentage in the playoffs. However, Washington has scored 3.62 goals per game in the postseason, which leads the league, so the Russian netminder is going to have to really be on his game to be worth this price.
CENTER
Paul Stastny, WPG vs. VGK ($19): Stastny has been stellar for a few weeks, as he has 12 points in his last eight games. If you want to extend that a little further, he has 17 points in his last 17 games. As good as Marc-Andre Fleury has been in the playoffs, the Golden Knights did have a 3.00 GAA on the road during the regular season.
Center to Avoid:
William Karlsson, VGK at WPG ($25): Not to knock Wild Bill's 43-goal breakout season, but it bears repeating that his 23.4 shooting percentage is not sustainable long term. To that point, his shooting percentage is 12.3 in the playoffs. After posting a 2.36 GAA and .924 save percentage this season, Connor Hellebuyck has a 2.25 GAA and .927 save percentage in the playoffs. That won't make things easy for Karlsson.
WING
T.J. Oshie, WAS at TAM ($22): The Lightning had one Achilles heel this season: they had the 27th-ranked penalty kill. That's something Oshie is primed to take advantage of, as he showed with two power-play points in Game 1. Overall, he has eight points with the extra man in the postseason after having 18 in 74 games this year.
J.T. Miller, TAM vs. WAS ($15): Let's flip those initials around for the next recommendation. After being traded to the Lightning, Miller notched 18 points in 19 games. He has seven points in the playoffs, and he skates on a line with Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. That alone makes Miller worth a shot at this price.
Wings to Avoid:
Patrik Laine, WPG vs. VGK ($27): After scoring a goal in Winnipeg's first two playoff games, Laine only has one goal in his last 10 contests. Although his goal-scoring prowess is undeniable, the Finn has not been his usual self clearly. Marc-Andre Fleury has been stellar in the playoffs (1.53 GAA, .951 save percentage), which doesn't bode well for Laine. This price is a little rich for this matchup.
Tom Wilson, WAS at TAM ($17): Sure, Wilson skates on Washington's top line, but it's not for his scoring acumen. He only averaged 4.9 fantasy points per game, and the most notable thing he did in the playoffs was get suspended for three games. You'll be better off with a player known more for his scoring touch than his dangerous hits.
DEFENSEMEN
Dmitry Orlov, WAS at TAM ($16): If you don't want to splash a lot of cash on a defenseman, you are going to have to look for value plays. Orlov has the potential to be that. The Russian has a little more offensive skill than many defensemen, as he scored 10 goals this year. He's also been on a nice run, as he has seven points in his last nine games. That includes a two-game point streak.
Shea Theodore, VGK at WPG ($16): Theodore ended the regular season hot, tallying nine points in 10 games. He's continued to play well in the playoffs, as he has fine points in 10 games. The 22-year-old has also been a fixture on the power play, as he's averaged 3:39 per game with the extra man this postseason.
Defenesemen to Avoid:
Jacob Trouba, WPG vs. VGK ($19): After the big three (John Carlson, Victor Hedman, and Dustin Byfuglien), Trouba is the next-most-expensive defensemen. He's not quite on their level. Although Trouba has 34 shots in 12 playoff games, he only has three points, with two coming in one game. Plus, the 24-year-old isn't in the position to contribute on the power play, as he's averaged a mere 19 seconds per game with the extra man.
Ryan McDonagh, TAM vs. WAS ($18): Although McDonagh was known for his scoring prowess in the past, that has not been the case since he joined the Lightning. He only scored three points in 14 games and saw basically no power-play time (11 seconds per game). Although McDonagh has five points in 11 postseason games, they are all assists, and he only has 14 shots on net. Additionally, the power-play time still isn't there.
