This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Wednesday's NHL slate features five games beginning at 7:00 PM Eastern time. Read on to see which players to target and which ones to avoid in this modest slate.
GOALIE
Jake Allen, STL at DET ($21): Allen has turned things around after a dismal start, allowing a total of 10 goals over his past six appearances (five starts). At just $21, he's an obvious choice against a Red Wings team that's averaged only 2.75 goals per game this season.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Philipp Grubauer, COL vs. PIT ($29): Grubauer's won five of his past seven starts, but he's also surrendered three or more goals in five of those games, including one performance with seven goals allowed. Even with the Penguins playing the second leg of a back-to-back, Pittsburgh's top-10 offense is likely to make it a tough night for Grubauer.
CENTER
Dylan Larkin, DET vs. STL ($19): Larkin's been an exception to Detroit's offensive ineptitude, with 32 shots on net in the past six games. He has just two goals and an assist over that stretch, but Larkin's been sound defensively as well with a plus-3 rating and no negative performances. Even if his massive shot totals don't start yielding more goals, Larkin's providing strong value for $19 with the rest of his game.
CENTER TO AVOID
Logan Couture, SJ at TOR ($22): There's little reason to pick Couture over fellow $22 Sharks center Joe Pavelski, and neither makes much sense on the road against a Maple Leafs team that's outscoring opponents 3.52 to 2.56 on average. Pavelski has 15 goals and a plus-2 rating to Couture's eight goals and minus-7 rating.
WINGS
Pontus Aberg, ANH at FLA ($12): Aberg already has a pair of two-goal games this season, and there aren't many other $12 forwards playing on their team's top power-play unit. Florida's 75.7 percent penalty kill is the worst in this slate, so that prominent role with the extra man could well translate to production here.
Mike Hoffman, FLA vs. ANH ($23): Hoffman has points in 19 of his past 20 games, recording 12 goals and 11 assists over that span. His gaudy total of 70 shots over the past 16 games suggest this level of production could just be the new normal for Hoffman. Grab him at $23 before his price climbs any further.
WINGS TO AVOID
Colton Sceviour, FLA vs. ANH ($16): Sceviour doesn't play or produce enough to justify a $16 valuation. He played just 12:21 Monday, bringing his season ice time average down to 12:59. Sceviour hasn't earned more ice time with just five points this season.
Rickard Rakell, ANH at FLA ($21): Rakell remains an overpriced underperformer. His valuation is buoyed by the fact that he's coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 33 goals, but he's on pace for just 13 this season. Among wingers priced at $19 or more, only Anthony Mantha (5.6) averages fewer fantasy points than Rakell's 6.3.
DEFENSEMEN
Samuel Girard, COL vs. PIT ($11): Girard was the biggest beneficiary of Tyson Barrie's (lower body) absence Tuesday, logging 20:05 of ice time and showcasing his own offensive skills with two assists. Most of Girand's 11 points have come on the power play, so the talent is there. Look for that talent to shine through against a tired Penguins team with a suspect defense.
Mark Giordano, CGY vs. EDM ($22): Giordano's all-around ability rivals that if anybody in this slate. He's chipped in 22 points and a plus-13 rating while ranking near the top of the leaderboard among defensemen in shots and blocks. Giordano offers both a high floor and a high offensive ceiling against a Stars team that got shut out by Edmonton on Tuesday.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Erik Karlsson, SJ at TOR ($24): Karlsson's disappeared again after a brief offensive outburst, posting 0.6 and 0.0 fantasy points in the past two games. He's scored fewer than 5.0 fantasy points in 10 of the past 14 games, and another dud is the most likely outcome in this difficult matchup.
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. SJ ($27): Riley's often lived up to his $27 valuation, but this may not be one of those times. He's relied on the power play for 10 of his 27 points, and San Jose's top-ranked penalty kill is likely to cut off that source of offense.
