This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
We need to cherish these full days of NHL action while we still have them. Take this Thursday for example. There are 10 games on the slate. You won't get that in the playoffs. Of course, you also won't get teams like the Red Wings in action. It's a balance of positives and negatives. Speaking of which, here are the players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Carey Price, MON vs. BUF ($31): Price isn't exactly in the running for the Vezina, but over his last 20 games he has a 2.65 GAA and .913 save percentage. Meanwhile, the Sabres have only managed 29.3 shots on net per contest. That's the second fewest in the NHL, with only the Red Wings performing worse than that.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Brian Elliott, PHI at TAM ($29): I was all set to recommend avoiding Carter Hart because he has been decidedly worse on the road than at home (which is true of the Flyers as a whole). However, then I found out Elliott is starting. He has a 2.87 GAA and .899 save percentage, so it's even easier to suggest avoiding him in this matchup. After all, the Lightning have scored 3.47 goals per game, most in the league.
CENTER
Dylan Larkin, DET at WAS ($19): Larkin has done his best to keep the Detroit offense afloat down the stretch. Over his last 10 games he's notched 13 points, and he's put 35 shots on goal in that time. The Capitals have actually not been so strong recently, at least defensively. In fact, they have a 3.50 GAA after the All-Star break, highest in the NHL.
CENTER TO AVOID
Aleksander Barkov, FLA at DAL ($27): While Barkov has 62 points in 66 games, he's been held without a point in his last six outings. That'll change eventually, but maybe not in this matchup. The Stars have a 2.24 GAA at home, second lowest in the league.
WING
T.J. Oshie, WAS vs. DET ($20): Oshie has tallied 26 goals on the season, including 10 with the extra man. Now he's facing a Red Wings team with a 3.73 GAA, worst in the NHL. They also have the league's worst penalty kill, so Oshie's acumen on the power play could pay off big time.
Jordan Eberle, NYI at CGY ($18): Eberle has started 57.2 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second highest among Islanders forwards. He's also averaged 2:36 with the extra man and notched 11 power-play points in 58 games. While New York is on the road, that may not be a reason for concern here. The Flames have a 3.36 GAA at home, which is tied for second highest in the NHL.
WINGS TO AVOID
Brock Boeser, VAN at ARI ($21): Boeser just returned from injury, and it's interesting that he only played 48 seconds with the extra man. He's averaged 4:07 in power-play time this year, so without all that time with the extra man, his fantasy value drops. Of course, the Coyotes have the fifth-ranked penalty kill, so Boeser could be out of luck either way.
Kyle Palmieri, NJD vs. CAR ($17): Palmieri has notched 18 power-play points in 65 games, although he also has a 16.1 shooting percentage, highest in his career. The Hurricanes have only allowed 29.3 shots on net per game, second fewest in the NHL. They also have Petr Mrazek back from injury, so they no longer have to rely on third-string goalie Anton Forsberg in net.
DEFENSE
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI vs. VAN ($17): Ekman-Larsson hasn't had the kind of season we may have expected, but recently he's picked up his play a bit. Over his last six games he's registered six points. As for the Canucks, they have a 3.50 GAA on the road, and have given up 33.3 shots on net per game in those matchups as well.
Jeff Petry, MON vs. BUF ($16): Petry has double-digit goals and 40 points for the third straight season. He's also notched 12 power-play points in 71 games. The Sabres have a 3.12 GAA, but they also have the 30th-ranked penalty kill.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Mark Giordano, CGY vs. NYI ($20): Giordano has had a rough year, and the fact he only has five goals in 60 games is a clear sign of that. The big reason for that is that his shooting percentage has fallen to 3.2. Even being at home isn't likely to bring any respite for the veteran defenseman, as the Islanders have a 2.73 GAA on the road, top five in the league.
Ivan Provorov, PHI at TAM ($18): Provorov has notched 36 points in 69 games, but bear in mind the Flyers are a much worse team on the road than at home. Also, 16 of the Russian's points have come with the extra man, but he only has three power-play points in his last 28 contests. Meanwhile, since the start of the new year Andrei Vasilevskiy has a 2.16 GAA and .930 save percentage over 24 games.
