This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Sunday is a big day for football fans, and Monday is a big day for romantics. Saturday? Let's make it for the folks who like to play DFS hockey. There are five NHL games on the evening slate for the league. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineups.
GOALIE
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. NYI ($34): Some goalies that started the season unexpectedly hot have fallen off (looking at you, Jack Campbell). Markstrom? He's still as strong as ever. In fact, he has an 1.86 GAA and .934 save percentage over his last 10 games. Now he gets to face an Islanders team that is bottom five in goals per game and is also on the road for the second night of a back-to-back.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. TOR ($26): Demko has a 2.55 GAA and .919 save percentage, but Toronto offers a tough challenge. The Maple Leafs have averaged 3.57 goals and 34.5 shots on net per contest, and they have all their key offensive pieces healthy right now. Toronto also has the league's top power play, while Vancouver has the league's worst penalty kill.
CENTER
Ryan Johansen, NAS vs. WPG ($14): Playing on Nashville's second line hurts Johansen at even strength, but he gets time on the first power-play unit. That's helped, as he's averaged 2:57 with the extra man and tallied 12 of his 34 points on the power play. The Jets have a bottom-five penalty kill, and they are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mathew Barzal, NYI at CGY ($18): Barzal has picked up his offense, but this is a tricky situation for anybody to be in. The Islanders are on the second night of a back-to-back, as I mentioned, and they will be facing Markstrom. He's got a 2.13 GAA and .927 save percentage on the season.
WING
Jordan Kyrou, STL vs. CHI ($20): Kyrou isn't merely the NHL's fastest skater. He's got 17 goals and 25 assists in 40 games. The 23-year-old also has 12 points with the extra man. Meanwhile, Chicago has a 3.32 GAA and have allowed 32.1 shots on net per contest.
Conor Garland, VAN vs. TOR ($16): Garland took a few games to get going after a five-game absence, but he has a point in each of his last two games. That gives him 26 points in 43 contests. I mentioned earlier that Campbell hasn't looked as good in net. Indeed, he has a 4.11 GAA and .864 save percentage in his last eight starts.
WINGS TO AVOID
Kirill Kaprizov, MIN vs. CAR ($31): Kaprizov has been even better than in his rookie year. He's earned his lofty salary. That being said, he'll run into the toughest matchup possible Saturday. The Hurricanes are tops in the NHL in GAA (2.36) and shots on net allowed per game (28.5).
Blake Wheeler, WPG at NAS ($17): Wheeler has 19 assists in 30 games, which is good. However, he's only notched two goals. He'll be on the road for the second night of a back-to-back, and Juuse Saros has a 2.39 GAA and .926 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. NYI ($19): Andersson just picked up his second goal of the season, along with his 21st assist. The Islanders have two good goalies, but they are also on the road for the second night of a back-to-back. That's enough for me to be in on Andersson.
Torey Krug, STL vs. CHI ($17): Krug has looked more like the guy he was in Boston this season, especially on the power play. He's averaged 3:03 with the extra man and tallied 12 power-play points in 40 games. Krug also has 14 points in his last 16 outings. As I mentioned previously, Chicago has a 3.32 GAA, and Marc-Andre Fleury has a .910 save percentage.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Seth Jones, CHI at STL ($18): Jones is still racking up assists, but goals have been hard to come by. He hasn't lit the lamp in his last 21 games. This fade assumes Ville Husso is in net for the Blues, as he has a 1.90 GAA and .941 save percentage.
Alex Goligoski, MIN vs. CAR ($17): Goligoski has 25 points in 37 games, which is quite good and also unexpected. However, he's only put 42 shots on net. Of course, getting pucks on net is hard enough against the Hurricanes as is. Carolina has allowed a mere 28.5 shots on net per game.
