Advertisement

Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey: McDavid, Karlsson solid Thursday plays

Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey: McDavid, Karlsson solid Thursday plays

by Sasha Yodashkin

Thursday's nine-game NHL slate should leave owners with plenty of solid DFS plays. Chicago's myriad scoring options should be no less popular than usual despite facing a talented Stars team, while many of the Ducks stand out as top-end candidates against the last-place Blue Jackets on the heels of a dominant road win in Philadelphia. Those two teams are far from the only ones in fantasy-friendly situations, and all of the players listed below also fit that profile as quality DFS value plays.

[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey contest now]

GOALIE

John Gibson, ANH at CLS ($32) - 
Gibson had a rough outing Monday in Pittsburgh, but he should be able to get back on track in Columbus. The last-place Blue Jackets don't have anyone resembling a red-hot Sidney Crosby, meaning the young goaltender should continue the strong form that has seen him win eight of his last 12 starts. It's foolish to pass on Gibson's 2.13 GAA and .917 save percentage for just $32, especially against one of the NHL's worst teams.

Goalie to Avoid:

Joonas Korpisalo, CLS vs.ANH ($38) - 
Korpisalo's 4-1-2 record and 2.07 GAA over his last seven starts are nice, but his 2.58 overall GAA and Columbus' incompetence in front of him doesn't bode well for the young goaltender's chances of maintaining that success. Rolling the dice on him against a Ducks team that is 14-4-1 since Christmas just isn't prudent for $38. 

CENTER

Connor McDavid, EDM vs. TOR ($22) - 
McDavid has given Oilers fans reason to be optimistic about the future with two goals and five assists in six games since returning from a shoulder injury. His only game against a comparably bad team was a three-point effort against the Blue Jackets, so the rookie should be licking his chops with the equally horrendous Maple Leafs next on the schedule. Many centers are hot now, but McDavid's combination of elite skill and reasonable price separate him from the pack.

Center to Avoid:

Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS at MIN ($23) - 
While he's been making up for it by racking up assists, Kuznetsov hasn't found the back of the net in nine games. That lack of scoring has led to a recent reduction in ice time, as the Russian has played 15:06 or less in each of his last two games. Less minutes means less chances, so Kuznetsov might be better off left on the bench until he can regain his scoring touch. 

WING

Brad Marchand, BOS at WPG ($25) - 
Marchand has 10 goals in his last 10 games heading into Thursday's tilt with the Jets and their 25th-ranked defense. A forward this hot should earn heavy consideration regardless of opponent, but the pesky winger is an absolute steal at his price when taking the opposition into account.

Zach Parise, MIN vs. WAS ($18) - 
Parise's price dropped significantly due to a cold streak during which he recorded just one point in nine games, but he seems to have snapped out of his funk with two points and 13 shots on goal over his last two contests. It's rare to find a forward of with Parise's pedigree at just $18, so take advantage of this opportunity before his valuation bounces back up. Seeing Washington on the other end may scare some owners off, but the six-time 30-goal scorer has proven to be essentially matchup-proof over his career. 

Wings to Avoid: 

Patrick Sharp, DAL at CHI ($19) - 
Owners should want no part of the fading Sharp against the ever-dangerous Blackhawks. He hasn't scored a goal since Jan. 3, and Sharp's one double-digit fantasy point game in his last 10 indicates that he hasn't been much more productive in other facets of the game.

David Perron, ANH at CLS ($19) - 
Perron has cooled down after a hot start with his new team, going scoreless in three straight contests. The more concerning stat from those games, though, is that he played under 12 minutes in two of them. It's tough to justify investing $19 in Perron if he's only going to be on the ice for a handful of shifts, even in a juicy matchup like this one. 

DEFENSE

Erik Karlsson, OTT vs. COL ($34) - 
With Mark Giordano and Brent Burns experiencing slight lulls in production recently, Karlsson has separated himself as the clear top blueline option. The Swede has justified his lofty price tag with eight straight double-digit fantasy point performances, and should have no problem getting to nine in a row facing a bottom-10 defense at home. No skater offers a better combination of high floor and upside.

Shayne Gostisbehere, PHI vs. BUF ($21) - 
Gostisbehere's price remains stagnant even though he is now in the midst of a nine-game point streak. He continues to offer a complete package of offensive skills from the blue line, with nine goals, 19 assists, 16 power-play points and 80 shots on goal in just 34 games played. The knock on many offensive-minded defensemen is their lack of coverage in their own zone, but the youngster's plus-3 rating indicates he's just fine in that department as well. As long as he remains this affordable, Gostisbehere should be in DFS lineups pretty much whenever he plays. 

Defenseman to Avoid:

Brent Burns, SJ vs.CGY ($28) - 
Burns normally overshadows his poor plus/minus with superb offensive production, but he has no goals and just four assists in his last 11 games. The slumping defenseman is averaging just 6.0 fantasy points per game in that span, which is well short of expectations for a $28 player. 

Get a FREE RotoWire 10-day trial (no credit card required) at RotoWire.com

MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY: