This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
We've only got a few days left in the NHL season. For 15 teams, their campaign will end Saturday. However, let's focus on the 12 games taking place Thursday. You're spoiled for choice for your daily fantasy lineup. Here are the players I think you should target, and should avoid, for your aforementioned lineup.
GOALIE
Pekka Rinne, NAS vs. VAN ($33): Over his last 15 starts, Rinne has posted a 2.31 GAA and .923 save percentage. At home, his numbers over that time are even better (2.07 GAA, .925 save percentage in eight starts). The Canucks don't pack much punch offensively, at least on the road. In those games they've only managed 2.46 goals per contest.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Robin Lehner, NYI at FLA ($30): This isn't so much about Lehner's performance, as he's been having a great year. However, I thought you might be at risk of underestimating the Panthers' offense. Florida has scored 3.44 goals per game at home, seventh best in the league. March was even better for the Panthers, as they ranked third in goals per contest last month (3.50). As such, Lehner may not be as good of a choice as you were thinking, so you may want to spent your dollars elsewhere.
CENTER
Jordan Staal, CAR vs. NJD ($15): Injuries and an 8.5 shooting percentage have hurt Staal this year, but he's turned it around recently. He's notched nine points in his last 10 contests. Meanwhile, the Devils have a 3.92 GAA since the All-Star break.
CENTER TO AVOID
Elias Pettersson, VAN at NAS ($22): Only a curmudgeon was rooting for Pettersson to hit a rookie wall or regress toward the mean. Alas, it happened, as he only has one goal in his last 21 contest. As previously noted, Pekka RInne has a 2.31 GAA and .923 save percentage in his last 15 starts.
WING
Kevin Labanc, SAN at EDM ($18): Labanc has a point in each of his last six games, and 12 points in his last 14 contests. He's also tallied 20 points with the extra man. That bodes well in this matchup, as the Oilers have the 30th-ranked penalty kill.
Conor Sheary, BUF vs. OTT ($10): Sheary is in a drought, but he has a couple things going for him. One, he's started 70.1 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second highest on the Sabres. Two, and more importantly, this is a great matchup. The Senators have a 4.36 GAA on the road, and they are on the second night of a back-to-back.
WINGS TO AVOID
Mitch Marner, TOR vs. TAM ($28): Marner is having a great year, even if he only has one goal in his last 14 games. However, that makes him pricey, and this is a tough matchup. Andrei Vasilevskiy has a 2.26 GAA and .928 save percentage since the start of February, and the Lightning also have the third-ranked penalty kill. With so many teams in action, you can find better values.
Jonathan Marchessault, VGK vs. ARI ($23): People rarely think about the Coyotes, so you may not realize how poor of a matchup this is for Marchessault. Arizona has a 2.47 GAA since the All-Star break, for starters. Secondly, the Coyotes have the league's best penalty kill. Marchessault has 16 points with the extra man, and it will be hard for him to add to that Thursday.
DEFENSE
Thomas Chabot, OTT at BUF ($19): Chabot has notched 54 points in 68 games, including 16 points with the extra man. Even though the Senators are on the second night of a back-to-back, this matchup is too enticing to eschew entirely. The Sabres have a 3.90 GAA since the All-Star break, highest in the NHL by a wide margin.
Oscar Klefbom, EDM vs. SAN ($19): Klefbom has tallied 162 shots in 59 games, scoring five goals in the process. That's not great, but he does have eight assists in his last 11 contests. Meanwhile, the Sharks have struggled defensively on the road all season. Away from home, they have a 3.48 GAA and .881 save percentage.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
John Carlson, WAS vs. MON ($25): Carlson has somehow improved upon his numbers from last season, but he's also an expensive option. Now, he has to face Carey Price, who has an 1.92 GAA and .935 save percentage in his last 11 starts. Also, if you are wondering about Price on the road, he actually has a .921 save percentage away from home.
Torey Krug, BOS at MIN ($21): Krug is all about the power play. A whopping 30 of his 53 points have come with the extra man. Well, the Wild have the sixth-ranked penalty kill at home. They may not be the matchup for Krug to take advantage of.
