This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Saturday's NHL slate is a busy one, with 13 games on tap beginning at 1:00 PM Eastern time. Sorting through all the available options to find the most fantasy-friendly situations is key for building the most effective lineups, and the recommendations below can help you do just that while avoiding players primed to underperform.
GOALIE
Sergei Bobrovsky, CLS vs. CHI ($26): Bobrovsky was blown out by the Lightning in his lone road start, but the two-time Vezina Trophy winner has been passable at home with a 2-1-0 record and eight goals allowed on 97 shots for a .918 save percentage. At just $26, he's a nice buy-low candidate against a Blackhawks team that's yet to record a regulation win through six games.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jonathan Quick, LA vs. BUF ($35): Many will be tempted to look Quick's way at home against the Sabres, but this matchup carries much more risk than immediately meets the eye. A lower-body injury has limited Quick to two appearances this season, and he's struggled in both, compiling a 4.82 GAA and .855 save percentage.
CENTER
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM vs. NSH ($18): Connor McDavid has scored or assisted on 11 of Edmonton's 13 goals this season, so it's a good idea to utilize a player that shares the ice with him on both the top line and No. 1 power-play unit. Nugent-Hopkins has been on fire himself with seven points in the last three games, so he's a nice value at $18 against a Predators team that's playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
CENTER TO AVOID
Steven Stamkos, TB at MIN ($26): Stamkos scored his first goal of the season Thursday, but he's still got just two points through five games and a paltry average of only 5.1 fantasy points per contest. There's some upside to be found in the Lightning lineup against a Wild team that's finishing a back-to-back set, but it's tough to justify spending $26 on Stamkos given his slow start.
WINGS
Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG vs. ARI ($17): Ehlers is coming off consecutive seasons over 60 points, but he's currently available at a discount after starting this campaign with a five-game point drought. He's since turned things around with three assists over the last two games, and it's only a matter of time until the 22-year-old Dane starts to light the lamp as well considering he scored 25 goals in 2016-17 and 29 last season.
Kyle Palmieri, NJ at PHI ($24): Palmieri's off to a phenomenal start, having scored seven goals in his team's first five games while registering a power-play point in every outing. The Flyers are killing off only 74.1 percent of penalties and are allowing the second-most goals per game in the league at 4.43, so Palmieri should have no problem continuing his hot start against them here.
WINGS TO AVOID
Brock Boeser, VAN vs. BOS ($24): Boeser has a respectable four points in seven games, but his rating is already down at minus-4. If Vancouver tries to match top lines with Boston's stellar trio of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, the young forward's at risk of taking another major step back rating-wise.
Andrei Svechnikov, CAR vs. COL ($18): Carolina has five wingers priced at $17 or $18, and Svechnikov's the least effective of the bunch at the moment. The Russian rookie has the fewest points (four) and the lowest average ice time (13:05) of the group, so there's little reason to pick him over the alternatives in that price range.
DEFENSEMEN
Dennis Cholowski, DET at FLA ($16): The $16 range is filled with safe, high-floor defensemen, but Cholowski doesn't fit that mold. The 2016 first-rounder is a risky upside pick who has three points, 11 shots and 11 blocks to go with a minus-5 rating through Detroit's first five games. While he's exposed to a lot of rating risk playing over 22 minutes per night on a winless Red Wings club, Cholowski has the offensive skills and opportunity to capitalize on this favorable matchup against a Panthers team that's off to a slow start itself and playing its second game in as many nights.
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. STL ($24): Rielly had a streak of double-digit fantasy point performances snapped at six Thursday, but he's in position to start a new such streak at home against the Blues. St. Louis netminder Jake Allen enters this contest with a 3.91 GAA and .877 save percentage, while Rielly leads all NHL defensemen with 13 points through his team's first eight games.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Alex Pietrangelo, STL at TOR ($24): Pietrangelo's off to a horrendous start with no points and a minus-6 rating through six games. That rating is in danger of taking another hit against a Maple Leafs team that leads the league with 4.13 goals per game.
Shayne Gostisbehere, PHI vs. NJ ($22): Gostisbehere's a high-risk, high-reward play with four points and a minus-4 rating through seven games. The risk outweighs the reward in this matchup, as New Jersey's outscored opponents 4.0-1.8 on average through five games.
