This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Wednesday's NHL slate begins at 7:30 PM Eastern time and features four games. Despite the modest selection available in this slate, certain players still stand out as options to target at their respective valuations while others are best avoided. Read on to see who falls into which category.
GOALIE
Frederik Andersen, TOR at VAN ($38): Besides the obvious and most expensive one (Jordan Binnington vs. Anaheim), there aren't many enticing goalie options in this slate, with Andersen standing head and shoulders above the rest due to a combination of form and matchup. Andersen's won five consecutive starts, stopping 167 of 179 shots over that span for a .933 save percentage. Backed by the league's best road offense (3.63 goals per game) against the second-worst home offense in this slate (2.93 goals per game), Andersen should be able to get right back in the win column here.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Mike Smith, CGY at VGK ($30): Smith was knocked around to the tune of four goals on just 23 shots in his last start, and a similar fate could be awaiting him here. Vegas has the sixth-best home goal differential (plus-0.76 per game) and a top-10 home offense (3.24 goals per game), while Smith's overall numbers this season (2.92 GAA, .895 save percentage) leave a lot to be desired, even though he's been better lately outside of his most recent outing.
CENTER
Sean Couturier, PHI vs. WAS ($24): Couturier has been a two-way stud over his last 24 games, racking up 12 goals, 32 points and a plus-18 rating. Despite his elite recent play, Couturier still costs as much or less than six other centers in this slate. Keep riding him until he shows signs of slowing down.
CENTER TO AVOID
Elias Pettersson, VAN vs. TOR ($24): Pettersson might be hitting a rookie wall. Not only has he managed just two assists without a goal in his past six games, he's also had trouble generating chances with only seven shots on goal over that span. Getting back on track will be tough against an in-form Andersen.
WINGS
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL at ANH ($27): Stacking Blues will be a popular move here considering the Ducks are the only team in this slate that's playing the second leg of a back-to-back, and Anaheim has the league's worst goal differential to boot. This matchup presents an ideal opportunity for Tarasenko to snap his five-game goal drought, which was preceded by 15 goals in the previous 18 games.
Max Pacioretty, VGK vs. CGY ($17): Pacioretty's a nice upside pick, having already recorded five separate two-goal performances this season. The veteran power forward also does his best work at home, with 21 points (12 goals) in 26 home appearances compared to just 14 points (nine goals) in 28 road matches. Pacioretty's a sneaky good play against a formerly hot Flames team that's been extinguished by a combined 10-4 score in losing its past two games.
WINGS TO AVOID
Tom Wilson, WAS at PHI ($19): Wilson was producing at a personally unprecedented pace earlier this season, but he's slowed down of late, with 11 points in his past 23 games. With no shortage of skilled alternatives to be found among Washington's forward ranks, it doesn't make much sense to deploy Wilson against a Flyers team that's 16-3-2 in its past 21 games, especially with a high likelihood that he spends significant time in the sin bin in what promises to be a chippy affair between Metropolitan Division rivals.
Tyler Ennis, TOR at VAN ($18): A hat trick in his last game propelled Ennis' price from $13 up to $18, so beware of paying for past production here. After all, the diminutive forward's average of 4.4 fantasy points per game is the lowest among wingers that cost $17 or more, with nobody else checking in below 5.7.
DEFENSEMEN
Alex Pietrangelo, STL at ANH ($20): The Blues' best are worth paying up for here, and Pietrangelo has certainly been the team's top option on the blue line since the calendar flipped to 2019. In 28 subsequent games, Pietrangelo has seven goals and 12 assists, in addition to a robust 71 shots on net. Another productive outing is likely forthcoming against the lowly Ducks.
Colin Miller, VGK vs. CGY ($14): Miller's the man for owners in search of upside from an affordable blueliner. He's put at least four pucks on net in each of his last five appearances, but has been rewarded with just a single point -- a goal -- for his 24 shots over that span. Miller's no stranger to offensive production, either, having posted 65 points in 134 games played with Vegas to come up just short of half a point per game.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Alexander Edler, VAN vs. TOR ($19): Edler's had trouble getting back in the swing of things since returning from a concussion, mustering just one shot on goal and a minus-1 rating in two pointless appearances. While he's still blocking shots at a high rate, it's best to wait until Edler starts to do more with the puck on his stick before looking his way again.
John Carlson, WAS at PHI ($25): Carlson's expected to pile up points at a rate commensurate with top forwards, so his two goals and two multi-point efforts over the past 18 games haven't been cutting it. He's also stopped being an asset in the rating department, posting a minus-3 mark over these last 18 games and minus-9 in the last 22 games. A return to form is unlikely against a Flyers team that's been as hot as any in the league over the past quarter of the season.
