This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Wednesday is the NHL's last day of action before the All-Star break. There are five games on the slate. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups...
GOALIE
Cam Talbot, MIN at CHI ($23): I'm not sure if the Wild will go with Talbot or with Kaapo Kahkonen, as Kahkonen has had the better season with a 2.53 GAA and .922 save percentage. That being said, Talbot has only made two starts since suffering a lower-body injury, so I can imagine Dean Evanson wanting to give Talbot a start before the break. If so, he'll be facing a Blackhawks team that have averaged only 2.42 goals and 28.8 shots on net per contest.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Marc-Andre Fleury, CHI vs. MIN ($30): Five teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back Wednesday, which dampens the goalie pool. That's why I'm recommending avoiding Fleury. His name, and Vezina, still carry a lot of weight. Also, he does have a .918 save percentage over his last 10 starts. That being said, the Wild are third in goals per game at 3.80, so I don't want to mess with this offense.
CENTER
Mikael Backlund, CGY at ARI ($18): Both the Flames and the Coyotes are on the second night of a back-to-back, but the Coyotes are the ones who rank 31st in GAA. Backlund hasn't had a great year, but he does have four points and 30 shots on net in his last seven games. That's a decent streak, and this is a great matchup.
CENTER TO AVOID
Nicklas Backstrom, WAS vs. EDM ($20): Backstrom has looked good when he's been healthy, although as the second line center these days he's skating with Conor Sheary and Daniel Sprong, as opposed to Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson. It's probably not coincidental that five of his 12 points have come on the power play. The Capitals are on a back-to-back, but the Oilers are not. Mikko Koskinen has been up and down, but he has a 2.37 GAA and .926 save percentage over his last four starts.
WING
Anders Lee, NYI vs. SEA ($17): Lee has started 64.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second most on the Islanders behind his center Mathew Barzal. While he's got only four assists, he's picked up 11 goals. The Kraken are on the road for the second game in as many nights, and that's a concern for them given they've gotten the worst goaltending in the NHL. They are somehow in the bottom five in GAA even though they are in the top five in shots on net allowed per contest.
Jesse Puljujarvi, EDM at WAS ($16): Like I said, the Capitals are on a back-to-back, but the Oilers aren't. Ilya Samsonov will likely be in net again, as Vitek Vanecek got hurt in Tuesday's game. The Capitals have been good at suppressing shots, but a tired defense against a rested offense might have more trouble there. Puljujarvi has put 101 shots on net in 39 games, and he's tallied 25 points as well.
WINGS TO AVOID
Lucas Raymond, DET vs. LOS ($13): Raymond has been impressive for a teenager, but he's struggled to score goals after a hot start. Sure, he has 11 goals on the season, but only one in his last 22 games. That's more what you expect from a teenage rookie in the NHL. Jonathan Quick has better overall numbers, but Cal Petersen has been better recently. Whoever is in net, the Kings have a 2.72 GAA overall and have only allowed 28.9 shots on net per contest.
Jordan Eberle, SEA at NYI ($13): Eberle picked up an assist two games ago, but it was his first point in nine outings. Both of these teams are on a back-to-back, but the Islanders are at home. Also, the Islanders have two goalies who can handle their business in net. Semyon Varlamov will likely be in net, and he has a .915 save percentage on the season (and a .945 save percentage over his last six starts).
DEFENSE
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. SEA ($18): Dobson has seen a five-minute jump in ice time per game this year and responded with 17 points and 91 shots on net in 36 games. He's also been quite active recently, with 31 shots on net in seven contests. Sure, the Kraken haven't allowed a ton of shots, but the shows that get in net often go in. Chris Driedger got the start Tuesday, leaving Philipp Grubauer and his .885 save percentage for this game.
Rasmus Andersson, CGY at ARI ($17): Andersson has only racked up one goal (bad puck luck has played a part as he's put 76 shots on net), but he has 20 assists in 41 games. He's also tallied nine points with the extra man. The Coyotes rank 31st on the penalty kill – just like how they rank 31st in GAA – and they are on a back-to-back as well.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Shayne Gostisbehere, ARI vs. CGY ($17): The Flames are second in GAA and sixth on the penalty kill. Though Jacob Markstrom is the primary reason for that, Calgary has shown a willingness to start him on back-to-back nights. Both of these teams are on a back-to-back, and Gostisbehere is a guy who does a lot of his damage on the power play. A team with a tough penalty kill is a tricky matchup for him.
Dmitry Orlov, WAS vs. EDM ($14): Orlov has provided solid secondary scoring from the blue line for the Capitals with 22 points in 42 games. However, he'll be on the second night of a back-to-back, and Koskinen does have a .926 save percentage over his last four starts. Also, you can't rely on the power play for Orlov to generate some fantasy value. He has one point with the extra man.
