This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Smack dab in the middle of the week we have five NHL games Wednesday. That includes a pretty great doubleheader on TNT with the Red Wings hosting the Blackhawks and the Avalanche hosting the Bruins. Of course, you are not here for my assessment of game quality. You want players to target and avoid for your DFS lineups, so here we go…
GOALIE
Alex Nedeljkovic, DET vs. CHI ($34): Neddy hasn't been steady this season, but he does have a .915 save percentage. Also, if we excise that season opener against Tampa, he has a 2.49 GAA and .919 save percentage at home this year. Chicago's offense has scuffled considerably, as it has managed a mere 2.29 goals and 28.4 shots on net per contest.
GOALIE TO AVOID
John Gibson, ANA at TOR ($30): Gibson has looked good since returning from his COVID-19 absence, and he has a 2.55 GAA and .919 save percentage. That being said, being on the road against the Maple Leafs is tricky. Toronto has averaged 3.37 goals and 33.9 shots on net per game, and don't forget it has missed Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner for chunks of this season.
CENTER
Elias Lindholm, CGY at CLM ($25): Lindholm has a three-game point streak, not to mention Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk on his wings. That's a great spot to be in, especially with a team like the Blue Jackets on the slate. Columbus is bottom five in both goals and shots on goal allowed per game.
CENTER TO AVOID
Patrice Bergeron, BOS at COL ($29): It can feel risky to go against Bergeron, especially given who he has on his wings. That being said, he only has one goal in his last 11 games. Plus, he's on the road against a red-hot Darcy Kuemper. Kuemper has a 2.31 GAA and .925 save percentage in his last 12 outings.
WING
Blake Coleman, CGY at CLM ($17): Coleman is in form at the moment. Over his last eight goals he has six goals and 34 shots on net. Joonas Korpisalo has a 3.96 GAA and .881 save percentage, and Elvis Merzlikins has an .899 save percentage over his last 11 games.
Conor Sheary, WAS vs. SAN ($14): Before he missed time with COVID-19 protocols, Sheary has nine points in 10 games. He doesn't have a point since returning, but he has slated onto Washington's top line, which is a good place to be. San Jose, meanwhile, has seen its goalies fall off the map. James Reimer has struggled so much (.849 save percentage in his last six games) Adin Hill has taken over as the primary goalie even though he has a .901 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Andre Burakovsky, COL vs. BOS ($20): For a lot of the season, Burakovsky was carrying a shooting percentage over 20.0. He was racking up goals, but it seemed like regression was coming. Well he's been held without a goal and now has a 19.4 shooting percentage, so there's your regression. In fact, he only has two goals over his last 14 games. I assume the Bruins will be turning to Linus Ullmark after giving Tuukka Rask a chance to find his footing after returning to the NHL. Ullmark does have a 2.34 GAA over his last 14 games, after all.
Oliver Bjorkstrand, CLM vs. CGY ($14): Bjorkstrand is tied for the team lead in points for the Blue Jackets, but he's slowed down. Over his last 11 games he has only four points. While Jacob Markstrom has been a little more hit-or-miss recently, he still has a 2.21 GAA and .924 save percentage this season.
DEFENSE
Moritz Seider, DET vs. CHI ($17): Seider has notched 26 points in 42 games. On top of that, he's averaged 3:01 per contest with the extra man, tallying 11 power-play points. While Marc-Andre Fleury has overcome a slow start, the Blackhawks have allowed 32.0 shots on net per game and have a bottom-10 penalty kill.
Rasmus Andersson, CGY at CLM ($17): Andersson has a three-game point streak, and for what it's worth all four games have come on the power play. This is pretty clearly a matchup to target, as the Blue Jackets' 3.54 GAA is highest of these eight teams by a decent margin. The Red Wings are the next highest at 3.29.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Brent Burns, SAN at WAS ($19): Even though the Capitals' goalies haven't played great, they still have a 2.70 GAA. Why? Because they've only allowed 28.3 shots on net per contest. Burns' top strength is being able to put pucks on net, so if the Capitals stop him from doing that, it's going to be hard for him to generate his typical fantasy value.
Zach Werenski, CLM vs. CGY ($15): Werenski has 25 shots on goal in seven games since missing a couple with COVID-19 protocols, though he doesn't have a goal in those games, and only two assists. On top of that, while seven of his 22 points have come with the extra man, he doesn't have a power-play point in his last 13 contests. The Flames have a top-10 penalty kill, and Markstrom has a .924 save percentage, both of which don't bode well for Werenski.
