Yahoo DFS Hockey: Saturday Picks

Yahoo DFS Hockey: Saturday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.

The main contests at Yahoo consist of the nine evening games beginning at 7 p.m. EST. Edmonton, Toronto, Vegas and Florida are the largest favorites on the docket. However, with Arizona and Montreal both checking out as favorable matchups, expect Detroit and Nashville players to also be popular. Additionally, it's worth noting the Maple Leafs, Flames, Islanders, Bruins, Coyotes, Blackhawks and Capitals are also all playing Sunday, so there could be a backup goalie or two starting Saturday. 

All statistics from Natural Stat Trick and Hockey Reference.

GOALIE

Alex Nedeljkovic, DET at ARI ($29): Look for a bounce-back showing from Nedeljkovic after allowing five goals on 39 shots through his past two appearances (one start). Arizona has only scored 23 five-on-five goals through 17 games and also rank last in goals per game, so the matchup should prove favorable.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Jacob Markstrom, CGY at NYI ($41): The Islanders will be playing their first home game of the season and will also be hitting the ice in the new UBS Arena for the first time. Additionally, New York skidded over the final four games of their lengthy road trip with four straight losses and a minus-15 goal differential. A spirited showing from the Isles should be expected, and a Markstrom ticket eats up over 20 percent of your salary cap. 

CENTER

Ryan Johansen, NSH at MON ($13): The Canadiens have surrendered the third-most goals per game in the league and rank fourth last in penalty-kill percentage, so Johansen's positioned for some statistical correction. He's only found the scoresheet once through the past six games after racking up four tallies and four helpers through his first 10 outings. 

CENTER TO AVOID

Sean Couturier, PHI at BOS ($22): With just a single helper through his past five outings, Couturier lands in a tough matchup to snap out of his offensive funk. The Bruins rank third in expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five, after all. 

WING

Filip Zadina, DET at ARI ($11): The Arizona defense is as bad as its offense, as the Coyotes have surrendered 3.82 goals per game -- the second most in the league. Zadina hasn't had a great start to the campaign with just three goals on 7.7 percent shooting through 19 contests. However, he's tied for the team lead with 85 shot attempts, so there's still value here at this salary.

Cole Caufield, MON vs. NSH ($10): The 20-year-old winger was a Calder Trophy hopeful entering the season, so with just a single assist through 11 games and a demotion to the AHL, it's been a disappointing start. Caufield is back skating with the top line and on the second power-play unit, though, and he's too talented to continue underperforming. 

WINGS TO AVOID

Bryan Rust, PIT at TOR ($22): Toronto ranks fourth in the league in goals against per game, and No. 1 goalie Jack Campbell enters with a .953 save percentage through his past four starts. In a deep player pool, there are probably more attractive options in Rust's salary range. He's also only reached double-digit fantasy points in three of nine games this year.

Travis Konecny, PHI at BOS ($19): Projected to skate down the lineup in a tough matchup against Boston, Konecny is probably a tough start at this salary. After all, since a solid start to the campaign, he's recorded just two goals and three assists through his latest 12 contests. 

DEFENSE

John Carlson, WAS at SJ ($21): The Sharks boast a league-high penalty kill percentage, so Carlson's popularity could take a hit Saturday. However, San Jose is almost certainly eyeing statistical correction while short-handed, and Carlson ranks second in points per 60 minutes among defensemen over the past three seasons. 

Tyson Barrie, EDM vs. CHI ($16): With just 1.58 points per 60 minutes this season, Barrie is a candidate for positive offensive regression. The power-play quarterback recorded a 2.4 mark last season. Additionally, the Blackhawks shouldn't be viewed as a tough matchup with a healthy 3.31 goals per game allowed.

DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID

Seth Jones, CHI at EDM ($20): On the flip side of the Blackhawks-Oilers tilt, Jones should probably be considered a plus-minus risk because he'll probably spend most of his even-strength minutes lining up against Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Even with his excellent stretch of 12 points through his past 12 games, Jones posted a minus-1 rating, and he's at a minus-5 mark for the campaign.

Oliver Kylington, CGY at NYI ($17): The 24-year-old defenseman has been next to automatic with a scoresheet appearance in 11 of his past 12 games. However, there are some warning signs. He's not receiving consistent power-play time, and six of his 12 points this season have been secondary assists. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Neil Parker plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: naparker77, DraftKings: naparker77.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neil Parker
A loyal Cubs, Cowboys and Maple Leafs fan for decades, Neil has contributed to RotoWire since 2014. He previously worked for USA Today Fantasy Sports.
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