This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
While winter and hockey go hand in hand, it'd be nice to see the weather finally take a turn toward spring and have it stick this time. For now, though, we can take solace in NHL action, and there are five games this Friday for our enjoyment. Let's identify some players to target and avoid in Yahoo! Daily Fantasy.
GOALIE
Jake Allen, STL vs. ANA ($34): The Blues have only allowed 28.4 shots on goal per game, but they've allowed 2.80 goals per contest because of goaltending issues. However, Allen seems to have put those problems behind him. In his last 12 games, he's posted a 1.76 GAA and .941 save percentage. The Ducks will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back, and we now know that John Gibson won't be available for this game. That will mean another start for Jonathan Bernier (2.85 GAA, .904 save percentage) or temporary backup Jhonas Enroth (3.94 GAA, .872 save percentage) in net. Either way, Allen's chances of picking up a win look good.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Robin Lehner, BUF at CLM ($36): The Blue Jackets are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, and they're 24-9-1 at home. Meanwhile, the Sabres are 3-5-2 in their last 10 contests and 11-16-6 on the road. Additionally, Columbus is fifth in the NHL in goals per game at 3.15, whereas the Sabres have allowed a league-high 34.0 shots on goal per contest. Despite all this, Lehner is the second-most-expensive goalie Friday, which seems too pricy.
CENTER
Alexander Wennberg, CLM vs. BUF ($19): Yes, the Jackets' man advantage has struggled recently, but Wennberg still has 21 power-play points in 65 games. Indeed, despite that recent dearth of special-teams success, Wennberg still has eight points in his last 10 games, and he's started 38.6 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. That's the most of any Columbus forward. On top of that, the Sabres have the second-worst penalty kill in the NHL, which means this could be the game that sees Wennberg and the Blue Jackets rekindle their power-play fire.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mikael Granlund, MIN at FLA ($22): Roberto Luongo's injury hasn't slowed the Panthers down at all, as James Reimer has a 2.20 GAA and .931 save percentage in his last 11 games. Florida also now owns the league's best penalty kill, and nearly a third of Granlund's 60 points have come on the power play. The Finnish pivot owns a 15.0 shooting percentage; his previous career high was 8.1. That seems to indicate that Granlund has been lucky and some regression may be in his future. Finally, this is the second night of a back-to-back and it's on the road, so the Panthers are catching the Wild at as good a time as they could ask for.
WING
Jordan Eberle, EDM vs. PIT ($18): Eberle has had some bad luck this year, as his 8.6 shooting percentage indicates, but that luck has turned around a bit recently – he's notched seven points and 22 shots on goal in his last nine contests. While Pittsburgh's goal prevention has gotten better since Matt Murray got healthy, the Penguins have also allowed 32.5 shots on goal per game, fourth-most in the NHL. Additionally, there's the possibility that Marc-Andre Fleury will be in net because Pittsburgh has a game Saturday as well. You don't need to rely on that to like Eberle at this price, though.
Jaden Schwartz, STL vs. ANA ($17): As previously noted, the Ducks will be on the second night of a back-to-back, and they will remain without Gibson in net. That leaves them rather weak in goal, and they've already allowed 3.27 goals per game when playing on zero days of rest. Schwartz hasn't exactly been white-hot of late, netting five points (two on the power play) and 27 shots in his last nine games, but he's capable of bigger offensive outbursts when the conditions are right, as they will be in this game.
WINGS TO AVOID
Brandon Saad, CLM vs. BUF ($22): While Lehner was chosen as the goalie to avoid Friday, he does have a .920 save percentage, which is impressive. He's been good enough to be at least a little concerned about specific Blue Jackets, such as Saad. One reason to question Saad? He only has two power-play points all year. As such, he won't be able to take advantage of Buffalo's 29th-ranked penalty kill, which separates him from Wennberg, who's also a bit cheaper.
Evander Kane, BUF at CLM ($21): Kane has been putting a lot of shots on net, but he might be hard-pressed to get any of them past Sergei Bobrovsky. The Blue Jackets have allowed the NHL's second-fewest goals per game (2.28), and they've been even better with Bobrovsky in net (2.05 GAA). Going up against one of the league's best goalies, Kane may find it difficult to live up to this price point, and there are other players that look like clearly better values.
DEFENSEMEN
Brent Seabrook, CHI at DET ($16): It's theoretically possible that Jimmy Howard will start for the Wings in this game, but even if he does, there's reason to be skeptical after his lengthy absence from NHL action. Regardless, Detroit has allowed 3.02 goals and 30.6 shots on net per game overall. Seabrook, who has five points in his last six games, has started 36.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. On top of that he's tallied 13 power-play points while averaging 2:49 per game with the extra man. Seabrook's also 115 blocked shots in 64 games, so he could add a little fantasy value on that end of the ice too.
Aaron Ekblad, FLA vs. MIN ($15): Devan Dubnyk has been great, but he started Thursday for the Wild. That could mean Darcy Kuemper (3.22 GAA, .905 save percentage) in net for Minnesota in this road tilt. Obviously, that would change the look of this matchup for Ekblad and the Panthers. Irrespective of who is in net for the Wild, they've allowed 30.9 shots on net per contest. For his part, Ekblad has started 40.8 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone and notched 219 shots on goal in 65 games. He's capable of putting a ton of shots on net in almost any matchup, and the potential of going up against Kuemper makes him extra enticing.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Ryan Suter, MIN at FLA ($21): Suter plays a ton of minutes, but he only has one goal in his last 19 games. Furthermore, half of his eight goals – and 10 of his 35 points – have come on the power play, which isn't necessarily a recipe for success in this tilt against the NHL's top-ranked penalty kill. Suter also isn't that active of a shot blocker, as he's only gotten in front of 78 pucks in 64 games. Combine that with Reimer's strong play in net recently, and there's reason for skepticism about Suter, especially at this price.
David Savard, CLM vs. BUF ($18): Savard seems slightly oddly priced, given that he's only averaged 5.6 fantasy points per game. He only has three goals and 15 assists in 57 games, and he sees nearly zero power-play time. As such, he's not going to be the guy to take advantage of Buffalo's penalty-killing woes. He's also only taken 92 shots on net, so the fact that Buffalo has given up so many shots might not benefit him much either. If Savard was cheaper, you might be able to justify selecting him for your lineup, but not at $18.
