This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are 11 games on tap Thursday, with two games involving a tired team as Florida plays in Montreal after defeating Toronto in overtime Wednesday, while Washington, off a shootout loss to the Islanders, travel to Tampa Bay. In other action, Columbus is in Boston, the Rangers face the Devils in New Jersey, Ottawa hosts Philadelphia, Nashville is in Pittsburgh, Detroit is home to Carolina, St. Louis visits Chicago, LA travels to Edmonton, Anaheim is home to Seattle and Vegas finds its way to San Jose to take on the Sharks. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIE
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at NJ ($29): Shesterkin has won seven of his last eight games, including stopping 28 shots in a 6-2 win over Columbus on Tuesday. He has been outstanding in that time, giving up 15 goals on 254 shots. He is 34-12-7 with a 2.54 GAA and .914 save percentage this season. He faces the Devils, who are two points up on the Rangers in the battle for second place in the Metropolitan Division but have gone only 4-4-2 in their last 10 games.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Pheonix Copley, LA at EDM ($30): Copley has won his last three games but was lucky Sunday, giving up six goals on 22 shots in a 7-6 win over St. Louis. Copley's record is outstanding at 23-4-3, but his peripherals tell another story as he has a 2.72 GAA and a mediocre save percentage of .899. Copley is facing the top-scoring team in the NHL as the Oilers are averaging 3.97 goals per game this season.
CENTER
Connor McDavid, EDM vs. LA ($37): McDavid is the best player in the world and has been held off the scoresheet only twice since Dec. 31. McDavid has 60 goals and 143 points in 75 games this season. You have to go back 30 years to the 1992-93 campaign to find the last time anyone had at least 143 points in a season -- Mario Lemieux had 160, while Jaromir Jagr had 149. McDavid should surpass Jagr and has an outside shot of beating Lemieux's mark. McDavid is truly in a league of his own.
CENTER TO AVOID
Brayden Point, TB vs. WAS ($30): Point exploded for a pair of goals and an assist Tuesday but had only four points in his previous eight games as he has been slumping of late. Point is having a great season with 47 goals and 86 points but his play lately has been just okay. He has just one assist in two games against Washington this season.
WING
Sam Reinhart, FLA at MON ($20): Reinhart had a goal and an assist in the Panthers' 3-2 overtime win over Toronto on Wednesday, He has seven goals and 12 points in his last 10 games, giving the winger 28 goals and 57 points this season, after a career year in 2021-22, when he had 33 goals and 82 points. Reinhart has been a force on the power play with 14 goals and 23 points. He has two goals and five points in three games versus Montreal this season.
Kevin Fiala, LA at EDM ($23): Fiala missed six games with a lower-body injury and returned Sunday, garnering a pair of assists in a 7-6 win over St. Louis. The talented winger has 22 goals and 70 points in his first season with the Kings, after a career year last season with Minnesota, where he had 33 goals and 85 points. Fiala had two goals and a pair of assists in his last game against the Oilers on Jan. 9.
WINGS TO AVOID
Carter Verhaeghe, FLA at MON ($27): Verhaeghe was on an eight-game scoring streak but has been held off the scoresheet in each of his last two games. He is having the best season of his NHL career, scoring 36 goals and adding 30 assists in 74 games, but that comes with a high salary for DFS purposes. There are plenty of players around the same salary who are better plays than Verhaeghe on Thursday.
Alex Ovechkin, WAS at TB ($34): Ovechkin has 42 goals and 72 points in 68 games but has only one assist in two games versus Tampa Bay this season. He saw his seven-game point streak come to an end Wednesday in a shootout loss to the Islanders. Ovechkin is capable of breaking out with a huge game at any time, but if you are looking for a high-priced winger, I would rather take David Pastrnak versus lowly Columbus, or Matthew Tkachuk against the struggling Canadiens.
DEFENSE
John Carlson, WAS at TB ($25): Carlson returned to action a week ago after missing three months with a fractured skull. The gruesome injury forced him to miss 36 games, but Carlson has a goal and three points in three games since his return. He has nine goals and 24 points in 32 games this season and has regained his spot on the first power play in Washington.
Brandon Montour, FLA at MON ($22): Montour has been the Panthers' top offensive defenseman this season with 14 goals and 63 points, smashing his career best set last season with 11 goals and 37 points. He has been especially strong in March with four tallies and 11 assists in 13 games, including six multi-point games. He has five assists in three games versus Montreal this season.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Victor Hedman, TB vs. WAS ($19): Hedman has two goals and three points in his last 11 games. He was sensational last season with 20 goals and 85 points, but he has just eight goals and 37 assists in 70 games this season, including just 12 points on the power play – all assists. He was a force with the man advantage in 2021-22, scoring six times and adding 32 helpers. It has been a big drop for the big defenseman this season.
Dougie Hamilton, NJ vs. NYR ($26): Hamilton has 19 goals and 68 points in 74 games this season, his career best thus far. But he has only a goal and six assists in his last 12 games, with only two helpers on the power play. Hamilton has only one assist in three games against the Rangers this season.
