This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
GOALIE
Elvis Merzlikins, CLS vs. ANH ($27): Merzlikins has been remarkable at home this season with a .935 save percentage, a 2.20 GAA and a 9-1-0 record. The Ducks aren't slouches anymore, as they rank 10th in the league with 3.26 goals per game. But Merzlikins comes at a massive discount, especially because counterpart John Gibson has a 3.37 GAA on the road this year.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jonathan Quick, LA vs. DAL ($34): Quick has defied everything we thought we knew about 35-year-old goaltenders with his .926 save percentage through the first two months of the season. However, he has registered a .906 save percentage and an 0-2-2 record over his last four starts at home. Meanwhile, Dallas is red hot with at least three goals in each of its seven straight wins.
CENTER
Dylan Larkin, DET at STL ($21): Jordan Binnington is in the COVID-19 protocols, and Ville Husso has a lower-body injury. Charlie Lindgren – a 27-year-old netminder with just eight NHL appearances over the last three seasons – will start in the crease for the Blues. Lindgren has put together an uninspiring career, so Larkin has a solid opportunity to add to the 21 points (10 goals, 11 helpers) he has accrued through 22 outings.
CENTER TO AVOID
Elias Lindholm, CGY vs. CAR ($29): Lindholm's salary has been inflated, but he's producing extremely well with 26 points in as many games. At this point, you're taking a high risk in this salary range considering the Hurricanes PK (87.0 percent) ranks third in the league. Nine of Lindholm's points have come with the man advantage this year.
WING
Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG at SEA ($22): Ehlers produced at least 20 goals in each of the last five seasons, and he's on pace to reach that mark once again with 10 goals through 25 games. He's shooting plenty with 98 shots on goal, scoring on 10.2 percent of his shots, which is 2.0 percent lower than his career low. We could even see some positive regression in the scoring department for him. Thursday's matchup couldn't be any better, as Seattle ranks 29th in the league with a 3.56 GAA.
Jordan Kyrou, STL vs. DET ($17): Kyrou leads the Blues with 25 points and is just two goals shy of Brandon Saad (11) for the goal lead. His ice time has increased to 17:20 over the last six games, and he has averaged 2.5 shots per game. With eight points on the power play this year, his potential is high against Detroit's 27th-ranked PK (74.7 percent).
WINGS TO AVOID
Troy Terry, ANH at CLS ($21): Terry has enjoyed a breakout season with 15 goals through 26 games, matching his total from the previous three seasons combined. However, his usage suggests this production is unsustainable. Terry has averaged 15:45 of ice time through the last eight games while firing just 10 total shots on goal.
Teuvo Teravainen, CAR at CGY ($20): Teravainen is shooting at a higher rate than he did last season with 2.8 shots per game, producing six goals and 11 assists through 24 games. However, the 27-year-old will have a tough test Thursday. The Flames lead the league with a 2.15 GAA, and their PK comes in fifth at 84.8 percent.
DEFENSE
Seth Jones, CHI vs. MON ($19): Jones is generating offense at the best pace of his career during his first season in Chicago, recording three goals and 22 points – seven with the man advantage – through 25 games. The 27-year-old provides a solid floor on a nightly basis with 68 shots and 53 blocked shots over that stretch. We're looking at his ceiling tonight, though, as the Canadiens' PK (72.3 percent) ranks 29th in the league.
Erik Karlsson, SJ vs. MIN ($19): Karlsson is only 31 years old, so it's not surprising that he's seemingly back on track with seven goals and 16 points through 20 games. He does a lot of his damage with the man advantage. The Wild's defense is simply mediocre both at full strength and down a man, so Karlsson draws an intriguing opportunity to pay off for fantasy players tonight.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Darnell Nurse, EDM vs. BOS ($21): Nurse relies heavily on the power play to produce for fantasy purposes. Five of his 12 points have been with the man advantage. The 26-year-old still handles a major workload, but fantasy players should try looking elsewhere because the Bruins rank sixth in the league with an 84.7 percent penalty kill.
Alex Goligoski, MIN at SJ ($18): Goligoski is enjoying an excellent start to his first year in Minnesota, putting up two goals and 14 assists through 22 games. It's difficult to see how he keeps up this pace considering he has directed just 22 shots on net so far. At the very least, he's worth fading Thursday against the Sharks' 11th-ranked defense (2.69 GAA).
