This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Saturdays late in October can be for Halloween parties, or for World Series games, but they are also always for NHL hockey. There are seven games starting at 7 p.m. EDT or later this time around. Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at MON ($37): Hellebuyck stumbled out the gate on the season, got one game off, and then returned with gusto. He has an 1.64 GAA and .948 save percentage in his last three games, all wins. Montreal has averaged 3.14 goals per contest, which is solid, but has only put 28.7 shots on net per contest. Typically, you don't score that often when you get pucks on goal that infrequently.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Tristan Jarry, PIT vs. OTT ($28): Jarry has two shutouts, and has allowed 11 goals on 83 shots over his other three starts. So yeah, he's been a bit all-or-nothing in net. Ottawa has had goaltending issues, but has no problem getting it going offensively. The Senators have averaged 3.86 goals and 35.7 shots on net per games.
CENTER
Brock Nelson, NYI at CLM ($21): First Nelson was the "other guy" to Mathew Barzal, and now he's the "other guy" to Barzal AND Bo Horvat. Don't forget that he's scored at least 36 goals in each of his last two seasons, or that he also had 39 assists last year. This season he has three goals and a helper through six contests. Elvis Merzlikins had a couple strong starts to begin the campaign but has a 3.49 GAA and .869 save percentage over his last three starts, more in line with his performance last season.
CENTER TO AVOID
Elias Pettersson, VAN vs. NYR ($33): Pettersson has come flying out of the gate, but among the teams on the second night of a back-to-back Saturday, the Canucks are the only ones facing an opponent that wasn't in action Friday. That's not ideal, and neither is a matchup with Igor Shesterkin. He's had a couple tough games this year, but has allowed only one goal in his other three starts. Shesterkin isn't that far removed from winning the Vezina, so I think he'll be just fine.
WING
Chris Kreider, NYR at VAN ($24): Scoring goals is Kreider's stock in trade. He has five this year, 36 last year, and, as you likely remember, 52 goals the year before that. Casey DeSmith is now the backup for the Canucks, and while his two starts this season have gone well, he had a .909 save percentage over the prior three campaigns.
Alex Iafallo, WPG at MON ($17): Iafallo was the "depth guy who can help right now" part of the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade, but this depth guy has been playing on the first line recently. Consistently a double-digit goals, 30-something points guy, Iafallo has three goals and an assist in his first seven games for the Jets. The Canadiens have three goalies that have played this season, none of them with a recent track record of success. They've also allowed 35.3 shots on net per contest.
WINGS TO AVOID
Johnny Gaudreau, CLM vs. NYI ($20): All four of Gaudreau's points have been assists, but the goals will come, as he's put 27 shots on net. I am just not expecting him to light the lamp Saturday facing Ilya Sorokin. The Russian goalie has had a couple tough starts, though against the Devils and Avalanche, but has been so good in his other three starts and has a .915 save percentage. That's good, but would also be the lowest save percentage of Sorokin's career.
Lucas Raymond, DET at BOS ($16): Alex DeBrincat has immediately clicked with Dylan Larkin, but their linemate Raymond has been spottier. He has six points in eight games, but when he's struggled he's disappeared. In his three games without a point he's put just one total shot on net. Then, of course, there's the matchup. Jeremy Swayman's turn in the rotation is up Saturday, and he has a career .921 save percentage and an 1.34 GAA this season.
DEFENSE
Shea Theodore, VGK at LOS ($22): Maybe Theodore's production has been somewhat reliant on Alex Pietrangelo not being healthy, but he's seized his opportunity. The defenseman has nine points and 22 shots on net over his last six games, including two points Friday in Pietrangelo's return to the ice. Also, it's not like the duo hasn't coexisted in the past. Both of these teams are on a back-to-back, but while Vegas has two reliable goalies, Los Angeles has zero. Pheonix Copley's start went so poorly Friday he was pulled during the first period, so either Cam Talbot puts in what will effectively be double duty, or Copley trots back out there after allowing three goals on six shots. Either way, it's good for Theodore.
Josh Morrissey, WPG at MON ($21): After Morrissey came essentially out of nowhere to tally 76 points last season, some said, "Okay, but show us you can do it again." To which Morrissey has said, "Sure thing!" He's notched seven points and put 19 shots on net through seven games. Montreal has a 3.29 GAA and has allowed 35.3 shots on net per contest, both numbers I can see staying steady long term. That's not what the Habs want.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. NYR ($22): Hughes plays a lot of his minutes on the power play, and those minutes tend to wear a player out less, making a back-to-back less fraught when it comes to the Vancouver blueliner. However, I'd be wary about Hughes even without the back-to-back situation. Shesterkin is a Vezina winner with a career .923 save percentage, after all.
Morgan Rielly, TOR at NAS ($20): Rielly has gotten going, with a goal and an assist in each of his last two games. On the other hand, his 13.3 percent shooting will regress. Also, he'll be visiting Nashville and seeing Juuse Saros. Only seven starts into the season, a bad day against the Oilers is having an outsized impact on his numbers, and yet he still has a 2.58 GAA and .910 save percentage. The Finnish goalie has a career .919 save percentage, so his numbers should improve from here, especially as that Oilers game makes up a smaller percentage of his statistical profile.
