This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Wednesday's NHL slate features two games and begins at 8:00 PM Eastern time. Read on for players to target and players to avoid in these Oilers-Penguins and Canucks-Ducks matchups.
GOALIE
Matt Murray, PIT vs. EDM ($31): Murray's .914 save percentage is the best among the projected starting goalies in this slate, and he gets a nice chance to improve that number here. At $5 cheaper than Vancouver's Jacob Markstrom, Murray offers solid bang for the buck against a visiting Oilers club that's been outscored 3.35 to 2.84 on average this season.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Chad Johnson, ANH vs. VAN ($26): Johnson has struggled to a 3.63 GAA and .879 save percentage this season. Thrust into a starting role with injuries to each of Anaheim's top two netminders, the journeyman's unlikely to make significant improvement on his current stats playing behind a Ducks team that's been outscored 37-8 in dropping each of its past seven games.
CENTER
Sidney Crosby, PIT vs. EDM ($34): It's hard to go wrong with Crosby, who's provided strong all-around value with 24 goals, 65 points and a plus-18 rating. In a slate with so few alternatives, Crosby's worth paying up for against an Oilers team that gives up the fourth-most goals per game in the league.
CENTER TO AVOID
Adam Henrique, ANH vs. VAN ($13): It's tough to trust anybody on the reeling Ducks, but if you insist on using a center from the team, Ryan Getzlaf makes much more sense than Henrique. Getzlaf can be had for just $1 more and averages 5.9 fantasy points to Henrique's paltry 4.6.
WINGS
Josh Leivo, VAN at ANH ($14): Leivo is getting the opportunity of a lifetime, skating on a line with young studs Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser. He's making the most of this chance with three goals and three assists in the past seven games, but Leivo remains affordable at just $14. Leivo's price will undoubtedly climb if he keeps producing, so lock him in at $14 against the lowly Ducks while you still can.
Alex Chiasson, EDM at PIT ($15): Chiasson has benefited from Ty Rattie's (undisclosed) absence, moving up to the top line for the past two games and producing an assist in each. Rattie's a nice play at $14 if he suits up, but if he sits again, Chiasson makes for a terrific move at $1 more.
WINGS TO AVOID
Phil Kessel, PIT vs. EDM ($24): Kessel has slumped recently, posting one helper over the past six games while failing to light the lamp and adding a minus-3 rating. Teammate Jake Guentzel can be had for the same price, shares a line with Crosby at even strength unlike Kessel, and has five points (three goals) in his past six games.
Patric Hornqvist, PIT vs. EDM ($15): Hornqvist is another slumping Penguin, having failed to record a point in his last nine games while posting a minus-6 rating over that span. Perhaps still feeling the negative effects of his latest concussion, the Swedish power forward is best avoided until he shows signs of stirring offensively.
DEFENSEMEN
Darnell Nurse, EDM at PIT ($18): Nurse hasn't been deterred by fellow blueliner Oscar Klefbom's return from a hand injury, recording a goal and an assist in three games since Klefbom's been back. That production gives the burgeoning blueliner 22 points in his last 28 games. Such offensively capable defensemen aren't typically available for as little as $18.
Ben Hutton, VAN at ANH ($13): Hutton has been eating major minutes on Anaheim's blue line, eclipsing 22 minutes in each of his past 10 games while topping 23 in eight of those 10 contests. He should continue to get all the work he can handle while Alexander Edler is sidelined by a concussion, and Hutton's extended minutes are likely to pay off in this ideal matchup against the free-falling Ducks.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Oscar Klefbom, EDM at PIT ($17): While teammate Darnell Nurse has become the alpha dog on Edmonton's blue line, Klefbom has had a rough go of things since returning from injury. Klefbom has no points and a minus-2 rating in his first three games back, and it's best to wait until he shakes off the rust before deploying him, especially in a tough road matchup like this one.
Marcus Pettersson, PIT vs. EDM ($13): Pettersson averages the fewest fantasy points (3.8) of all blueliners in this slate that cost at least $13. While many of his teammates are explosive offensively, Pettersson certainly hasn't been with just one goal and 15 assists this season.
