This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
GOALIE
Mike Smith, EDM at CHI ($26): Smith has disappointed this season, but with goaltender salaries getting inflated, we can be happy with this discount Thursday. Chicago has lost eight of their last 11 games while averaging a mere 2.45 goals per game. Smith's floor is in the negatives, so steer clear in cash games, but he's an intriguing GPP option.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Thatcher Demko, VAN at NYI ($31): Demko has put together a solid season, but his numbers take a hit on the road as he has recorded a .907 percentage and a 2.88 GAA away from his home barn. The Islanders have been a fierce opponent of late too, putting up 3.3 goals per game over their last seven outings.
CENTER
Nick Schmaltz, ARI vs. COL ($18): It's easy to fly under the radar in the desert, but Schmaltz should be getting far more credit right now. He's skating on the top line with PP1 duties, and he has put up nine goals and six assists across the last 14 games. The Avalanche are stout defensively, although it's worth noting that the Coyotes are 1-1-1 against the Avs this season.
CENTER TO AVOID
Jack Eichel, VGK vs. BOS ($26): Eichel has been solid but unspectacular since returning from neck surgery and making his Golden Knights debut, and his salary is starting to creep up to uncomfortable levels. His superstar status is intact, but this is expensive for his level of play thus far. I don't see him breaking out of his shell against the Bruins, who rank fifth in the league with a 2.67 GAA this year.
WING
Kevin Fiala, MIN at PHI ($17): Fiala signed a prove-it deal in August and continues to prove it each night, as he has recorded 11 goals, 24 points and 64 shots on net through 21 games since the calendar flipped to 2022. Carter Hart has a 2.88 GAA this season, and while Fiala hasn't had much success on the power play lately, the Flyers' 26th-ranked PK (76.3 percent) should provide a boost because he's still getting PP2 minutes.
Teuvo Teravainen, CAR at WAS ($23): Teravainen is on a heater right now with a point in nine straight games, totaling 12 points and 29 shots on net. Eight of those points came with the man advantage, and he'll take aim at the Capitals, who rank 16th in the league with an 80.1 percent penalty kill.
WINGS TO AVOID
Connor Brown, OTT at FLA ($21): Brown could reach a new career high in points this season, but he's averaging less than two shots per game while posting a minus-3 rating. His floor isn't great, and this matchup should be difficult, as Sergei Bobrovsky has a .919 save percentage at home this season.
Travis Konecny, PHI vs. MIN ($18): Konecny has scored just one goal over the last 14 games. He has managed to put up eight assists, but his minus-8 rating has been a dead weight on his fantasy value. Now, he'll face the suffocating Wild defense, which is backstopped by Kaapo Kahkonen. On the road this year, Kahkonen has a .922 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Aaron Ekblad, FLA vs. OTT ($27): Ekblad will be in the Norris Trophy conversation this season, as he has accrued 14 goals, 35 points, 158 shots on net and a plus-34 rating through 52 games. His well-rounded game is perfect for Yahoo DFS contests, and the matchup is ideal, too. The Senators rank 23rd in the league with a 3.17 GAA.
Samuel Girard, COL at ARI ($13): Girard has regressed this season, but his salary is way too low right now. The 23-year-old is still playing on the second pairing and PP2, and he's averaging a respectable 0.52 points per game this year. It's worth rolling the dice against Arizona's 30th-ranked PK (73.5 percent).
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
John Carlson, WAS vs. CAR ($22): Carlson has lacked much of a ceiling over the last two months, as he has just two multi-point games since Dec. 31. The star defenseman has posted five of his last 11 points on the power play too, and that dependency could be a liability against Carolina's top-ranked PK (89.9 percent). The Hurricanes also lead the league with a 2.38 GAA.
Ryan McDonagh, TB vs. PIT ($18): McDonagh provides a decent floor in terms of blocked shots, but he doesn't contribute consistently on offense, posting 15 shots on net and six assists across the last 13 games. His ceiling isn't high either, as he has just four multi-point games through 49 outings this year. Tristan Jarry, who has a .921 save percentage and a 2.33 GAA, will be in net for the Penguins.
