This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Hey, I'm a college football fan, but the conference title games this year are a little dodgy on paper. That makes Saturday a perfect night to focus on the NHL, especially with 12 games on the slate. Here are some players to target, and some to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Vitek Vanecek, NJD at PHI ($38): Vanecek has been a pleasant surprise, posting a .918 save percentage but also boasting a 2.24 GAA thanks to New Jersey's stingy defense. A defense need not be elite to stifle the Flyers, though. Philly brings the futility to the table itself. The Flyers have averaged 2.38 goals per game, tied for last in the NHL.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Alexandar Georgiev, COL at BOS ($37): Georgiev has a 2.58 GAA and .922 save percentage, but he's not been sharp in the immediate past, allowing nine goals over his last two starts. This is not a team to get right against, as the Bruins rank first in goals per game.
CENTER
Elias Pettersson, VAN vs. ARI ($25): Pettersson is on pace to have his best season on the points front, even though his 13.9 shooting percentage would be a career low. The Swede has 27 points in 24 games, including 11 goals on 79 shots on net. Arizona has allowed 35.0 shots on goal per contest, so Pettersson should be busy as usual, and possibly quite productive.
CENTER TO AVOID
Anze Kopitar, LOS vs. CAR ($18): Kopitar may have had two points in each of his last two games, but I don't expect him to do it again. The Hurricanes haven't been quite as strong as usual in goal, but they've allowed only 26.1 shots on net per game. That's the best mark in the NHL. Antti Raanta has a career .918 save percentage, so he should eventually turn things around. Even while struggling, he has a 2.62 GAA because of his defense.
WING
Nick Schmaltz, ARI at VAN ($17): Since returning to the ice, Schmaltz has four points and 15 shots on net in five games. He's also averaged 3:04 per game with the extra man. The Canucks have the 31st-ranked penalty kill, and with Thatcher Demko banged up, backup Spencer Martin will likely be in net.
Alexander Barabanov, SAN at OTT ($17): Barabanov was on a five-game point streak prior to his last outing, with two of his three goals on the season coming during that stretch. The Senators are one of two teams on the second leg of a back-to-back, and Anton Forsberg will likely be in net. He has a 3.43 GAA and .904 save percentage, and that's in 13 appearances, more than most backups have at this point.
WINGS TO AVOID
Mikko Rantanen, COL at BOS ($32): This is a classic case of having so many players available that I don't want to pay a high salary for a guy in a tough matchup, even if they are truly an elite player. A lot of the time, Rantanen is worth a shot, but I don't think that's the case on the road against the Bruins. Boston tops the league in GAA and is top five on the penalty kill.
Travis Konecny, PHI vs. NJD ($18): Konecny is back in the lineup, which the Flyers desperately needed given their lack of offensive prowess. However, he can't do it alone against the Devils. New Jersey has allowed only 26.2 shots on net per contest, a key reason why the team has a 2.29 GAA.
DEFENSE
Brent Burns, CAR at LOS ($21): Burns got himself on track in his last game with a power-play goal to go with an even-strength assist. The Kings have the 26th-ranked penalty kill and a dire goaltending situation. Jonathan Quick has an .889 save percentage, but that's not too surprising as he has an .899 save percentage over the last five campaigns.
Jeff Petry, PIT vs. STL ($17): Petry has been the next man up while Kris Letang deals with some scary health concerns. He's been playing at his peak recently, as he's averaged 23:35 in ice time and 3:22 on the power play, over his last five games. In that time he's yielded three assists. The Blues have been erratic defensively, but largely tilting toward poor. They have a 3.65 GAA and the 30th-ranked penalty kill.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Victor Hedman, TAM vs. TOR ($20): Hedman has been his usual self, but the issue for him Saturday is the Maple Leafs have been better defensively than I envisioned. They've allowed only 28.8 shots on net per contest and rank third in GAA at 2.48. Matt Murray has a .927 save percentage. For now, this is a matchup to avoid for a high-salary defenseman.
Thomas Chabot, OTT vs. SAN ($17): First, the Senators are on the second leg of a back-to-back. That matters, even at home. Second, though, is the fact the Sharks have the league's best penalty kill. As a defenseman who routinely does his damage with the extra man, that doesn't bode well for Chabot.
