This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Saturday's all-day NHL slate begins at 12:00 PM Eastern time and features 11 games. There's no shortage of available options, but the key to building a successful lineup is to focus in on the best fantasy situations while avoiding the worst. The suggestions below do just that.
GOALIE
Matt Murray, PIT at VAN ($28): Murray's early-season performance has been full of peaks and valleys, as he's given up one goal over his two best starts combined and 16 over his other three. Despite Murray's inconsistencies, Pittsburgh's high-powered offense has guided him to a 4-1-0 record. Considering he's elite on his good days and usually still in the running for a win on his bad ones, Murray's a strong choice at just $28.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Louis Domingue, TB at ARI ($36): Domingue may seem like a logical choice here, but there's actually plenty of risk associated with Tampa Bay's pricey backup. Arizona's offense has come alive with 15 goals over the past four games while Tampa Bay will be playing the second leg of a West Coast back-to-back. The former Coyotes netminder has been better with his new club but still sports a career 2.97 GAA and .907 save percentage, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him falter here.
CENTER
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM at NSH ($20): Nugent-Hopkins has 11 points in his last six games to mirror Connor McDavid's output over that span, but he remains $14 cheaper than his high-profile linemate. Edmonton's dynamic duo looks like it should continue to thrive regardless of who occupies the remaining spots on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit, making Nugent-Hopkins a strong choice regardless of opponent.
CENTER TO AVOID
David Krejci, BOS vs. MON ($18): Krejci has nine points in 10 games, but it's fair to question his ability to maintain that scoring pace considering he's put just 10 pucks on net in those 10 contests. He's also declined from 63 to 54 to 44 points over the previous three seasons, so the 32-year-old center is likely due for a downturn.
WINGS
Devante Smith-Pelly, WAS at CGY ($10): Smith-Pelly's the latest candidate to fill the revolving door on the top line alongside Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov while Tom Wilson serves his lengthy suspension. Against a Flames team that's allowing 3.60 goals per game, Smith-Pelly's set up to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by skating with two of the league's top scorers. He's a low-risk, high-reward option at the minimum price.
Alex DeBrincat, CHI at STL ($23): DeBrincat's making the leap to stardom in Year 2, as the 20-year-old winger already has 14 points (eight goals) through 10 games after a 52-point rookie season. He's recorded two points in each of Chicago's first two meetings with the Central Division rival Blues, and there's little reason to expect a drop-off in their third clash considering St. Louis is yielding 4.00 goals per game.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jaden Schwartz, STL vs. CHI ($20): Schwartz finally scored his first goal of the season Thursday, but he still has just three points and a minus-2 rating through seven appearances. Given his extensive injury history, it wouldn't be surprising to find out that he's operating at less than 100 percent. Either way, Schwartz carries plenty of rating downside with his team hemorrhaging goals.
Kyle Okposo, BUF at CLS ($18): Okposo hasn't surpassed the 12-minute mark in any of his last three games, dropping his season ice time average to fewer than 15 minutes. Couple his lack of ice time with a minus-6 rating, and Okposo's fighting an uphill battle to live up to an $18 valuation.
DEFENSEMEN
Seth Jones, CLS vs. BUF ($23): Jones has hit the ground running after a sprained MCL kept him out to start the season. In two games since making his return, Jones has piled up eight shots and five blocks while averaging north of 25 minutes played per game, plus he's already scored a goal. Deploy him with confidence against the Sabres, as Jones' price is likely to creep up soon if he keeps playing like this.
Will Butcher, NJ vs. FLA ($14): Butcher's a power-play specialist; all four of his points this season have come with the extra man, as did 23 of his 44 points last season. There's no better time to deploy a player with his skill set than against a Panthers team that's killing off penalties at a league-worst rate of 66.7 percent.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Henri Jokiharju, CHI at STL ($17): Jokiharju's six points -- all assists -- in 10 games look appetizing, but just one of those has come in the past seven games, as he's cooled down after a hot start. Ditto for his plus-5 rating, which is even over the past seven contests. Chicago should rack up some goals in this matchup, but Jokiharju's teammates are likely to be the ones doing the scoring.
Nick Leddy, NYI at PHI ($18): While the Flyers have an exploitable 67.6 percent penalty kill and Leddy skates on the Islanders' top power-play unit, there's little reason to believe he'll actually capitalize on this opportunity given that he's yet to record a point through eight games this season. On the flip side, Leddy's rating is a major risk factor considering he sits at minus-4 after last season's league-worst minus-42 finish.
