This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
While spring training picks up in the world of baseball, the NHL season continues apace. Even if baseball is starting to gain your attention, don't forget about hockey, especially DFS hockey. There are six games on the NHL slate Wednesday. To helpbgive yourself a little boost in the middle of your week, here are some players to target and avoid on the hunt for DFS success...
GOALIE
Jordan Binnington, STL at ANA ($33): Binnington's numbers have gotten progressively worse from season to season, and he will likely never live up to that magical rookie campaign. That being said, he still has a 2.66 GAA, which isn't bad. Plus, this is as good of a matchup as you are going to get. The Ducks have only scored 2.05 goals per game, which is fighting with the Red Wings for fewest in the NHL.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK vs. MIN ($38): After seeming like an afterthought in Vegas, Fleury has been arguably the best goalie in the NHL with a 1.77 GAA and .935 save percentage. That being said, that's only in 13 games played, and it's not a sustainable rate of play, especially based on his last couple of seasons. The Wild are perhaps underrated offensively, as they rank in the top 10 in goals per game and they've averaged 30.6 shots on net per contest.
CENTER
Nazem Kadri, COL at SAN ($19): Kadri may get overshadowed by Nathan MacKinnon, though they get to appear together on Colorado's top power-play unit. In fact, Kadri has averaged 4:22 per game with the extra man and notched six power-play points. The Sharks haven't had a very good penalty kill, but more notable is the fact they have a 3.79 GAA, which is right up there with the Senators for highest in the NHL.
CENTER TO AVOID
Nicklas Backstrom, WAS at BOS ($24): Backstrom has 15 assists, which isn't that surprising, but his 10 goals have definitely stood out. That being said, he has a 23.8 shooting percentage, which is bound to regress. The Swede is not usually a prolific shooter, and indeed this year he's put 42 shots on net in 21 games. Shots are hard to come by against the Bruins, who have allowed a league-low 25.9 shots on goal per contest.
WING
Zach Hyman, TOR at EDM ($18): Hyman has picked up a point in three straight games, giving him 13 points in 21 contests. The Oilers have a 3.00 GAA as a team, but it used to be worth until Mike Smith started playing out of his mind. Smith has a 1.87 GAA and .938 save percentage through nine games, but I don't see that continuing. He's 38, he had a .902 save percentage last season, and he had an .898 save percentage the year before that. I fully expect this hot run to end, and probably soon.
Jake DeBrusk, BOS vs. WAS ($11): DeBrusk has gotten off to a slow start, with four points in 14 games. However, he has a 3.3 shooting percentage, which is bound to improve. That's especially true given that he's started 67.6 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Bruins. Maybe he'll find some luck against a Capitals team with a 3.19 GAA.
WINGS TO AVOID
Timo Meier, SAN vs. COL ($18): Meier has been hot recently, in fact he's had back-to-back three-point games, but that's not necessarily likely to continue. Plus, he only has four goals total on the season, so it's not like he was playing well before this hot run. Facing the Avalanche could cool the German down. Philipp Grubauer has a 2.20 GAA and .915 save percentage, and the team has only allowed 26.1 shots on net per target.
T.J. Oshie, WAS at BOS ($18): Oshie can be reliant on the power play for production. He tallied 10 of his 26 goals with the extra man last season, and this year half of his 14 points have come on the power play as well. This is not an ideal matchup for a power-play specialist, though. The Bruins have the third-ranked penalty kill, even though Tuukka Rask has an .897 save percentage that seems destined to improve.
DEFENSE
Justin Faulk, STL vs. ANA ($18): With Colton Parayko banged up, Faulk could seen an even larger role for the Blues, and he already has averaged 24:27 per game in ice time. After tallying three points in his last two games, he has 11 points in 22 contests this season. John Gibson had gotten off to a hot start to the season, but over his last six starts he has a 3.70 GAA and .871 save percentage.
Jakob Chychrun, ARI at LOS ($17): Cal Petersen has been excellent for the Kings, but you never know when you might catch a matchup against Jonathan Quick, who has a 2.85 GAA and .903 save percentage. Plus, the Kings have allowed 32.0 shots on net per contest. Chychrun is a good defenseman to take advantage of that, as he's put 58 shots on goal in 21 contests.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Darnell Nurse, EDM vs. TOR ($22): Nurse has 16 points in 24 games, though a 10.3 shooting percentage is a big reason for that. Thanks to the presence of Tyson Barrie, Nurse doesn't play on Edmonton's vaunted top power-play unit, and only has averaged 1:42 per game with the extra man. The Maple Leafs have been surprisingly stout defensively, as they have a 2.39 GAA and have only given up 28.7 shots on net per contest.
Matt Dumba, MIN at VGK ($18): I think you may want to avoid Fleury at his salary, but that doesn't mean I expect the Wild to be loading up on goals. This is still a tricky matchup, even for a player like Dumba. He's been hot recently, with four points in his last six games, but his 10.0 shooting percentage is likely to regress. After all, he only had a 3.6 shooting percentage last season.
