This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Saturday evening brings us seven NHL games. There are three more in the afternoon, but they are not part of Yahoo's main contest slate. Also, I will note that the game between the Predators and Lightning is an outdoor game down in Nashville. If that gives you pause at all, I figured I would note it. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Matt Murray, OTT vs. MON ($31): Murray is back from spending time with his newborn child to tend goal for the Senators. He has a .919 save percentage this year, and a .951 save percentage over his last seven games. Meanwhile, Montreal has scored 2.29 goals per game, 31st in the NHL.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. MIN ($33): Markstrom is having a gem of a season, but he's got stiff competition coming his way Saturday. The Wild have scored 3.73 goals per game, third most in the NHL. With four of the bottom nine teams in goals per contest playing Saturday, you have better options than risking Markstrom against an elite offense.
CENTER
Brock Nelson, NYI at LOS ($18): Nelson has a four-game goal streak going, giving him 19 goals total. Now he's facing a Kings team on the second leg of a back-to-back. Cal Petersen will be in net for the Kings, and he has an .898 save percentage.
CENTER TO AVOID
Steven Stamkos, TAM at NAS ($29): This could be considered a bet against the ice quality in an outdoor game in Nashville. Stamkos will also be facing a large, presumably raucous crowd on the road. Mostly though, this is about Juuse Saros and his 2.45 GAA and .924 save percentage.
WING
William Nylander, TOR at DET ($23): Nylander only has two goals in his last 12 games, but over his last 15 games he has 11 points. Plus, on the season he has 20 points with the extra man. The Red Wings have a 3.46 GAA, and they also rank 26th on the penalty kill.
Connor Brown, OTT vs. MON ($18): Since returning from injury, Brown has eight points in 10 games. He's also averaged 2:25 per contest on the power play this season. The Canadiens have done better defensively recently, but still have a 3.79 GAA. No other team has a GAA higher than 3.63. Looking at the bigger picture, this is still the best matchup you can find.
WINGS TO AVOID
Timo Meier, SAN vs. BOS ($28): Like Nylander, Meier's goal scoring has slowed down, as he only has two goals in his last 10 games. The difference is both salary and matchup. Boston has only allowed 29.3 shots on net per contest. On top of that, Jeremy Swayman has a 2.08 GAA and .925 save percentage.
Viktor Arvidsson, LOS vs. NYI ($23): Though he is at home, Arvidsson is still on the second night of a back-to-back. Plus, while the Islanders have issues offensively, they have no problems in net. Ilya Sorokin has a 2.44 GAA and .920 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Noah Dobson, NYI at LOS ($18): Over his last 16 games, Dobson has put 53 shots on net. He's also been successful on the power play this year, collecting eight points with the extra man. In addition to being on a back-to-back, the Kings have the 28th-ranked penalty kill.
Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. MIN ($18): Andersson has racked up 25 assists in 50 games. While he only has two goals, his 2.1 percent shooting could improve. He's put 18 shots on goal in his last seven games, so he's been active. The Wild score a lot of goals, but they also have a 3.00 GAA and have allowed 32.5 shots on net per contest.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Roman Josi, NAS vs. TAM ($27): Even if this wasn't an outdoor game, I wouldn't want to spend this salary on Josi with 14 teams in action Saturday night. Andrei Vasilevskiy is the reason for that. The Russian netminder has a 2.29 GAA and .921 save percentage.
Drew Doughty, LOS vs. NYI ($22): Let's rewind to the points I made about Arvidsson. Doughty will be playing the second leg of a back-to-back. He'll be facing Sorokin and his 2.44 GAA and .920 save percentage. The Islanders also have the 11th-ranked penalty kill, which isn't too shabby.
