Daily Fantasy Hockey: Valeri Nichushkin leads Friday lineup picks

It's a bit of a light Friday in the NHL. Still, there are three games on the slate. That gives you opportunity on the DFS front, and why not seize that opportunity? Here are some players to target and avoid for your DFS lineups.

GOALIE

Ville Husso, DET at CHI ($36): In one start for the Wings, Husso looked like the guy who had a .919 save percentage last season. In his other start, well, not so much. This matchup could play into Husso's hands, though. The Blackhawks are 30th in goals scored since the start of last season, and this season they have a roster missing key guys like Alex DeBrincat due to a revamp.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Alexandar Georgiev, COL vs. SEA ($34): I'm not believing in Georgiev just yet. He joined the Avalanche with a career 2.94 GAA and .908 save percentage. Through three starts this year he has a 3.00 GAA and .893 save percentage. Yes, the Kraken struggled offensively last season, but they added some talent, and young guys like Matty Beniers, so I think the offense is on an upswing. Now, I'd still take a lot of goalies versus the Kraken. Just not Georgiev.

CENTER

Dylan Larkin, DET at CHI ($22): Larkin has come out of the gate with gusto. He has four points through three games and has also put 12 shots on net. That comes after he had 69 points in 71 games last year. The Wings will likely be seeing a familiar face in Petr Mrazek in goal for the Blackhawks. Since the start of last season he has an .888 save percentage.

CENTER TO AVOID

Aleksander Barkov, FLA vs. TAM ($31): It's going to be a day for avoiding Panthers given the three contests on the slate. They certainly face the toughest matchup. In terms of proven commodities in goal, Andrei Vasilevskiy is the one you are going to find. In seven seasons as Tampa's primary goalie, he has a 2.49 GAA and .920 save percentage.

WING

Valeri Nichushkin, COL vs. SEA ($25): Nichushkin is on a mission to prove his 25 goals and 27 assists in 62 games last year weren't a fluke. Sure, his five goals this season come with a 33.3 shooting percentage that will regress, but he also has five points with the extra man. Since the start of last season, the Kraken have the 31st-ranked penalty kill.

Jaden Schwartz, SEA at COL ($17): Schwartz had bad injury luck and puck luck last season. He played in only 37 games and had a 7.9 shooting percentage. Schwartz is healthy to start this season, has three points, and has put 18 shots on net in five games. Georgiev, as I noted, had a career .908 save percentage.

WINGS TO AVOID

Sam Reinhart, FLA vs. TAM ($21): Reinhart is off to a bit of a slow start, as he has all of one point, an assist, through four games. It was always unlikely he'd have 31 power-play points again. Again, Vasilevskiy, a Vezina and Conn Smythe winner, is the clear most-concerning goalie from a matchup perspective, so I don't expect Bennett to get in the grove Friday.

Alex Killorn, TAM at FLA ($12): Killorn had a chance to step into a bigger role this season, which was encouraging after he had 25 goals last season. This year, though, he has two assists, and also has only put two shots on net. Sergei Bobrovsky bounced back a bit with a .913 save percentage last year, and he has a .920 save percentage this season.

DEFENSE

Bowen Byram, COL vs. SEA ($16): Byram has two points and six shots on goal through four games. It'd be nice to see him see more power-play time, but with Devon Toews day-to-day, maybe he will against the Kraken. If Philipp Grubauer gets the call against his former team, he has an .887 save percentage since joining Seattle.

Filip Hronek, DET at CHI ($13): Hronek is off to a nice start with two points and seven shots on net through three games. He's also averaged 3:02 on the power play, which is what encourages me the most. Since the start of last season, the Blackhawks have the 27th-ranked penalty kill and have allowed 33.0 shots on net per game.

DEFENSE TO AVOID

Gustav Forsling, FLA vs. TAM ($19): With Aaron Ekblad out, Forsling is going to have the biggest role of his career, and also will see some power-play time. I don't know if he can handle a role with the extra man, though, as he has never had more than four power-play points in a season. Tampa's 12th-ranked penalty kill since the start of last season is the highest of these six games, and having Vasilevskiy in net will help there of course.

Seth Jones, CHI vs. DET ($14): Jones is still playing a ton of minutes, but his offensive output has been throttled thus far. He has one point and three shots on goal through three games. This is a bit of a bet on Husso looking like the guy with a .919 save percentage last year, and also his shutout in the season opener being a positive portent.