This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
GOALIE
Carter Hutton, BUF vs. ARI ($36): Hutton didn't play Tuesday, but he was on the bench following an injury absence, which means he'll likely be ready to get a start Thursday. It will be a good time for him to return, as the Coyotes have only scored 2.59 goals per game. On top of that, the Sabres are particularly strong at home, as they have a 10-3-2 record in their own rink.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Frederik Andersen, TOR at TAM ($32): Andersen is having a stellar year, as he has a 2.44 GAA and .928 save percentage. This is going to be a tough game for him, though. He's faced a lot of shots this season (33.6 per game) and that's not a good sign in this matchup. The Lightning lead the league with 4.00 goals per game, and Tampa is on a seven-game win streak to boot.
CENTER
Pierre-Luc Dubois, CLM vs. LOS ($21): Dubois was good as a rookie, but he's taken his game to a whole new level as a sophomore. He's got a symmetrical 13 goals and 13 assists through 30 games. The 20-year-old has also averaged 2:53 per game on the power play. In addition to having a 3.06 GAA, the Kings have the 28th-ranked penalty kill.
CENTER TO AVOID
Elias Pettersson, VAN at NAS ($22): Pettersson has routinely made skeptics look foolish, but skepticism is still warranted. The rookie has a 28.1 shooting percentage, which is simply not sustainable. Now he's facing a Predators team with a 2.48 GAA, which is lowest in the NHL. They're even better with Pekka Rinne in net, as the big Finn leads the NHL with a 1.91 GAA.
WING
William Nylander, TOR at TAM ($17): Nylander has only played in three games thanks to his lengthy holdout, but he's started 60.0 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second most on the Leafs, and he has two points. Plus, he has 61 points in each of his last two seasons, so we know what he can do. Andrei Vasilevskiy has an outside chance of getting his first start in a month, but the odds seem to be that Louis Domingue will be in net. Domingue has a 2.95 GAA and .905 save percentage.
Craig Smith, NAS vs. VAN ($17): Smith has started a whopping 68.4 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, and he's also put 94 shots on goal through 31 games. That's started to pay off more recently, as he has three goals and five points in his last five contests. Now he's going up against a Canucks team with a 3.30 GAA.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jamie Benn, DAL at SJ ($25): Benn is having another great season, but the Stars are the only team on the second game of a back-to-back Thursday. On top of that, he's on the road against a Sharks team that has a 2.47 GAA at home, and has only allowed 27.6 shots on goal in their own arena. San Jose also has the third-ranked penalty kill.
Mike Hoffman, FLA at MIN ($24): Hoffman has gotten off to a hot start to the season, although his 14.0 shooting percentage is a career high. That's sustainable, sure, but there are still reasons for questions in this matchup. Primarily, my concern is that 14 of Hoffman's 29 points have come on the power play, while the Wild have the second-ranked penalty kill.
DEFENSE
Dougie Hamilton, CAR at MON ($16): I like Hamilton as a player, despite the fact he only has 10 points, because he's incredibly active offensively. The 25-year-old has 103 shots on goal through 29 games, and his 2.9 shooting percentage is bound to improve. Maybe luck will be on his side against Montreal. After all, the Canadiens have a 3.26 GAA and .895 save percentage.
Jake Muzzin, LOS at CLM ($16): After a slow start, Muzzin is starting to pick up the pace on offense. He's notched six points in his last six games, and added 10 blocked shots as well. The Blue Jackets have been puzzlingly poor defensively this season. They have a 3.37 GAA and .891 save percentage as a team.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Shea Weber, MON vs. CAR ($24): Weber has looked good since returning from injury, as he has five points in seven games. However, it will be hard for him to be as active as he usually is, as the Hurricanes have given up a league-low 27.5 shots on net per contest. They also have the 14th-ranked penalty kill.
Alexander Edler, VAN at NAS ($19): Edler has played well since returning from his injury, but of course this is not an easy matchup. As previously noted, Pekka Rinne has a 1.91 GAA, not to mention a .932 save percentage. It would be hard to recommend anybody on the road against Nashville, and while Edler is quite good, he's not at the elite level.
