This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Friday's 7:00 PM ET NHL slate features just five games, but the night's participants range all across the league hierarchy. Exploiting matchups is the key to finding value in DFS formats, so read on to see which players are primed to capitalize on favorable situations and which run the greatest risk of faltering.
GOALIE
Jake Allen, STL vs. VAN ($27): Allen is finally looking like the goaltender Blues fans were expecting to see from the start of the season, as he's kept his team in the playoff hunt with wins in five of his past six starts and has allowed just 16 goals over the past seven. His struggles prior to this strong stretch have kept Allen's price down, making this matchup with Vancouver's 27th-ranked offense (2.56 goals per game) an excellent buy-low opportunity.
GOALIE TO AVOID
John Gibson, ANH at WPG ($40): Gibson is arguably the hottest goaltender in the league, as he has wins in each of his past four appearances and 10 of the last 12, including three shutouts. Despite all that momentum, the risk in this brutal matchup is too high to justify dropping $40 on Gibson. Winnipeg ranks fourth in the league offensively at 3.29 goals per game and boasts a dominant 27-7-2 home record.
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CENTER
Sam Reinhart, BUF vs. MON ($18): Reinhart has played at a point-per-game pace over the past 29 games, with 12 of those points coming in the form of goals. Considering how infrequently his Buffalo team has won over that stretch, that's some impressive production. Even with Carey Price back in net, Montreal's one of the few teams that isn't demonstrably better than the Sabres, so the second overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft is primed to find further success here. Reinhart has at least eight power-play goals in each of the past three seasons, so look for him to exploit Montreal's league-worst penalty kill (74.7 percent).
CENTER TO AVOID
Tyler Seguin, DAL vs. BOS ($28): There's no denying Seguin's explosive scoring upside, but he's been held off the scoresheet three times in the last eight games while mustering minus-1.3 and minus-0.4 fantasy points, respectively, against his two toughest opponents in that stretch (Nashville and Winnipeg). Boston's in the same tier as those clubs, as the Bruins score the third-most goals (3.29) and allow the third-fewest (2.56). Recent history suggests Seguin's floor is much too low to justify a $28 investment.
WINGS
Kyle Connor, WPG vs. ANH ($17): The least expensive member of Winnipeg's elite top-six forward group is still a terrific player in his own right, as Connor has taken the NHL by storm in his first full season with 27 goals, including five over the past four games. He's also topped the 16-minute mark in 13 consecutive contests, so there's no shortage of skill or opportunity for the 2015 first-rounder. Owners who want to minimize risk incase Gibson stands on his head in this game but still want to reap the benefits should Winnipeg's offense play up to its usual lofty standards can get the best of both worlds by locking in Connor.
Artturi Lehkonen, MON at BUF ($15): Since they're out of playoff contention, the Canadiens have been giving their most promising young players extended run recently. One of those players is Lehkonen, who has gone through a sophomore slump after an 18-goal rookie season but is turning things around down the stretch. His season ice time average is 16:22, but he's been on the ice for at least 16:57 in 10 of the last 14 games while averaging over 19 minutes in the last two. That increased role has been accompanied by better production, as illustrated by Lehkonen's four goals and 23 shots in the past seven games. Buffalo's 3.26 goals allowed per game are third-highest in the league, so look for Lehkonen's late-season surge to continue here.
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WINGS TO AVOID
Brian Gibbons, NJ at PIT ($16): Gibbons has 12 goals this season, but none since Dec. 12.He also has just eight assists in 21 games since that date, suggesting the career AHLer's hot start to the season was just a flash in the pan. Not only is Gibbons unlikely to find the scoresheet, but it's also possible his rating takes a heavy hit against the sixth-ranked Penguins offense (3.26 goals per game).
Patrik Laine, WPG vs. ANH ($29): Laine can obviously get it done in all situations, but his bread and butter is on the power play, where his 19 goals are four better than Steven Stamkos' second-place mark. The Ducks penalty kill he faces here ranks fourth in the league and best in this slate at 83.1 percent, so adding to that total won't be easy. Additionally, there's a chance Laine will be limited or won't suit up at all due to a lower-body injury sustained while blocking a shot Tuesday.
DEFENSEMEN
Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF vs. MON ($19): Ristolainen's greatest fantasy asset is his production with the extra man. The hulking blueliner's tied for the team lead with 18 power-play points this season despite missing nine games, and he's compiled 64 such points over the past three seasons. He won't get a better opportunity to show off his power-play skills than this matchup with a Canadiens penalty kill that's giving up goals on more than a quarter of opposing chances.
Colton Parayko, STL vs. VAN ($16): Parayko averaged 22:48 of ice time per game, and the young blueliner doesn't just eat minutes. His well-rounded game translates well to the fantasy realm, as evidenced by Parayko's five performances of at least 9.5 fantasy points in his last nine games. He's also got a high offensive ceiling for a blueliner with at least 33 points in each of his three NHL campaigns. At just $16, he's a safe pick with potential to turn into much more against a Canucks team that allows the fourth-most goals in the NHL (3.25 per game).
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Cam Fowler, ANH at WPG ($17): We've already gone into Winnipeg's offensive prowess, but much of the team's success is due to goaltender Connor Hellebuyck's performance in net, as he sports a masterful 2.34 GAA and .925 save percentage. Offense will thus be tough to come by for Fowler, who has just a lone assist over his past eight games, and Fowler's season rating of plus-2 suggests he can't reliably fall back on that category when his offense isn't clicking.
Sami Vatanen, NJ at PIT ($18): Vatanen is undoubtedly New Jersey's top dog on the blue line, but the wear and tear of a long road trip is starting to catch up to him. He posted minus-2.0 fantasy points Tuesday against the Sharks, and Vatanen's minus-9 season rating suggests the sixth and final game of this trip could end in another negative performance, especially with his club paying a visit to the two-time defending champs.
