This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
With a pair of first-round series already in the books, just two NHL games are on the schedule Friday, beginning with Maple Leafs-Bruins at 7:00 PM Eastern time and ending with Avalanche-Flames at 10. Read on to see which players stand out as options to target and which ones are best avoided at their respective valuations in this pair of Game 5s.
GOALIE
Mike Smith, CGY vs. COL ($31): Smith has done well in this series despite not getting the team results, posting a .931 save percentage that's actually lowered his career playoff mark to .942. With the Flames fighting to keep their season alive, expect a stronger defensive effort from the team in front of Smith as well.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Philipp Grubauer, COL at CGY ($34): All four of these goalies come with some risk, but Grubauer is by far the most expensive. While the German netminder has had a strong second half and start to the postseason, his upside is capped considering Grubauer has allowed multiple goals in each of his last 10 outings.
CENTER
Charlie Coyle, BOS vs. TOR ($16): Coach Bruce Cassidy called Coyle the team's best forward after Game 1, and Coyle's level has only risen since, with two goals and an assist in the three subsequent contests. He also averaged 18:07 of ice time in Games 3 and 4 after sitting at 15:23 over the first two. With Coyle playing well and his role expanding, he's a nice alternative or complement to Boston's big three up front.
CENTER TO AVOID
John Tavares, TOR at BOS ($29): Tavares has been quiet since potting an empty-netter in Game 1, dishing two helpers in the three games since to go with five shots and a minus-4 rating. You're better off paying the extra $3 for fellow Toronto pivot Auston Matthews, who has come alive with four points in the last two games and has 19 shots in this series.
WINGS
Mikko Rantanen, COL at CGY ($25): This series has come down to Colorado's stars outplaying Calgary's stars by a wide margin. One of those burgundy-wearing studs is Rantanen, who needed to shake off some rust from a late-season injury in Game 1 but has piled up three goals, three assists and 15 shots in the three games since. Rantanen was leading the league in points for a significant chunk of the season, so he certainly has the ability to keep up his blistering recent pace.
Brad Marchand, BOS vs. TOR ($31): Sixty-one of Marchand's 100 regular-season points came on TD Garden ice, and he'll be motivated to thrill the home crowd once again in Boston's most important home game of the season. With six points through this deadlocked series' first four games, Marchand is primed to make a major impact in this pivotal Game 5.
WINGS TO AVOID
Johnny Gaudreau, CGY at CAR ($28): The adjustment to playoff hockey hasn't come easy for Gaudreau, as the more physical style has limited the diminutive forward's effectiveness. Gaudreau has just one point -- an assist -- in this series, making him tough to trust at $28.
William Nylander, TOR at BOS ($18): Nylander has been just alright with a goal and an assist through four games, but he's averaging just 14:39 of ice time in this series, down from 15:31 in the regular season. It's hard to deliver strong results in so few opportunities.
DEFENSEMEN
Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. COL ($16): Andersson isn't the man to blame for Calgary's 3-1 series deficit. He's been a terrific source of offense from the blue line, starting the playoffs with a three-game point streak before adding seven shots in Game 4. Still available at just $16, the 22-year-old Andersson makes for a strong low-cost value play.
Morgan Rielly, TOR at BOS ($21): After a 72-point regular season, Rielly has continued to provide offense in the postseason with three assists and 17 shots. Despite that offensive output, Rielly can be had for just $21. That puts him closer to Tyson Barrie ($20) and Torey Krug ($19) than Mark Giordano ($26), even though Rielly's season average of 8.9 fantasy points is closer to Giordano's 9.9 than Barrie's 7.7 or Krug's 7.3.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Cale Makar, COL at CGY ($17): Makar looked good in the two games in Colorado, but that was with the Avalanche sheltering his minutes with last change. Putting the rookie in a position to succeed will be tougher in his first professional road game, especially with the opposition looking to take advantage of his inexperience at every opportunity.
Zdeno Chara, BOS vs. TOR ($17): While Chara lit the lamp in Game 4, that was his first point of the series, as most of his value comes in the defensive zone at this stage of his career. Krug at $19 or Charlie McAvoy at $17 offer greater upside in the same price range.
