This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Saturday's expansive NHL slate covers 14 games and begins at 1:00 PM Eastern time. While there are plenty of options to choose from, certain players stand out as guys to target or avoid at their respective valuations. Read on to see who falls into which category.
GOALIE
Jordan Binnington, STL vs. NSH ($33): Binnington's emergence has propelled the Blues back into the playoff picture, and the rookie netminder's showing no signs of slowing down. His shutout of the league-best Lightning offense Thursday improved Binnington's record to 8-1-1 while lowering his GAA to 1.70 and raising his save percentage to .931. That was also his fourth consecutive victory, and a fifth could be on its way against a Nashville club that's scored a pedestrian 22 goals over its last eight games.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Devan Dubnyk, MIN at NJ ($34): This seems like a great matchup on its face, but there are a few too many red flags to trust Dubnyk at $34 here. He's had trouble finding consistency recently, winning just three of his past eight starts while accumulating a sub-.900 save percentage over those eight contests. A Devils team that's 13-8-5 in its own building won't make it easy on Dubnyk.
CENTER
Dylan Larkin, DET at BUF ($23): Larkin missed a game with an oblique injury but returned in style with two assists Thursday. That performance gives him four goals and 10 points in his past seven games played, as Detroit's best player is making a serious push to reach a point-per-game pace this season with 51 points through 53 appearances. Larkin should get another step closer to that goal against a Sabres team that's allowed 45 goals in its last 10 games.
CENTER TO AVOID
Carl Soderberg, COL at NYI ($16): Soderberg's an inconsistent producer who struggles in his own end, which isn't a recipe for fantasy success against the league's stingiest defensive team (2.34 goals allowed per game). The 33-year-old Swede has a minus-14 rating over his past 24 games, and while he's delivered a trio of multi-point performances in that span, Soderberg's posted just three points in the other 21 games.
WINGS
Travis Konecny, PHI vs. ANH ($17): Philadelphia's 8-0-1 in its last nine games, and Konecny's contributed to that success with three goals and four assists over the past seven contests. The streaky forward has a great chance to keep rolling against a Ducks club that's dropped six consecutive contests and sports a league-worst minus-51 goal differential.
Anders Lee, NYI vs. COL ($20): Lee's mired in a seven-game point drought, but owners looking for an against the grain option should give the big-bodied forward serious consideration. Despite the recent slump, Lee still leads his team in both goals (18) and power-play goals (eight). That latter category is especially relevant since Colorado has struggled on the penalty kill, so look for Lee's netfront presence to cause trouble for the Avalanche's fourth-worst, 76.3 percent man-down unit.
WINGS TO AVOID
Brandon Pirri, VGK vs. CLS ($21): Pirri was held off the scoresheet in each of his past six games prior to getting scratched Thursday, skating just 11:42 in his last appearance. Even if he's reinserted into the lineup for this one, the slumping winger will have a hard time living up to his $21 valuation given his decreasing role.
Phil Kessel, PIT at TB ($25): Kessel has relied heavily on the power play to make up for his poor defensive play -- he's scored 23 of his 57 points with the extra man while posting a minus-15 rating. The Lightning's second-ranked, 84.6 percent penalty kill is likely to stifle Kessel's power-play production while Tampa Bay's league-best offense (3.76 goals per game) is primed to add to Kessel's rating woes.
DEFENSEMEN
Jacob Trouba, WPG at OTT ($18): Trouba's provided spectacular all-around value over his past 14 games, averaging 10.1 fantasy points per contest over that span while producing at a point-per-game pace offensively. He's long been a steady presence on the blue line, but Trouba appears to have taken a step forward on the other end as well at age 24. Trouba gets a great opportunity to keep growing offensively in this matchup with a Senators team that's surrendering a league-high 3.69 goals per game.
Darnell Nurse, EDM vs. SJ ($20): Nurse is the another young blueliner who's coming into his own offensively. Over his past 27 games, the seventh overall selection in the 2013 draft has 22 points. A Sharks team that's surrendering 3.72 goals per game on the road is unlikely to slow Nurse down.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
John Klingberg, DAL at ARI ($21): Klingberg relies heavily on the power play for his production, with half of his 26 points this season coming in extra-man situations. That key component of his game is much more likely than not to be neutralized by Arizona's league-best, 84.8 percent penalty kill. Throw in Dallas' 10-13-3 road record and Klingberg starts to look even less appealing here.
P.K. Subban, NSH at STL ($21): Subban's in the midst of an eight-game point drought and has just one multi-point game and two goals in his past 26 appearances. Don't expect him to get back on track against Binnington and the Blues.
