This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
It's a whopping 13-game slate, and that doesn't make it easy for daily fantasy players. With so many options, you need to narrow it down. Action begins at 7:00 p.m. ET, so read on to help set your line up before the first puck drops.
GOALIE
Alexandar Georgiev, NYR at OTT ($28): Georgiev was lights out after the All-Star break last season, posting a .929 save percentage and 2.45 GAA over 12 games. He'll now make his 2019-20 season debut against the Senators, who ranked 17th in the league last year with 2.96 goals per game. Their offense looks improved this year after scoring three goals on the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, but so did the Rangers' attack to begin the year, setting Georgiev up well for a win and plenty of upside.
GOALIE TO AVOID
MacKenzie Blackwood, NJ at BUF ($27): Blackwood entered Friday's game with a two-goal lead after Cory Schneider (leg) was injured, and he gave up two goals on nine shots and eventually lost in a shootout. He was originally slated for Saturday's start, so the Devils will likely stick with him. This will be a tough game on the road coming off an emotional loss, and his price tag doesn't account for that risk.
CENTER
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM vs. LA ($18): After getting blanked Opening Night against the Canucks, Nugent-Hopkins is set up well for a bounce-back game. This is the Kings' opener following a season in which they allowed 3.16 goals per game, 21st in the league. The Kings' question marks on defense remain, and you better believe all eyes will be on Connor McDavid. That leaves Nugent-Hopkins with plenty of opportunities for nearly half the price.
CENTER TO AVOID
Jack Hughes, NJ at BUF ($20): Maybe it's that top-pick shine driving Hughes' price above the rest of the Devils' centers despite playing on the third line, but it doesn't matter what the reason is because he appears overpriced. Hughes will be a star in this league at some point, but he didn't look like it in Friday's loss to the Jets with a minus-1 rating and just one shot on net. Until he looks more comfortable in the show, the 18-year-old should be stayed away from in these formats.
WING
Artemi Panarin, NYR at OTT ($25): Panarin posted two points (one goal, one assist) in his debut with the Blueshirts, and he continues to be underpriced in this format. He showed immediate chemistry with Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich, and his goal came on the power play. Panarin has had success against the Senators in the past as well, scoring two goals and dishing out eight assists in 10 career games. They're poised to slip a few pucks by Craig Anderson.
Samuel Blais, STL vs. DAL ($10): Blais' physical style of play made him a perfect fit to flank a line of Conn Smythe Trophy winner Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron. This unit was easily the Blues' best in the season opener, accounting for the team's only even-strength goal, which Blais scored. The 23-year-old comes at a bargain while being surrounded by top-notch talent, making him one of the slate's strongest value plays.
WINGS TO AVOID
Ilya Mikheyev, TOR vs. MON ($34): Mikheyev's whopping price tag is an overreaction to his two-point NHL debut. He's priced among the likes of Nikita Kucherov and Alex Ovechkin, which is a place even Mitch Marner doesn't reside. Don't fall into the trap of thinking Mikheyev can be stacked with the other Leafs. He's a third-line winger without power-play minutes who is probably worth half the price.
Zach Parise, MIN at COL ($21): The Wild's top line played so poorly in the season opener that Parise finished with less than 12 minutes of even-strength time. As a result, coach Bruce Boudreau has already broken up the unit and sent Parise to the third line to work with Luke Kunin and Jordan Greenway, two young, albeit promising, skaters. Opportunities will be few for Parise with that assignment, creating plenty of risk.
DEFENSE
Dougie Hamilton, CAR at WAS ($20): Hamilton tallied two assists -- one on the power play -- Opening Night, and he would've had a nice floor even without the points by firing five pucks on net and blocking two shots. He had the Capitals' number in the playoffs last year, too, posting six points (three goals, three assists) in the seven-game series. The Caps will be playing their third game in four days, and they've allowed a goal to a defenseman in each of their outings so far.
Kevin Shattenkirk, TB at FLA ($18): An immediate producer for the Lightning with a goal, five shots on net and three blocked shots in his first game for the team, Shattenkirk will look to repeat that performance against the same team. He logged 22:19 including power-play minutes, and he'll continue to have plenty of opportunities lined up next to Victor Hedman.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Justin Faulk, STL vs. DAL ($17): Faulk was a great value in the season opener and he came through with a power-play assist. He has since been bumped to the third pairing next to puck-moving blueliner Vince Dunn. It's not that Dunn's a bad partner, but Faulk's even-strength ice time will plummet in this position while his power-play minutes lose value against a Stars penalty kill that ranked fifth last year at 82.8 percent.
Erik Johnson, COL vs. MIN ($18): Johnson hasn't surpassed 25 points in three straight years, and he averaged less than two shots on net last season. He's still logging plenty of ice time, but the Avalanche are deploying him in a more conservative role in which he's started 52.7 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone. Furthermore, he's struggled against Minnesota in his career with just nine points in 40 contests.
