This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are four NHL games Friday, but none of them start until 9 p.m. ET. Granted, every home team is out in the westerly direction, but they may have done that with intent, given that Friday is also the NHL trade deadline. After the deadline passes and the dust clears, you'll have time to get your DFS lineups in. Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Alexandar Georgiev, COL vs. MIN ($31): Over his last 12 starts, Georgiev has a 2.60 GAA and .913 save percentage. The Wild are about average in terms of goals per game, but they are also on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. That adds another factor in the favor of Georgiev.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Joey Daccord, SEA vs. WPG ($24): The Jets are just above the Wild in goals per game, but the difference is that the Jets are not on the second night of a back-to-back. Also, since the Jets are second in GAA, the chances of the Kraken, and thus Daccord, picking up a win feels low to me. The likelihood of a loss has me avoiding Daccord on Friday.
CENTER
Joe Veleno, DET at ARI ($10): Veleno is currently centering Detroit's first line with Dylan Larkin out. That means getting to skate with Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. The Coyotes may be at home, but they are on the second day of a back-to-back. Not only they, but the 'Yotes are in the bottom 10 in GAA and shots on net allowed per game as well.
CENTER TO AVOID
Joel Eriksson Ek, MIN at COL ($24): Eriksson Ek has tallied 29 goals on 227 shots on net. However, the Avalanche have only allowed 29.6 shots on goal per game and has an above-average penalty kill. Throwing in the fact Minnesota is playing the second day of a back-to-back, and Eriksson Ek could be in trouble. Especially since 12 of those goals have come with the extra man.
WING
Jamie Benn, DAL at ANA ($20): Benn has 10 points in his last nine games. Granted, five of them have come against the Sharks, but the Ducks are only a bit better than their California counterparts, especially now that they have been sending out players heading toward the deadline. Anaheim has a 3.48 GAA and the 27th-ranked penalty kill.
Jonathan Drouin, COL vs. MIN ($18): Drouin has back-to-back games with a goal and an assist. What I like best, though, is the fact he has 15 power-play points in 62 games. The Wild have a bottom-five penalty kill, making this a quality matchup for him.
WINGS TO AVOID
Frank Vatrano, ANA vs. DAL ($20): Vatrano could be in a "last man standing" position Friday, with Troy Terry, Mason McTavish, and Leo Carlsson all day-to-day (for a team with literally zero reason to push anybody back). Jake Oettinger has had some issues this year, which is surprising, but the Stars have only allowed 29.6 shots on net per game and have a top-10 penalty kill. Who is around to set Vatrano up on the power play anyway?
Oliver Bjorkstrand, SEA vs. WPG ($15): I haven't heard about Bjorkstrand being in trade murmurs, so I assume he'll be in the lineup for the Kraken on Friday evening. That means facing a team with a 2.41 GAA, second best in the NHL. While the Jets have some issues on the penalty kill, Bjorkstrand only has one power-play point in his last 13 games.
DEFENSE
Devon Toews, COL vs. MIN ($19): The Avalanche have done some shuffling on the blue line, but the elite duo of Cale Makar and Devon Toews remains intact. Yes, Makar does the heavy lifting, but Toews has eight points in his last 11 games, giving him 37 points on the season. Filip Gustavsson will be behind a team on the second day of a back-to-back, and he has a 3.30 GAA and .892 save percentage.
Shayne Gostisbehere, DET at ARI ($18): Gostisbehere, a former Coyote, quietly has 40 points in 61 games. Sure, 23 of them have come on the power play, but that's not a problem here. The Coyotes have a bottom-10 penalty kill, and are on the second night of a back-to-back.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Sean Durzi, ARI vs. DET ($19): Durzi's taken on a large power-play role for the 'Yotes, with 14 of his 32 points coming on the power play. Of course, Friday he will be playing his second game in as many days. While the Red Wings have fallen out of the top 10 on the penalty kill, they are still above average, and the teams in 10th through 13th are quite close to each other as is.
Brock Faber, MIN at COL ($14): For a minute there, Faber was a beast on the blue line and emerged and the favorite for the Calder while we awaited the return of Connor Bedard. Well, carriages have reverted into pumpkins and all that. Faber has three points in his last 11 games (including an empty-net goal Thursday). Concerningly, in six of those games he's been held without a single shot on goal. Now's not the time to entrust a roster spot to Faber.
