This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Friday night has six games with plenty of East vs. West flavor. Players from Chicago and Dallas have the most upside, both facing teams in the bottom half of the league. For the other teams, it really depends on which narrative you want to believe in.
Henrik Lundqvist is one of the best goalies in the league, but scoring goals hasn't been a problem for the Avs recently, with 12 goals in their last three games. A dominant performance on defense for the Rangers could distance themselves from the Islanders, while a strong performance on offense for the Avs would give them a little more hope that they can salvage their season.
Edmonton will have to prove it can still compete without Connor McDavid, and it has a tough test against Pittsburgh. If the Oilers get blown out, it might be just another gut shot to their confidence. If the Pens can score some goals, maybe it's a sign that they're really turning it around.
Corey Perry finally broke his goose egg, but has the Ducks offense finally recaptured its swagger? Meanwhile, Sergei Bobrovsky and the Blue Jackets are coming off an impressive 5-2 win over San Jose, so it seems like they're turning around a corner as well. With Frederik Andersen playing well, you wonder if this will feature many goals.
GOALIE
Antti Niemi, DAL at CAR ($34) -Henrik Lundqvist, Corey Crawford and Marc-Andre Fleury also have really good matchups against the Avs, Devils and Oilers, respectively, but the trio comes $5 more than Niemi. Sure, Niemi's numbers aren't very good (2.77 GAA, .908 SV%) but the league's best offensive team should be able to outscore the Hurricanes easily. If peripherals don't matter and you just want the win, Niemi's a decent option.
Goalie to Avoid
Petr Mrazek, DET at TOR ($34) - Mrazek sports a .921 SV% and 2.67 GAA in six starts but he's also gone L-L-W-L-W and the inconsistency has me running away from this pick as much as possible. It's just too dicey at that salary, and while the Leafs aren't very good, they've played much better lately, beating Dallas and putting up a good fight against Winnipeg.
CENTER
Tyler Seguin, DAL at CAR ($30) - The best bet in the business along with linemate Jamie Benn. He comes at a premium, but do you really want to miss out on this guy? There's some big names out there, including Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, Evgeni Malkin and Eric Staal, but I think you could make a very convincing argument that his offensive ceiling is already well beyond any of those other guys.
Center to Avoid:
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM vs. PIT ($19) - How big is losing Connor McDavid going to be for the Oilers? And The Nuge's offensive production? The Nuge was able to take advantage of some weaker matchups when opposing teams concentrated on McDavid, but now that McDavid is hurt, he won't get that benefit anymore. Has The Nuge taken a step or just simply taken advantage of a good situation? He enters the game with a six-game points streak, but Marc-Andre Fleury has shut the door all season.
WING
Jamie Benn, DAL at CAR ($30) - Ren and Stimpy. Beavis and Butthead. Mulder and Scully. Chandler and Joey. Benn and Seguin. If you do end up taking Seguin, which is recommended, you might as well take Benn and get one of the most iconic duos ever.
Chris Kreider, NYR at COL ($19) - Presumably, you're looking for that wild-card player to give you the win. Kreider has just five points in 12 games this year, but he's been playing well and it's only a matter of time before the power forward starts potting goals in a hurry. Among wingers less than $20, he has quite a bit of upside and he's just waiting for that breakout game.
Wings to Avoid:
Pascal Dupuis, PIT at EDM ($20) - He's 36, scored just once in six games this season and it would be a pretty big accomplishment for him if he scores 20 goals again. With so many better scoring options, Dupuis isn't a smart pick.
Jarome Iginla, COL vs. NYR ($23) - It's feast or famine for the other aging veteran on this list. Iginla has gone five games without a point this season, but also has three multi-point games. Against Lundqvist and the Rangers it's going to be tough to score, and at that price, there's plenty of other options available.
DEFENSEMEN
Brent Seabrook, CHI at NJ ($20) - He's a on a seven-game points streak and increasing his offensive production since Duncan Keith went under the knife. The Blackhawks have been a little up-and-down, but one thing that has been really consistent is Seabrook's strong play. The only thing preventing Seabrook from walking away from a few points is Cory Schneider.
Tyson Barrie, COL vs. NYR ($20) - After a slow start it looks like Barrie is heating up with five assists in his last two games. As usual, he should be shooting the puck a lot more, but a point is a point, and in Colorado he has a lot of options on offense. Scoring on the Rangers will be difficult, but Barrie is elite on offense and shouldn't be fazed.
Defensemen to Avoid:
Sami Vatanen, ANH vs. CLS ($20) - He's scored in only two games this year even though his ice time has crept up from 16:43 in the season opener to 25:10 most recently against the Panthers. The Ducks may be turning a corner on offense but until they can string together some wins and settle down it's best just to stay away from them altogether.
Olli Maatta, PIT at EDM ($18) - He's played more than 19 minutes twice this season and usually hovers around the 16-minute range, and Kris Letang remains the Pens' workhorse. Other than back-to-back games with an assist, Maatta has remained relatively quiet all season. Although the Oilers should provide him with plenty of opportunities to score, it's not like the Pens offense has been running smoothly, either.
