This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
The NHL has 11 games on tap Saturday. With Minnesota-Buffalo playing early, that leaves three afternoon games followed by seven night games. We considered only the late games below, which offer plenty of options and good matchups.
GOALIE
James Reimer, SJ vs. VAN ($21) - Reimer makes his Sharks debut Saturday night and should benefit from a major upgrade in teammates. He had a .918 save percentage with Toronto but was just 11-12-7 thanks both to a leaky Leafs defense and a Toronto offense that is 29th in goals per game (2.30). The Sharks, on the other hand, allow the fifth-fewest shot on goal (27.9 per game) and rank fourth in goals per game (2.98). He also has a good matchup against a Vancouver team that ranks 28th in scoring, making him an excellent value.
Goalie to Avoid:
Cam Ward, CAR at TB ($33) - Ward has allowed 11 goals in his last three starts, including five in his last game against the Blues. What's more, the Lightning have won three consecutive and are 20-10-2 at home this season.
CENTER
Joe Thornton, SJ vs. VAN ($28) - Thornton, who has a goal and four assists in his last three games, has been on a tear since mid-December, missing the scoresheet only four times in his last 34 games with 11 goals and 34 assists in that span. And at plus-23, he is on pace to post his highest plus/minus rating since 2006-07. What's more, the Canucks rank just 21st in goals against.
WING
Tomas Hertl, SJ vs. VAN ($21) - Stacking Hertl with Joe Thornton looks like a good play Saturday. Hertl went through a scoring drought in early February, but he's bounced back with nine points in his last 10 games. He has 30 shots on goal in that span with six goals and a plus-7 rating.
Brad Marchand, BOS vs. WAS ($31) - Marchand, who had a goal and an assist Thursday against the Blackhawks, is having an outstanding season. With 50 points, he's on his way of eclipsing his career-high 55 in 2011-12. His plus-20 rating is 10th in the NHL, and he leads the Bruins with 33 goals. If you want to go cheap, newly acquired teammate Lee Stempniak, who had two assists Thursday, plays on the top line with Marchand and Patrice Bergeron and is a mere $12.
Wing to Avoid:
Alex Ovechkin, WAS at BOS ($34) - There's no doubting Ovechkin, but it might be better to fade him Saturday. His position-high price makes it difficult to roster other elite players, and he's only topped 20 minutes of ice time once in his last five games as the Eastern Conference-leading Capitals look to keep him healthy for the playoffs. He has just one point in that span, as well.
David Pastrnak, BOS vs. WAS ($17) - Pastrnak played a five-game-high 15:51 Thursday against the Blackhawks, but that didn't help the struggling 19-year-old. He has two goals in his last 10 games (and both came in the same game) and averages little more than 14 minutes of ice time.
DEFENSE
Erik Karlsson, OTT at TOR ($30) - Karlsson's price has inched up in the last week or so, and he's now the most expensive defensemen. However, he is easily worth it, especially when compared to expensive forwards. The league's third-leading scorer with 68 points, Karlsson is the only defensemen in the top 13 in points. He has 15 shots on goal in his last four games and averages two blocked shots a game. Karlsson offers the scoring of a forward with the added benefit of blocked shots, making him a good value despite his price.
Seth Jones, COL at PHI ($16) - Jones is an affordable option with upside. Since being traded to Columbus in early January, he has 13 points in 24 games with 45 blocked shots and 47 shots on goal. He's been productive lately, too, totaling six points in his last 10 games -- a goal and five assists -- with 20 blocked shots and 21 shots on goal.
Defensemen to Avoid:
Sami Vatanen, ANA at LA ($21) - There are better values on the board than Vatanen, whose upside doesn't match his price. While he has a pair of two-assist outings in his last four games, he has only 27 assists this season. He doesn't block that many shots, either, with just three in his last three games and 10 in his last 10 games.
