This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
This is a unique three-game slate with all six teams owning top-10 ranks in penalty-kill percentage. The Bruins are playing their second road game in consecutive nights and are a significant favorite. The Avalanche and Wild are also receiving big chalk, and all three games have a 5.5 over/under total.
GOALIE
Alexandar Georgiev, NYR vs. BOS ($22): Boston lost 7-2 to the Islanders on Thursday, and while there's definite bounce-back potential, this is also a tough, back-to-back road spot for the Bruins. Georgiev also carries the lowest salary of all goalies by a significant margin, which opens up spending for skaters and a No. 1 goalie to compliment him. The Russian netminder has also recorded double-digit fantasy points in each of his past three starts, and the Rangers have surrendered the ninth fewest goals per game in the league.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Darcy Kuemper, ARI vs.COL ($34): The 30-year-old goalie has allowed three goals in each of the past three games and also left Wednesday's contest with a lower-body injury. If Kuemper is unable to go, Adin Hill ($28) is an even bigger fade. After all, Colorado owns the league's best Corsi For percentage and is ripe for a breakout offensive showing after scoring just two goals with an unsustainably low 3.1 team shooting percentage during consecutive losses.
CENTER
Victor Rask, MIN vs. LA ($17): The veteran center is clicking with Kirill Kaprizov ($17) and Mats Zuccarello ($19) and enters Friday's contest with a three-game point streak consisting of two goals and three assists. Los Angeles is also currently punching above its weight class along a six-game winning streak with only seven goals against.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. BOS ($27): It's probably safe to expect Zibanejad to score consistently moving forward, and his current two-game point streak was long overdue after recording just a single assist through his previous 12 outings. However, even after allowing seven goals Thursday, Boston should be viewed as a tough matchup. In Zibanejad's case, he's likely to spend most of his night opposite Patrice Bergeron ($31), and the veteran center has four Selke Trophies and a career 57.6 Corsi For percentage.
WING
Kirill Kaprizov, MIN vs. LA ($17): A stack candidate with center Victor Rask ($17), Kaprizov has three consecutive multi-point games and is quickly proving why he was considered the best player in the world outside the NHL over the past few years. As noted, the matchup could be considered tough with Los Angeles' current form, but winning seven in a row is also a tall task. This salary is probably a few dollars short, too.
Alexis Lafreniere, NYR vs. BOS ($10): At minimum salary, Lafreniere's risk is mitigated. He's obviously off to an underwhelming start with just two goals and a minus-8 rating through 17 games. Still, the rookie is projected to slot into a top-line role alongside Mika Zibanejad ($27) and Pavel Buchnevich ($18) and opens plenty of cap space to allot elsewhere. Additionally, while a bounce-back showing from Boston should be expected Friday, the Bruins have lost three of their last four and surrendered 17 goals during the mini-slide.
WINGS TO AVOID
Gabriel Landeskog, COL vs. ARI ($24): It's been a rocky stretch for the Colorado captain with just three assists through his past nine games, and while he's unlikely to continue his offensive struggles long term, this isn't a target-worthy salary. Outside of turning to Landeskog as part of a Colorado top-line stack, it's probably safe to consider other options.
Dustin Brown, LA at MIN ($20): This is an easy fade recommendation based on statistical correction alone. Brown has scored seven goals on just 17 shots (41.2 shooting percentage) through the past seven games, and Minnesota has also surrendered the third fewest high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes this season and owns the fifth best penalty-kill percentage in the league.
DEFENSE
Charlie McAvoy, BOS at NYR ($20): This is a reasonable salary to turn to McAvoy at. He's recorded 13 points, 25 shots and 26 blocks through the past 12 games while averaging 23:49 of ice time. Additionally, McAvoy has returned to his role on the No. 1 power-play unit of late. The Rangers have been solid defensively (2.65 goals against per game), but in a shallow defense pool, a cross-category producer logging huge minutes is a lineup building block.
Bowen Byram, COL vs. ARI ($10): An elite skater with oodles of offensive gifts, Byram is still finding his way at the highest level. He's a minus-5 through the past two games, which is a major blow in these scoring settings, but that could also make him an unpopular target Friday. Additionally, while there's risk, there's also huge reward potential at minimal investment.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Jonas Brodin, MIN vs. LA ($19): The 27-year-old defenseman has long been an unheralded real-world player who thrived in a middle-pairing role. Brodin's current 1.31 points per 60 minutes is significantly higher than the 0.85 mark he posted over the previous three years, so negative regression is likely ahead.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI at COL ($17): It's been an up-and-down season for Ekman-Larsson, as he's recorded eight assists through nine games while missing the scoresheet entirely in five contests. His four multi-point showings highlight his upside, but this is a daunting matchup with Colorado leading the league in both Corsi For percentage and penalty-kill percentage, and the veteran defenseman also carries a plus-minus risk.
