This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
It's a light schedule for the NHL on Wednesday with only four games on the slate. You may have fewer options, but there are still some good ones. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineups Wednesday.
GOALIE
Cam Talbot, MIN at ARI ($34): Talbot picked up a win over the Coyotes on Monday with 22 saves on 24 shots. That's about par for the course for the netminder recently, as he has a 2.13 GAA and .930 save percentage over his last 12 outings. The Coyotes don't tend to threaten goalies too much either, as they are last in the league in shots on net per game.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jake Allen, MON at EDM ($25): With Carey Price banged up, there's a good chance Allen will start Wednesday. Early in the season when he was putting up great numbers, that wouldn't have been a worry. However, in April he has a 2.78 GAA and .905 save percentage in eight games. His performance has clearly slipped, and the Oilers have scored 3.20 goals per contest.
CENTER
Chandler Stephenson, VGK vs. SAN ($19): Stephenson is currently spending most of his time centering Vegas' top line, which means playing alongside Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone. That's a good place to be, and he's also been centering the top power-play unit as well. It's likely not a total coincidence he also has six points in his last seven games. After turning things around a bit, Martin Jones has been struggling again recently, and on the season he has an .898 save percentage.
CENTER TO AVOID
Logan Couture, SAN at VGK ($13): On the other side of that Sharks-Golden Knights matchup is a much-trickier situation for offensive players. Couture is facing a Vegas team with a 2.18 GAA, which is lowest in the NHL. Definitely feel skeptical about Couture against a defense – and goaltending – this tough.
WING
Viktor Arvidsson, NAS at CHI ($18): Arvidsson has certainly done his best to score goals this season, as he's put 142 shots on net in 46 games. Unfortunately, puck luck hasn't been on his side, as his shooting percentage is a meager 7.0, well below his career shooting percentage of 11.5. The Blackhawks have allowed 33.0 shots on net per contest, so if Arvidsson could have a little more luck it could really pay off.
Jesse Puljujarvi, EDM vs. MON ($17): Puljujarvi has started 61.0 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, tied for second most among Edmonton forwards. He's also spent most of the season skating on Connor McDavid's wing. That hasn't always paid off, but he has five points in his last six games. I mentioned that Jake Allen has a .905 save percentage in eight April appearances as well.
WINGS TO AVOID
Patrick Kane, CHI vs. NAS ($34): You can't quibble with Kane's production this season, but you can quibble with paying a salary this steep in this matchup. That is, assuming Juuse Saros is in net. The Finnish goalie has a 2.22 GAA and .928 save percentage. With the Preds vying for a playoff spot, I assume they will be leaning on Saros as much as possible.
Conor Garland, ARI vs. MIN ($14): Garland got off to a hot start to the season, but the bloom has come off the rose. His shooting percentage has dropped to 8.1, and he hasn't scored a goal in his last 10 games. I don't think he's likely to change that against Cam Talbot, who has a 2.40 GAA and .922 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. SAN ($24): Theodore has not taken a backseat to Alex Pietrangelo this season as some may have feared. He's tallied 36 points in 42 games (with 13 power-play points) and put 131 shots on net. Theodore is shooting even more recently, having tallied 47 shots on goal in his last 12 contests. The Sharks have a 3.31 GAA, so it's not likely the Vegas blue liner will face much pushback from his opposition.
Roman Josi, NAS at CHI ($21): It's a day for splashing cash on your defensemen and trying to save salary elsewhere. Josi has notched 115 shots on net in 40 games, impressive for a defenseman, and the Blackhawks have allowed 33.0 shots on goal per contest. Additionally, the Finn has averaged 3:02 per game with the extra man and tallied 13 power-play points. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks have the 27th-ranked penalty kill.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Brent Burns, SAN at VGK ($19): Burns hasn't been as prolific shooting the puck as he has been in the past, as he's notched 106 shots on target in 45 games. Of course, getting shots on net against Vegas has been difficult, as its only given up 27.4 shots on goal per contest. That's a big reason why the Golden Knights have a 2.18 GAA.
Jakob Chychrun, ARI vs. MIN ($19): It's been a breakout year for Chychrun, who has tallied personal bests in goals (13) and points (32) already. He also has a point in three-straight games. That being said, that could be coming to an end Wednesday. As I mentioned, Cam Talbot has a .922 save percentage, and a .930 save percentage in his last 12 games.
