This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Sandwiched between two large pieces of bread (if the number of hockey games translates to bread heft, which in this analogy they do) is a thin sliver of meat that is Friday's NHL slate. There are two games on the docket, the first one at 7 p.m. ET. However, I am a believer in never eschewing a DFS opportunity. Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Jordan Binnington, STL vs. NJD ($24): Landing on a goalie was tough. Philadelphia and Buffalo have averaged roughly the same amount of goals, but Philly has peppered the net with shots. However, Carter Hart is banged up, and I will not go with another Flyers goalie. The Blues have been bad offensively, but the Devils are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. Doubling down on that fact, I decided to go with Binnington in goal. He's coming off three poor starts after three great starts, but the bad outings all came on the road. Maybe returning home will help.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Devon Levi, BUF vs. PHI ($23): The Sabres have a back-to-back beginning Friday, and the expectation is Levi will return to action at home against the Flyers, saving Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for a road trip to Toronto. When I said these teams have averaged "roughly" the same amount of goals, I meant they have both scored exactly 32 goals through 10 games. However, Philly has also averaged 33.3 shots on net per contest. If Levi has any rust, it likely will be a tough day in net.
CENTER
Casey Mittelstadt, BUF vs. PHI ($17): Mittelstadt's production has come on limited shooting, which is par for the course for him in his career. However, that didn't stop him from having 59 points last season, and he has nine points through 10 games this year. The Flyers haven't allowed a lot of shots, but sheer tonnage is not Mittelstadt's way of doing things anyway. Plus, if Hart isn't ready to return, Samuel Ersson has a career .878 save percentage.
CENTER TO AVOID
Brayden Schenn, STL vs. NJD ($12): Robert Thomas has started to get into the groove for a lackluster Blues offense. Schenn? Not so much. He has all of one point, an assist, through eight games. I don't care if the Devils are in the bottom 10 in GAA and on the second leg of a back-to-back. Schenn needs to show me something constructive on the ice.
WING
Pavel Buchnevich, STL vs. NJD ($18): Buchnevich has only one more point than Schenn, but the circumstances are different. First, the Russia has missed essentially three games with injury. Two, he's been active. In four outings since returning from his injury, Buchnevich has put 13 shots on net. His 7.7 shooting percentage will improve if he keeps that up. Hopefully catching the Devils on the road for the second night of a back-to-back will help with that.
Owen Tippett, PHI at BUF ($18): Who is putting all those pucks on net for the Flyers? Look to Tippett for Exhibit A on that front. He's put 38 shots on target through 10 games. The thing is, four of his six points have been assists. His 5.3 shooting percentage is sure to improve. Buffalo has allowed 31.3 shots on net per contest, and be it Levi as expected or Luukkonen, I am not worried about anybody who could be in net against Tippett.
WINGS TO AVOID
Alex Tuch, BUF vs. PHI ($23): Points haven't been a problem for Tuch, but he only has one goal through 10 games. Yes, his 5.0 shooting percentage will improve, but he's put only 20 shots on net, so he's been shooting less often than in the past. The Flyers have only allowed 26.7 shots on goal per game. With only four teams in action, that is enough to land Tuch in this section.
Ondrej Palat, NJD at STL ($10): With Nico Hischier out, Palat is skating with Michael McLeod as his center on the second line. Unlike Jesper Bratt, Palat doesn't get first-unit power-play time either. Now he'll be on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, and Binnington does have a .916 save percentage, even if is last couple starts haven't gone well.
DEFENSE
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF vs. PHI ($23): Feeling unenthused about defensive options, I just decided to go with a star. He tallied 73 points and 204 yards on net last season, and this year he has nine points and 23 shots on goal. For a defenseman, that's a solid number of shots, and makes me less concerned about him than Tuch going against this defense. The fact the Flyers are on the first leg of a back-to-back combined with Hart leaving Philly's last game early has me that much more confident Ersson and his career .878 save percentage will also be in net.
Travis Sanheim, PHI at BUF ($18): The Flyers have given Sanheim by far the most responsibility of his career, and to his credit, he's responded with gusto. Sanheim has averaged 25:35 per game in ice time, including 2:55 with the extra man. That's helped him tally 10 points in 10 contests. Levi, who hasn't played in several games and could be rusty, has a career .901 save percentage.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Dougie Hamilton, NJD at STL ($23): On the inverse of Dahlin, Hamilton has a high salary, but I'd prefer not to shell out to pay it. He's on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back and has a likely tougher matchup. Plus, for what it's worth, after a hot start he only has one point in his last four games.
Justin Faulk, STL vs. NJD ($18): When it comes to the lackluster offense in St. Louis, you may not think of the defensive corps first. However, to a man, this group has provided essentially nothing offensively. Faulk is the most-egregious example. He had 50 points last year, but this season he has one assist and 13 shots on net through eight games.
