This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
It's the first day of April, but there will be no pranks here. I'm giving you legitimate recommendations for your DFS lineup. There are nine games on the docket for the NHL, and the closest thing to a prank you'll find is the Ottawa Senators' defense. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, to try and start a new month with a bang.
GOALIE
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at BUF ($34): Shesterkin has picked up where he left off after returning from injury, as he has a 2.36 GAA and .938 save percentage in three starts. This gives him a 2.32 GAA and .925 save percentage on the season. While the goalie has already found his form, he will have what amounts to a warmup Thursday as he gets to face a Sabres team with the worst offense in the league by goals per game, and that's also on the second leg of a back-to-back.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Kevin Lankinen, CHI vs. CAR ($26): Lankinen has impressed in his rookie season with a .921 save percentage, but his team isn't making it easy for him. The Blackhawks have allowed 34.0 shots on net per contest, highest in the NHL. Carolina has averaged 3.21 goals and 31.8 shots on net per game, so Lankinen could end up quite busy, and that can lead to allowing a few goals even if he plays well.
CENTER
Roope Hintz, DAL at NAS ($18): Hintz's minutes have skyrocketed this year, as he's averaged 18:06 a night in ice time, over three minutes more than last season. This includes an increase in power-play time, as he's played 3:16 per game with the extra man. Hintz has tallied 13 power-play points in 23 games, and the Predators happen to have the worst penalty kill in the league.
CENTER TO AVOID
Sidney Crosby, PIT at BOS ($34): Since I was just talking about the bottom of the barrel when it comes to penalty kills, I figured I would flip things around with my next recommendation. The Bruins have the best penalty kill in the NHL, making things tough for even a guy like Crosby with the extra man. It's not just killing penalties either, as overall the Bruins have a 2.34 GAA and have only allowed 27.1 shots on goal per game.
WING
Pavel Buchnevich, NYR at BUF ($21): Buchnevich is a player who might be wishing it was still March. Last month, he notched 19 points in 15 games. Of course, this matchup is a great way to start April. Not only are the Sabres on the second leg of a back-to-back, they are in the bottom five in GAA as well.
Jonathan Drouin, MON at OTT ($17): I mentioned the Senators, so naturally I had to eventually target a player facing off with that squad. Ottawa has a 3.72 GAA, by far the highest in the NHL. While Drouin's incredible lack of puck luck (3.6 percent shooting) has held him to two goals, he does have 19 assists in 32 games, including four in his last six outings.
WINGS TO AVOID
Brad Marchand, BOS vs PIT ($28): With several games taking place Thursday, you have a lot of options for your lineup. As such, I'm not sure you should shell out for a salary this high in a matchup like this, even though Marchand did look good in his return to action. Tristan Jarry has been hot in net recently (2.32 GAA and .928 save percentage over his last 17 games) and Casey DeSmith has been stellar all season (1.91 GAA, .929 save percentage).
T.J. Oshie, WAS at NYI ($19): Oshie has five points in his last three games, but a road matchup with the Islanders is a step up in terms of challenge. Semyon Varlamov has notched a 2.19 GAA and .922 save percentage this season, and the Islanders' defensive stoutness helps as well (27.4 shots on net allowed per game). Additionally, while Oshie has nine power-play points this season, he only has two over his last 18 games.
DEFENSE
Shea Weber, MON at OTT ($18): Weber has lost a step, but he's still got some of that skill in his game. He has three points over his last two games and has put 72 shots on net in 35 games. Facing off against a Senators team with a 3.72 GAA, Weber could look like his vintage self in this matchup.
MacKenzie Weegar, FLA vs. DET ($16): Weegar has averaged 22:10 per game in ice time and has already notched 19 points in 36 games. There's also some new upside to his potential. Unfortunately Aaron Ekblad is out long term, but in Florida's first game without him Weegar played 1:15 on the power play. Considering he's averaged six seconds per game with the extra man, that's notable. Also notable? Detroit's 3.22 GAA as a team.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
John Carlson, WAS at NYI ($24): Carlson is as prolific a player as you are going to find on the blue line, but this matchup is too tough for my tastes. Like I noted earlier, Varlamov has a 2.19 GAA and .922 save percentage. The Islanders' penalty kill is not quite as good as you might expect – though it is in the top half of the league – but Carlson is also not as involved on the power play either. Sure, 3:00 per game with the extra man is notable, but that's a full minute down from last season, and 1:05 from two seasons ago.
Seth Jones, CLM at TAM ($17): Speaking of the power play, Jones has not been terribly effective with the extra man recently. He has only one power-play point in his last 17 games. Now he has to face the Lightning, which probably means facing Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Russian goalie has a 1.99 GAA and .930 save percentage.
