This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
College football is bringing us a bunch of bowl games Saturday, and the NFL is also in action. However, I'm here to talk about the 10 NHL games taking place Saturday night. That doesn't even account for three afternoon games, but those aren't involved on the main DFS slate. This is unfortunate, as the very fadeable Ducks and Blue Jackets are both playing matinee games. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your lineups.
GOALIE
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM at MON ($31): The Lightning are letting Vasilevskiy rest a bit more this year, which should benefit him. To that end, over his last 10 starts he has a 2.11 GAA and .930 save percentage. The Canadiens, for their part, have averaged 2.80 goals and 29.0 shots on net per contest.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Vitek Vanecek, NJD vs. FLA ($36): This is going to be interesting. The Devils have allowed only 26.6 shots on net per game. Florida, meanwhile, has averaged 37.3 shots on goal per contest. Even if you imagine those two forces meeting in the middle, that means facing more shots than usual for Vanecek, and he only has a .912 save percentage.
CENTER
Dylan Cozens, BUF at ARI ($21): Tage Thompson is stealing the show, but don't overlook Cozens. He has had multiple points in five of his last eight contests. The Coyotes are on the second leg of a back-to-back Saturday, and they are in the bottom 10 in both GAA and shots on net allowed per game.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mathew Barzal, NYI at VGK ($19): Like the Coyotes, the Islanders are on the second leg of a back-to-back, but they are also on the road. Logan Thompson has a 2.62 GAA and .918 save percentage, so this will be a tricky matchup for Barzal and company. With an abundance of options, I'd be wary of any Islanders on Saturday.
WING
Blake Wheeler, WPG at VAN ($21): Not always a shoot-first player, Wheeler has put 33 shots on net in his last nine games. Additionally, he's notched seven points this season on the power play after having 20 last year. The Canucks are 30th on the penalty kill, which is a step up from their prior campaign when they were dead last.
Kevin Labanc, SAN at LOS ($14): Playing on a line with Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier, it seemed inevitable Labanc would get on track. Indeed, he has eight points over his last 10 games. Jonathan Quick has been so bad this season, the Kings have recently been turning to Pheonix Copley, but the 30-year-old has a career .900 save percentage so he is not a long-term solution.
WINGS TO AVOID
Travis Konecny, PHI vs. NYR ($18): Since returning from injury, Konecny has five goals in eight games, though on 18.5 percent shooting he presumably won't sustain. He came into this season with a career 11.5 percent mark. Igor Shesterkin came into this season as the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, and he's looked more like that guy recently. Over his last 13 appearances he has a 2.36 GAA and .922 save percentage.
Andrei Kuzmenko, VAN vs. WPG ($18): He's in his first NHL season, so those of us not well-versed in the KHL don't have a great read on him yet, but I don't think Kuzmenko is going to sustain 24.1 percent shooting all season. In this specific matchup, Connor Hellebuyck has a 2.39 GAA and .927 save percentage. The Jets also have a top-five penalty kill, and seven of Kuzmenko's 13 goals have come on the power play.
DEFENSE
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF at ARI ($28): Due to injuries, there is only one Sabres defenseman worth rostering for DFS purposes, but Dahlin has been so good his high salary is justified in a matchup like this. The Swede has been on fire. He's got 10 goals on 91 shots on net, 25 assists, and 19 power-play points, all in 29 games. The Coyotes are on the second leg of a back-to-back, and Connor Ingram will likely be in net. He has a career .870 save percentage.
Jacob Trouba, NYR at PHI ($18): Trouba has three assists in his last five games. He doesn't have a goal yet, but he has put 87 shots on net in 31 outings. Carter Hart just made 48 saves on 49 shots, but beyond the headline there it's notable he had to face 49 shots. Plus, over his last 15 games, Hart has a 3.20 GAA and .892 save percentage.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
John Carlson, WAS vs. TOR ($23): Carlson has delivered as expected, hence his salary, but this matchup will make it difficult for him to provide value. The Maple Leafs are now second in team GAA, and they have only allowed 29.0 shots on net per game. Ilya Samsonov will be in net facing his former team, and he has an 1.70 GAA and .939 save percentage.
Drew Doughty, LOS vs. SAN ($18): The Sharks have a particular strength as a team: killing penalties. They rank third in terms of penalty-kill percentage. Doughty has tallied eight of his 18 points on the power play, including his only goal. This matchup isn't conducive for his skill set.
