This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are four NHL games Wednesday, including the usual TNT doubleheader. Here are some players to target and avoid for your daily fantasy lineups...
GOALIE
Juuse Saros, NAS at SEA ($37): Seattle has averaged a mere 2.53 goals and 28.3 shots on net this season. Saros, meanwhile, has a 2.46 GAA and .923 save percentage. I'm happy with rostering him, even on the road.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. LOS ($29): Oettinger has secured the top spot in net for the Stars, as he has a 2.25 GAA and .923 save percentage. It has been only 26 games, so maybe this is a little unsustainable. I'm not saying that Oettinger can't keep this up, but I trust him less than, say, Igor Shesterkin. The Kings are merely average in goals per game, but they put 35.5 shots on net per contest, which is top three in the NHL. Oettinger will likely be busy, so he'll have to earn it if he puts up good numbers.
CENTER
Mikael Granlund, NAS at SEA ($16): The Predators have two noteworthy wingers, Matt Duchene and Filip Forsberg. They happen to play on the same line with Granlund between them. Not coincidentally, Granlund has 33 assists in 51 games. The Kraken don't allow a lot of shots, but due to porous goaltending they have a 3.55 GAA.
CENTER TO AVOID
Ryan O'Reilly, STL at NYR ($17): O'Reilly has been delivering in dribs and drabs recently. Over his last 13 games he has six points, but no multi-point games. He may not get any points at all in this matchup. Shesterkin is arguably the favorite for the Vezina thanks to his 1.95 GAA and .941 save percentage.
WING
Michael Bunting, TOR vs. BUF ($19): I've been going with Bunting a lot recently, and it's largely paid off. Skating on the wing with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner is a great place to be. Bunting has 41 points in 53 games, and he's notched 10 goals in his last 14 outings. The Sabres allow plenty of goals, as they have a 3.59 GAA, bottom five in the NHL
Jeff Skinner, BUF at TOR ($18): I thought I might flip this matchup around and go with a Sabre as well. Though Skinner's goal scoring has slowed down, he has 20 goals in 52 contests. He's also put 164 shots on net and gets advantageous starting positioning. Skinner has started 59.8 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second most among Buffalo forwards. Jack Campbell has a 3.91 GAA and .876 save percentage in his last 13 games, and Petr Mrazek has a 3.07 GAA and .895 save percentage this season.
WINGS TO AVOID
Chris Kreider, NYR vs. STL ($26): It may seem bold to recommend avoiding one of the top goal scorers in the NHL, but I have my reasons. For starters, Ville Husso has a 2.03 GAA and .935 save percentage. Second, the Blues have the fourth-ranked penalty kill, and Kreider has scored literally half his goals with the extra man.
Adrian Kempe, LOS at DAL ($19): Kempe is racking up goals like never before. He has 25 in 51 games after never previously having more than 16. Unsurprisingly, his 16.4 shooting percentage is also a career high, but this matchup is tricky. I may want to avoid Oettinger given my options, but a .923 save percentage is still a .923 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. BUF ($22): Rielly has dished out a lot of assists, with 38 helpers in 53 games. He's also been dishing out the shots recently, with 46 shots on goal in his last 16 contests. The Sabres have allowed 34.3 shots on net per game, not to mention their 3.59 GAA.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. LOS ($17): The blue line for the Stars has been struggling to contribute offensively, but Heiskanen might be turning things around. Over his last four games he has two points and 12 shots on net. On the season, he's tallied 29 points in 51 games. In the new year, Jonathan Quick has a 3.30 GAA and .878 save percentage in 11 contests, and Cal Petersen has an .898 save percentage on the season.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Torey Krug, STL at NYR ($19): After a hot streak Krug has gone cold. He has zero points in his last six games. Being on the road against Shesterkin and his .941 save percentage isn't likely to get Krug back on the score sheet.
Mark Giordano, SEA vs. NAS ($15): There's still some life left in Giordano's legs. The keystone of the Kraken blue line has 23 points in 49 games. However, he is shooting less than ever, with 107 shots on goal in 49 contests. Even if he does shoot Wednesday, Saros has a .923 save percentage.
