This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Wednesday usually keeps it light on the NHL front, even if it's the day of the TNT doubleheader. There are four games on the slate this time. Here are some players to target, and some to avoid, for your midweek DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Matt Murray, TOR vs. NAS ($35): Murray has a 2.57 GAA and a .916 save percentage, good numbers that have kept him paired with Ilya Samsonov in a goalie tandem that's helped both see a fair amount of action. This is the first leg of a back-to-back for the Leafs, so either goalie could end up getting the nod. Either way, Toronto is hosting a Nashville team that has averaged 2.79 goals per contest.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Juuse Saros, NAS at TOR ($31): Saros has a .921 save percentage, but he has a 2.67 GAA because he faces more shots than Murray does. This game also features a tougher matchup on the Predators' side of things, as the Maple Leafs have averaged 3.44 goals per game.
CENTER
Anze Kopitar, LOS vs. SAN ($18): Kopitar is on a four-game point streak, giving him 33 points in 44 games. The Sharks are the one team on the second night of a back-to-back Wednesday. James Reimer, owner of a 3.22 GAA and .895 save percentage, will presumably be in net.
CENTER TO AVOID
Ryan Johansen, NAS at TOR ($11): Johansen has not been able to replicate his performance from last season when he managed 26 goals and 37 assists. Instead, he has 20 points in 39 games, and the line of Johnasen, Matt Duchene, and Filip Forsberg has been split up. The Maple Leafs have a 2.61 GAA as a team, some of that owing to third-string goalie Erik Kallgren, and have only allowed 28.5 shots on net per contest.
WING
Zach Hyman, EDM at ANA ($27): Sure, he has a couple great teammates, which helps, and he tallied 17 of his 44 points on the power player. However, Hyman is contributing plenty in his own right, including putting 165 shots on net through 41 games. The Ducks have a 4.07 GAA, highest in the NHL, and have also allowed a league-high 38.5 shots on goal per contest.
Troy Terry, ANA vs. EDM ($16): It hasn't been as prolific a season for Terry as last year, but he leads the Ducks with 33 points and is second with 118 shots on net. He's also started 60 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second highest on the squad. This matchup bodes well, because Stuart Skinner isn't available for the Oilers. That means Jack Campbell, who has a 3.68 GAA and .877 save percentage, will be starting for Edmonton.
WINGS TO AVOID
Michael Bunting, TOR vs. NAS ($21): While I worry about Saros facing the Maple Leafs, he does have a .921 save percentage. That, in turn, makes me concerned about having Bunting, a good but not elite player, in my lineup. The fact he has a litany of talented teammates also means he doesn't really get to appear on the power play much.
James van Riemsdyk, PHI vs. WAS ($15): Van Riemsdyk has played well since returning from injury, with 11 points in 15 games. That said, this matchup is imposing, as Darcy Kuemper has a 2.45 GAA and .920 save percentage. JVR is 33 now and has been around for a while, so we know who he is as a player, which is not a guy who typically scores at a rate of 11 points in 15 games.
DEFENSE
Tyson Barrie, EDM at ANA ($20): Barrie has averaged 3:31 per game on the power play and has tallied 20 points with the extra man. As mentioned earlier, the Ducks are last in GAA and shots on net allowed per contest. They also have the 30th-ranked penalty kill.
Matt Roy, LOS vs. SAN ($14): Roy has two points in his last three games. All in all, he has 14 points and 78 shots on net. He also doesn't play on the power play, which benefits Roy in this matchup. The Sharks have the second-ranked penalty kill, but are still in the bottom seven in terms of GAA.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Roman Josi, NAS at TOR ($30): Josi is having another productive campaign, but I'm avoiding his salary in my lineup if I can. The Predators are on the road against a team in the top five in GAA and shots on net allowed per contest. Murray has a 2.57 GAA and .916 save percentage as well.
Tony DeAngelo, PHI vs. WAS ($17): As I mentioned earlier, Kuemper has a 2.45 GAA and .920 save percentage. The Capitals also have a top-10 penalty kill. DeAngelo frequently relies on the power play for success, as 10 of his 23 points have come with the extra man.
