Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey: Saturday picks

By Sasha Yodashkin

Saturday’s evening NHL slate is a busy one, with nine of the day’s 11 games starting at 7:00 p.m. EST or later. There’s plenty of value to be found with a number of offensively-gifted teams battling defensively-challenged opponents. The Sharks (at Arizona), and Blackhawks (at Vancouver) are two such examples, but other teams also contribute to the night’s top value plays, which can be found below.

GOALIE

Kari Lehtonen, DAL vs. EDM ($28): Lehtonen has been fantastic over his last four starts, going 3-0-1 while allowing two or fewer goals in each of the three wins. He’ll have a good opportunity to maintain his strong play Saturday, as the Oilers have dropped five straight. The strong likelihood of a win at home makes the Finnish veteran a good low-cost option at just $28, allowing you to spend bigger on other positions. Lehtonen deserves to be back in net given his recent play, but just make sure he actually is before firing him up.

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Goalie to Avoid

Tuukka Rask, BOS vs. WPG ($37): Rask has been fantastic and Boston is favored at home, so what’s the problem? While he will likely beat Winnipeg, the veteran will have a hard time putting up numbers worthy of his $37 price against an opponent that ranks ninth with 2.89 goals per game. His floor is too low to pay up for in a game that shouldn’t lack for scoring.

CENTER

Charlie Coyle, MIN vs. COL ($15): Coyle is still available for $15 despite continuing to get first-line minutes in Minnesota. His combination of high ice time and skilled linemates is likely to yield superb results in a plus matchup with an Avalanche team that has allowed 2.81 goals per game. Coyle has provided excellent bang for the buck all season, and this contest should be no different.

Center to Avoid

William Nylander, TOR at MON ($21): Nylander has many factors working against him, as he is averaging fewer than 16 minutes of ice time per game and has managed just 35.0 total fantasy points in his past 11. Don’t expect things to improve against Canadiens netminder Carey Price, who is one of the top players at his position.

WINGS

Patrick Eaves, DAL vs. EDM ($16): Eaves’ scoring streak has coincided with an Oilers losing streak, suggesting both trends are likely to continue in this one. The veteran winger has taken full advantage of a role alongside top-notch playmaker Tyler Seguin, scoring five times during his current four-game goal streak. Conversely, Edmonton has dropped five straight while allowing 18 goals in that span. Given how cheap Eaves is despite his recent success, it’s tough to justify keeping him out of your lineup against such a vulnerable opponent.

Joel Ward, SJ at ARI ($12): Ward has registered three points in five games since moving up to the top line, but he continues to go for the minimum price. It’s only a matter of time until the veteran’s net-front presence results in a goal, and playing alongside Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton gives him a high plus-minus floor in the meantime. This value is just too good to pass up given Ward’s prominent offensive role against a Coyotes team that has allowed 3.38 goals per game.

Wings to Avoid

Kyle Okposo, BUF vs. PIT ($21): Okposo hasn’t topped 6.0 fantasy points in any of his past six games, and that’s unlikely to change against a strong Pittsburgh team with his downside in the plus/minus category likely to drag down his value. Almost any alternative in this price range is a superior play.

Brad Marchand, BOS vs. WPG ($28): This is a good matchup for Bruins forwards, but the overpriced Marchand still isn’t worth $28 here. He hasn’t scored in five games and continues to have his price buoyed by a five-point performance on opening night. Marchand’s 11 points in 16 games since then aren’t nearly impressive enough to justify paying more for him than for all but four other options at the wing position.

DEFENSEMEN

Brent Seabrook, CHI at VAN ($20): Seabrook has established a high floor thanks to 13 shots and 12 blocks in his last four games heading into the weekend. The heavily-used defenseman doesn’t need to get on the scoresheet to rack up fantasy points, but he shouldn’t have a problem doing that either against a Canucks team that has given up 51 goals while dropping 11 of its last 14 games.

Jared Spurgeon, MIN vs. COL ($16): Spurgeon has seen an uptick in playing time of late, skating over 23 minutes in four of his past five games. He has coincidentally averaged 7.6 fantasy points per game over that span despite registering no goals and just two assists. That high ice time should pay dividends against the Avalanche, who rank last in the Central division. If Spurgeon raises his 4.8 percent shooting percentage closer to his 9.0 percent mark from last season by potting a goal in this one, that’s just gravy.

Defensemen to Avoid

P.K. Subban, NSH at STL ($24): Subban and the Predators are going to have a hard time generating offense on the road against a Blues team that has held opponents to two or fewer goals in seven straight games at the Scottrade Center. It’s best to avoid everyone from this team, and that holds especially true for its most expensive player.

Michael Stone, ARI at SJ ($17): Stone is on the trade block because of his inability to produce early on, with no goals and a minus-2 rating in seven games. His limited offensive upside makes it difficult to justify paying up $17, especially against the defending Western conference champs.

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