This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Friday's NHL slate is a modest one as usual, with only four games on the schedule beginning at 8:00 PM Eastern time. Still, there's value to be found if you know where to look, so read on to see which players to target and which ones to avoid.
GOALIE
Mikko Koskinen, EDM vs. MIN ($31): Koskinen has been tremendous, allowing more than three goals only once in 13 appearances en route to a 2.23 GAA and .925 save percentage. After Cam Talbot showed signs of rounding back into form with a 3-2 shootout win over the Blues on Wednesday, Koskinen will be extra motivated to keep his newfound starting gig by delivering a strong performance against a Wild team that's playing its second road game in as many nights and was shut out by the Flames on Thursday.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Curtis McElhinney, CAR at ANH ($33): This may look like a good matchup against Anaheim's awful offense, but McElhinney will likely have trouble living up to his $33 valuation, which is tied for the most expensive among projected starters in this slate. The career backup's starting to fall off after a surprisingly hot start, scoring just 6.0 combined fantasy points in losing his last two starts, including a home defeat at the hands of these very Ducks.
CENTER
Bryan Little, WPG vs. STL ($13): Players with Little's combination of ability and opportunity can rarely be found this cheap. The center for Winnipeg's second line and second power-play unit is surrounded by plenty of talent, and he's no slouch himself, having racked up at least 42 points in each of the past seven non-lockout shortened seasons and on pace for 46 this year. Lock him in against a Blues team that's giving up 3.35 goals per game -- easily the most of any team in this slate.
CENTER TO AVOID
Joe Thornton, SJ at DAL ($17): Between multiple knee surgeries and old age, Thornton's skating ability has greatly diminished. As a result, the burly center relies heavily on the power play for production -- 21 of his 48 points since the start of last season have come with the extra man, where he's afforded the time to set up without having to play in transition. A Dallas team that sports the league's fifth-best penalty kill (83.7 percent) thus represents a problematic matchup for Thornton.
WINGS
Blake Wheeler, WPG vs. STL ($29): The Blues' defensive struggles have already been touched upon and Wheeler's love for playing on home ice should allow him to capitalize on those struggles. Since the start of last season, Wheeler has a whopping 82 points in 55 home games compared to just 45 points in 53 appearances on the road. Such sharp splits suggest Wheeler should receive serious fantasy consideration any time he plays at Bell MTS Place, and doubly so in favorable matchups like this one.
Pontus Aberg, ANH vs. CAR ($18): Aberg continues to roll in a first-line role, now with seven points in his past five games. That hot streak includes a Nov. 30 goal in Carolina, and a repeat effort is certainly plausible against the fading McElhinney.
WINGS TO AVOID
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL at WPG ($26): There's no denying Tarasenko's offensive capabilities, but his two-way play has left much to be desired, as demonstrated by a minus-8 rating. A Jets team that's outscoring opponents 3.44 to 2.85 on average is capable of inflicting serious pain on that rating, especially with the Blues battling the injury bug.
Kyle Connor, WPG vs. STL ($22): Conner's four-assist outburst the last time these two teams met makes him a tempting choice, but he has just one other assist and no goals over the past eight games. With no shortage of alternatives to choose from among Winnipeg's forward ranks, it's better to fade Conner until he rediscovers his goal-scoring stroke.
DEFENSEMEN
Oscar Klefbom, EDM vs. MIN ($20): Klefbom excels outside of goals and assists, with 38 shots and 30 blocks over the past 11 games. Getting on the scoresheet isn't an issue for him, either, as Klefbom has 15 points in 28 games despite a paltry 3.4 shooting percentage. With Edmonton's goaltending troubles seemingly in the rearview mirror and superstar center Connor McDavid back from his illness, the well-rounded blueliner's primed for a strong performance against a tired Minnesota squad.
Gavin Bayreuther, DAL vs. SJ ($16): Bayreuther's upside is intriguing for a $16 defenseman, as the 24-year-old blueliner's notched two goals and five points through his first 10 NHL games. With an identical offensive stat line through seven AHL games this season prior to being called up, there's reason to believe this is more than a flash in the pan. At home against a Sharks team that's been middling defensively, the reward outweighs the risk here.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Radim Simek, SJ at DAL ($16): Simek's recent jump in price from the minimum $10 to $16 hasn't been justified by his play. While he does have an assist through two games, Simek's average ice time of 14:32 would be considered low for most forwards in this price range, let alone a defenseman.
Matt Dumba, MIN at EDM ($21): Dumba's price jumped up due to an offensive hot streak, but he's been cold over the past five games with an average of 2.6 fantasy points and a minus-7 rating. The bang for the buck just isn't there at $21, especially when teammates Ryan Suter ($20) and Jared Spurgeon ($17) offer similar capabilities at a lower price.
