Yahoo DFS Hockey: Saturday Picks

Yahoo DFS Hockey: Saturday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.

Saturday's all-day NHL slate offers no shortage of selection, with 11 games on tap beginning at 1:00 PM Eastern time. With so many options to choose from, finding value plays is key to building a strong DFS lineup. Below, you'll find players to target from all over the price spectrum, as well as guys to avoid at their respective valuations.

GOALIE

Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at DAL ($34): Hellebuyck has won four of his past five starts, holding two of those opponents to a single goal apiece. This strong stretch has improved his record to 21-13-1, putting Hellebuyck in position to push for the 40-win mark for the second consecutive campaign. Dallas has some marquee names in the lineup, but the Stars are scoring the third-fewest goals per game (2.54), putting Hellebuyck in position to limit the scoring against him while also being a strong contender for a win as usual.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Martin Jones, SJ at TB ($32): There's a good reason Jones can be had for just $32 despite winning eight consecutive starts. He's often carried by San Jose's offense, as Jones' .903 save percentage is the worst of his career. That inability to stop the pucks thrown his way could lead to disastrous results on the road against the league-best Lightning offense (3.96 goals per game).

CENTER

Sean Couturier, PHI at MON ($20): Couturier's a streaky producer, and he's in the midst of one of his stronger stretches, so take advantage. He's compiled four goals and nine points during an active five-game point streak, including a hat trick in the last game. A weary Canadiens team that's playing its second game in as many nights will have trouble slowing down the streaking center.

CENTER TO AVOID

Aleksander Barkov, FLA at NSH ($26): Barkov's been a disaster in his own end recently, posting a minus-10 rating over the past seven games. For the season, his rating is minus-20, and his average of 7.7 fantasy points per game is tied for worst among all centers that cost at least $23. A Nashville team that's outscoring opponents 3.10 to 2.61 on average is likely to cause further problems for Barkov in the rating department.

WINGS

Peter Cehlarik, BOS vs. NYR ($17): Cehlarik has hit the ground running while skating in a top-six role and on the second power-play unit. The offensively gifted 23-year-old has two goals and an assist in his first two games of the season and gets a nice opportunity to keep rolling against a Rangers team that's allowing 3.40 goals per game. New York's been particularly vulnerable on the road, posting a 7-14-2 record away from Madison Square Garden.

David Perron, STL vs. OTT ($18): Perron comes into this one riding a 13-game point streak, and he now has 101 points in 115 appearances since the start of last season. The veteran winger should have no problem extending this streak against a Senators team that's allowing the most goals per game in the league and is playing the second leg of a back-to-back.

WINGS TO AVOID

Phil Kessel, PIT at VGK ($26): Kessel's another prominent forward who has struggled mightily in the rating department of late, going minus-8 with no positive performances over the past eight games. Things won't get any easier for him here against a Vegas club that's holding opponents to 2.65 goals per game.

Jamie Benn, DAL vs. WPG ($22): Benn's failed to make an impact recently, recording just one point over his past six games while generating more than one shot in only two of those games. Hellebuyck and the Jets are likely to extend his slump while posing a threat to further lower the minus-1 rating Benn's posted over this poor recent stretch.

DEFENSEMEN

Tyson Barrie, COL vs. LA ($21): Barrie's in the elite echelon of power-play contributors, as he's on pace to reach 30 points with the extra man for the second straight season. Sharing the ice with three of the league's most productive forwards on a top-heavy Avalanche club, the first-unit power-play point man is likely to find success against a Kings penalty kill that ranks third-worst in the league at just 75.0 percent. Barrie also has a high rating floor considering Los Angeles averages a league-low 2.25 goals per game.

Carl Gunnarsson, STL vs. OTT ($13): Gunnarsson hasn't been much of an offensive contributor throughout his career, but owners looking for a bargain on the blue line should consider plugging him in given his recent form and this favorable matchup. You couldn't handpick a better time to utilize a player than at home against Ottawa on the second leg of a back-to-back, and Gunnarsson comes into this one with points in each of his past four appearances.

DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID

Andy Greene, NJ vs. ANH ($17): Even though Greene scored in his team's last game and the Ducks had lost 12 in a row prior to shutting out the Wild on Thursday, the stay-at-home blueliner doesn't have much upside here. He hasn't reached the 15-point mark since 2014-15, and the 36-year-old defenseman doesn't see time on the power play.

Kevin Shattenkirk, NYR at BOS ($18): Shattenkirk hasn't been able to get going this season, with just 13 points and a minus-9 rating. A Bruins team that's limiting opponents to 2.60 goals per game is likely to hold him off the scoresheet while New York's road struggles suggest Shattenkirk's rating will be in jeopardy of dropping even further here.

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. Sasha Yodashkin plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Youngsash, DraftKings: Yashdogg,Yahoo: Sasha, Fanball: Yashdogg.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sasha Yodashkin
Sasha has been contributing NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB and Tennis content to RotoWire since 2015, with an emphasis on DFS. He is a huge New York sports fan who has been playing fantasy sports since middle school.
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