Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey: Thursday picks

By Chris Morgan

December kicks off with a bang with a whopping 12 NHL games Thursday. That’s a lot of players to choose from. Here are our suggestions…

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GOALIE

Mike Smith, ARI vs. LOS ($29): So this may seem like an odd choice, but it actually makes sense. Smith has spent most of the season banged up, but he’s been a veritable brick wall since returning to action. On the year, he has a .928 save percentage, which is well above average. The Kings will be on the road on the second night of a back-to-back, which could mean Jeff Zatkoff (and his .875 save percentage) will be in net. Smith has been hot, and this actually isn’t a bad matchup. There aren’t many cases where you’d be excited to go with Smith, but this is one of them.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Cam Ward, CAR at BOS ($31): There is no denying that Ward and the Hurricanes have played a bit better recently, but this price still feels excessive. Ward has a .915 save percentage, which would be his best since 2011-12 if he were able to sustain it — something that’s highly unlikely. The Bruins are the better team with the better goalie in Tuukka Rask, so Ward is just too pricey here based on the Canes’ shot at a win.

CENTER

Alexander Wennberg, CLM at COL ($19): Wennberg has been a real playmaker and a power-play machine this season with 15 assists and 10 power-play points. The Avalanche have the 26th-ranked penalty kill, which makes this a great matchup for Wennberg, as any opportunity to use him against an iffy penalty kill is worth taking.

CENTER TO AVOID

Artem Anisimov, CHI vs. NJD ($22): Anisimov got a little banged up in Chicago’s last game, although it isn’t expected to keep him from being able to play. Just because he’s in the Blackhawks’ lineup doesn’t mean he should be in yours, though. His shooting has dropped off a bit, and he hasn’t registered any shots in five of his last eight games. The Devils and Cory Schneider aren’t an easy matchup, either.

WING

Marcus Johansson, WAS vs. NYI ($19): The Islanders played Wednesday night, which could mean Jaroslav Halak, who is sporting a .904 save percentage, is in net. Johansson has goals in his last two games, and nine total. While his power-play minutes are down, he’s still averaging 2:36 a game with the extra man, and the Islanders have left their fans wanting on the penalty kill. Johansson may not be Alex Ovechkin, but he’s also not priced like Ovie either.

Mike Hoffman, OTT vs. PHI ($19): You might assume this pick is based off excitement stemming from Hoffman putting up four points in his last outing. Sure, that’s not a bad thing, but what’s just as pertinent is that he has 67 shots on goal in 21 games. Also, he’ll be playing Philly, a team that’s already allowed 80 goals this season and sits 29th overall in that category.

WINGS TO AVOID

Jeff Skinner, CAR at BOS ($23): There’s no denying how good Skinner has been this season. However, Rask has been outstanding in net for the Bruins, posting a 1.64 GAA and a .938 save percentage. With so many other players to choose from, it’s best to just steer clear of Skinner and to go with somebody who isn’t going to have such a difficult matchup.

Chris Kreider, NYR at BUF ($23): Kreider hasn’t been able to sustain his level of play from early in the season, perhaps due to the neck injury that’s kept him out of action at times. Since returning from his last absence, he only has two points in six games. Anders Nilsson, who will be in net for the Sabres, has a .939 save percentage, making it hard to trust in Kreider paying off.

DEFENSEMEN

Cam Fowler, ANA at VAN ($19): Fowler is known as a power-play guy, and the Canucks are fifth on the penalty kill, so this doesn’t necessarily feel like a great matchup. However, Vancouver is also 25th in goals allowed. Fowler is averaging 3:39 per game with the extra man, but that’s out of his 23:57 overall. He’s not purely a power-play specialist (he has seven even-strength points) and has taken 50 shots on goal, making him a solid selection despite Vancouver’s penalty-kill prowess.

Keith Yandle, FLA at DET ($18): The Wings are still without Jimmy Howard, and while Petr Mrazek was great against Dallas in his last start, he only has a .905 save percentage this year. Yandle has taken 59 shots on goal, and he’s playing 3:27 with the extra man. The Panthers may have a new head coach, but Yandle is a proven veteran that feels trustworthy given his price.

DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID

Erik Johnson, COL vs. CLM ($20): It will be hard for Johnson to make much of an impact offensively in this game. The Blue Jackets are fourth in the league in goals allowed, and their penalty kill is just outside the top 10. Additionally, Johnson only has one goal this season.

Dustin Byfuglien, WPG vs. EDM ($22): Byfuglien plays a ton of minutes — almost 28 a night — but his scoring isn’t quite where it’s been in the past, as he only has two goals and two power-play points. The Oilers have the second-ranked penalty kill and Big Buff also comes with a relatively high price tag considering his lack of production. Thursday is just too rich in options to go this route.