This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
In prior seasons, Wednesdays would often be light days in the NHL. There would be two or three games on the schedule, usually for national broadcast. This season is different, which is quite the understatement. One of the ways it has been atypical is busier Wednesday schedules, like this week when we have seven games on the docket. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineup. By the way, two of the games start at 5:00 p.m. EST, so be prepared for an early start!
GOALIE
Darcy Kuemper, ARI vs. ANA ($35): I don't think calling up Trevor Zegras is suddenly going to turn the Ducks into an offensive juggernaut. They've managed a paltry 1.89 goals and 26.4 shots on net per contest, both lowest in the NHL. Kuemper has a .915 save percentage, which is down for him but goaltending numbers are down across the board, but with a 2.33 GAA nobody will complain about.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM vs. CAR ($37): This is arguably a worse matchup for Carolina's netminders, as the Lightning lead the league in goals per game. However, Petr Mrazek may not be ready to return, and even if he is you probably wouldn't want to risk him in his first start in a while. Vasilevskiy, meanwhile, is one of the most-reliable goalies in the NHL. Still, the Hurricanes have averaged 3.59 goals and 32.2 shots on net per contest. He may not be up to his usually lofty standards.
CENTER
Ryan Strome, NYR at PHI ($16): Mika Zibanejad has had a rough season, but Strome has stepped up. He's tallied nine points in 16 games, including three in his last two contests. Plus, the 27-year-old had 17 power-play last year and has averaged 3:19 per game with the extra man this year. The Flyers unexpectedly have a 3.33 GAA, and the fact they are surprisingly allowing 33.3 shots on goal per game is a big reason why.
CENTER TO AVOID
Sean Couturier, PHI vs. NYR ($22): I'm flipping this matchup around, even if Couturier is hot returning from injury. Yes, he has seven points in five games, but he also has six shots on goal. The man has converted half his shots on net into goals, and that won't continue obviously. Facing the Rangers, who have a 2.56 GAA, could help make that regression a reality.
WING
Matthew Tkachuk, CGY at TOR ($24): In a year when shots are down, nobody is stopping Tkachuk from putting pucks on net. Keith's kid has managed 68 shots on goal in 19 games. His 8.8 shooting percentage is the lowest of his career, so Tkachuk's performance could get even better. This recommendation is a bit of a bet on Frederik Andersen not being ready to return after missing Monday's game with a lower-body injury. If Andersen is out, Michael Hutchinson will be in net, and he's had a GAA over 3.00 in each of his last three seasons.
Dustin Brown, LOS at STL ($20): It's surprising that the Blues have a 3.00 GAA, but when you see that they have a bottom-five penalty kill it starts to make more sense. Swapping Alex Pietrangelo for Torey Krug will do that to you. Brown, meanwhile, has been a force on the power play. He's averaged 3:32 with the extra man and potted five power-play goals through 17 games.
WINGS TO AVOID
Mikko Rantanen, COL vs. MIN ($30): Rantanen is producing like usual, though it should be noted he hasn't scored a goal in his last six games. When you are paying a salary like this, you are kind of hoping for a goal. It may be hard for Rantanen to light the lamp in this matchup. The Wild have a 2.53 GAA and have Cam Talbot returning from COVID-19 protocols. If that wasn't enough, they have a top-five penalty kill to boot.
Kevin Fiala, MIN at COL ($21): Fiala turned a lot of heads late last season with the Wild, finishing with 23 goals and 54 points in 64 games. This year he got off to a slow start, but he has seven points in his last eight games, including six goals. However, in the middle of those eight games he missed three matchups with the Avalanche, which means he didn't have to face this extremely difficult matchup. Colorado makes it hard to put shots on goal, much less score, as it has only allowed 26.7 shots on net per contest.
DEFENSE
Drew Doughty, LOS at STL ($20): I mentioned the Blues have a bottom-five penalty kill earlier, and that has me quite enticed about Doughty. The Kings are really letting him loose on the power play, and it's paying off. Doughty has averaged 3:53 with the extra man and has eight power-play points already.
Jakob Chychrun, ARI vs. ANA ($20): Remember when John Gibson was playing well to start the year and people were talking about him turning it around after posting a .904 save percentage last season. Well things have taken a turn recently, as over his last four starts Gibson has a 3.82 GAA and .864 save percentage. Suddenly this matchup looks better for a player like Chychrun, who has 13 points through 18 games.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Dougie Hamilton, CAR at TAM ($24): Yes, I'm wary about Vasilevskiy against Carolina's offense, but he's still no slouch in net. Plus, Hamilton hasn't been as big a part of the Canes' offense as you might have imagined. He's only notched one goal this season, and while his 1.8 shooting percentage will likely improve, I'm not willing to bet on that happening Wednesday.
Torey Krug, STL vs. LOS ($19): While Krug is most of a playmaker than a goal scorer, and he's been fine on that front, it's worth noting he hasn't scored a goal in a month. I'm also surprised by the power-play numbers. Krug has averaged 2:52 with the extra man, his lowest average in six seasons, and he only has three power-play points so far. The Kings have a top-10 penalty kill, and it's even better when they have Cal Petersen (2.43 GAA, .926 save percentage) in net.
