This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are five games in the NHL on Friday, and the Lightning and Golden Knights are both significant favorites. Philadelphia is a short home underdog, whereas the Nashville-Florida and San Jose-Anaheim bouts are both projected to be close. The over/under totals are also all low, so there doesn't project to be oodles of offense Friday. It's probably wise to be selective with which Lightning you target because they're likely to be popular.
GOALIE
Robin Lehner, VGK vs. LA ($30): With the Kings generating a league-low 6.51 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes five-on-five, and Vegas owning a 53.5 Corsi For percentage while surrendering just 8.8 high-danger chances per hour, this should set up as a favorable spot for the Golden Knights' netminder. Vegas had been switching between Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury ($36) and usually doesn't announce its starter in advance, so you'll have to be on the ball. Fleury has been better to start the year (3-0 with a .951 save percentage and 1.01 GAA), but Lehner's slow start isn't a concern considering his 44-23-10, .925 and 2.47 marks over the previous two seasons.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Andrei Vasilevskiy, DET at TB ($40): Simply put, focusing 20 percent of your salary cap on one player is risky. Often salaries aren't prohibitive enough in daily contests, but this one is on the mark. The Senators upset the Canadiens as huge underdogs Thursday, and if the favorites always won, this racket wouldn't last long. To turn a profit, Vasilevskiy needs to be next to perfect Friday, and there are likely other avenues in the player pool that don't require perfection.
CENTER
Cody Glass, VGK vs. LA ($10): With a contest-minimum salary, Glass provides both cap relief and upside. The No. 6 selection in the 2017 NHL Draft has been eased into action through his short career and has even spent time on the taxi squad this season. He's projected to center the third line and skate with the No. 1 power-play unit Friday, though, and the 21-year-old forward has collected a goal and an assist through three games this season. Glass should also receive a lot of favorable on-ice matchups with Los Angeles' shallow depth.
CENTER TO AVOID
Anze Kopitar, LA at VGK ($18): Speaking of Los Angeles' top-heavy lineup, Kopitar has had to do a lot of heavy lifting this season and has recorded a respectable 12 points -- just one goal -- while logging 22:46 of ice time (4:32 on the power play). Unfortunately, this will probably prove to be a bad spot for the center. He's liking to spend all night matched against Vegas' top players, and his own supporting cast is underwhelming. After all, there isn't a single King with more than three goals, and Kopitar also carries a plus-minus risk.
WING
Ondrej Palat, TB vs. DET ($19): A cost-effective target from Tampa Bay's No. 1 line and top power-play unit, Palat has recorded a respectable four goals, two assists and two points with the man advantage this season. He's clicked with linemates Brayden Point ($) and Steven Stamkos ($) have clicked for an elite 8.14 goals and 15.55 high-danger scoring chances per hour over the past, too.
Kevin Labanc, SJ at ANH ($15): The fifth-year winger is off to a modest start with a tally and four helpers through eight games, but he hasn't recorded a power-play point despite logging a career-high 2:49 with the man advantage. Labanc has collected double-digit points on the power play during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns and there's also statistical correction ahead of his 4.2 shooting percentage. Anaheim has also surrendered the fourth most high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes this season, so it could be a sneaky matchup.
WINGS TO AVOID
David Pastrnak, BOS at PHI ($35): With five goals on 14 shots over the past two games, Pastranak is scorching hot. Even with a decent matchup against Philadelphia (3.03 goals against per hour), the winger's puck luck is still going to even out, and it's extremely rare for a player to have three consecutive multi-goal games. Plus, it's likely Pastranak is a popular target and fading him is an opportunity to differentiate your lineup.
Viktor Arvidsson, NSH at FLA ($19): As noted, Nashville is probably going to be without center Ryan Johansen ($15) on Friday, after he left with an undisclosed injury in the second period of Thursday's 6-5 overtime win against Florida. There should be a trickle-down effect for the Predators' offense, and Arvidsson will probably miss his long-time linemate. There's potential for Nashville to shuffle the deck and have Arvidsson line up with Matt Duchene ($13) and Filip Forsberg ($22), but Mikael Granlund ($) has been stapled to Duchene's flank most of the year, and Duchene, Forsberg and Granlund combined for four goals and four assists Tuesday.
DEFENSE
Victor Hedman, TB vs. DET ($26): The 29-year-old defenseman is off to an incredible start and is coming off a 16.5 fantasy point showing against Detroit on Wednesday. Hedman's logged a career-high 25:39 of ice time per game with 3:35 on the power play and already collected three tallies, seven helpers, four multi-point showings and five power-play points through eight games.
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. LA ($24): Another go-to option in a favorable matchup, Theodore has somewhat quietly established himself as a high-end producer from the blueline. Los Angeles has surrendered a healthy 3.17 goals and 11.27 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes this year, and Theodore sports a 13th-ranked 1.83 points per hour among all regular defensemen dating back to last season.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Ryan Ellis, NSH at FLA ($18): After one of the best seasons of his career in 2019-20, Ellis has collected just a single goal and three assists through 10 games this year. More importantly, he's only reached double-digit fantasy points twice and carries a plus-minus risk against Florida on Friday. Even with Ellis receiving consistent power-play time (2:59 per game) and starting 60.7 percent of his five-on-five shifts in the offensive zone, the results just have been there. It's also worth noting that Florida has surrendered the fewest high-danger scoring chances in the league,
Shayne Gostisbehere, PHI vs. BOS ($16): It's been a steep offensive decline over the past few seasons for Gostisbehere. He's been replaced on the No. 1 power-play unit by Ivan Provorov ($18) and has recorded just 0.9 points per 60 minutes since the beginning of last year. It's a far cry from the power-play quarterback who racked up 65 points during the 2017-18 campaign. His salary is reasonable, but Gostisbehere has more name value than fantasy.
