Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey: Friday picks
By Chris Morgan
Friday’s a huge day for the Chicago sports world. The Blackhawks are playing the Devils, and you may have heard that the Cubs are hosting a World Series game for the first time since 1945. But we’re here to talk about Yahoo DFS hockey, so let’s take a look at some players to target and avoid in this six-game slate.
GOALIE
Cam Talbot, EDM at VAN ($32): Edmonton has won four games in a row; Vancouver has lost three in a row. Talbot has a .927 save percentage this season; the Canucks have scored 15 goals in seven games, which is just over half of Edmonton’s total (27). The case for Talbot is pretty clear.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Curtis McElhinney, CLM at ANA ($27): The Jackets are on the second night of a back-to-back, which means McElhinney will likely be in net. The backup hasn’t played a game yet this season, perhaps because he had a .890 save percentage last season. The odds of McElhinney playing well or picking up a win against an Anaheim team that just busted out with six goals the other day – and has reinforcements coming – seem very slim.
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CENTER
Artem Anisimov, CHI at NJD ($17): Normally, you might not want to play Anisimov against the Devils and star goalie Cory Schneider. However, backup Keith Kinkaid is getting his first start of the season for Jersey on Friday, and he had a .904 save percentage last season. Meanwhile, Anisimov has nine points in seven games, and his plum line assignment has him in good position to take advantage of Jersey’s goalie rotation.
CENTER TO AVOID
Bo Horvat, VAN vs. EDM ($16): The higher-priced centers Friday all seem to be reasonably valued. As such, we have to delve down a bit to find somebody to avoid. Vancouver’s offense, as previously noted, has not been good this season. Horvat does have three goals, but they’ve come on only eight shots, suggesting imminent regression.
WING
Ryan Dzingel, OTT at CGY ($14): It’s a bit of a gamble to pick Dzingel. Sure, he has four goals and six points in six games. Those four goals have come on just eight shots, though, and he only had nine points in 30 games last year. On the other hand, maybe he’s breaking out at 24, and Calgary’s Brian Elliott has a .882 save percentage on the season (although he’s been better lately). Still, for $14, Dzingel’s worth the roll of the dice.
J.T. Miller, NYR at CAR ($15): While Chris Kreider’s injury was unfortunate, especially since he was playing so well, somebody had to step up to help fill the void he left. That somebody seems to be Miller. He has four points in his last three games, and he played more than five minutes on the power play in New York’s last game. If he enjoys such a big role again versus Carolina, his point streak should continue.
WINGERS TO AVOID
Jeff Skinner, CAR vs. NYR ($19): Skinner is having a good season, but the Rangers are a pretty tough opponent – they’ve only let in 18 goals in seven games. However, the reason not to risk selecting Skinner is his health. He’s dealing with a “middle body” injury that caused him to miss Carolina’s last game, and even if he plays, he’ll likely be at less than full strength. It’s better to just steer clear.
Loui Eriksson, VAN vs. EDM ($19): Eriksson scored 30 goals last season, but he seems unlikely to replicate that this year, considering the way he’s started off. The 31-year-old Swede has zero goals through seven games, and he’s only taken 10 shots on goal in that time, which is somewhat alarming. He’ll eventually find the back of the net, but the odds of that happening Friday against Edmonton seem low.
DEFENSEMEN
Sami Vatanen, ANA at CLM ($17): Vatanen has four points on the power play, and he’s already blocked 20 shots in eight games, so he’s contributing on both ends of the ice. As mentioned earlier, McElhinney is likely to be in goal for the Jackets, so this is a great opportunity for the attractively priced Vatanen and the rest of the Ducks’ skaters to capitalize.
Dennis Wideman, CGY vs. OTT ($16): The Senators have a potentially friendly matchup against the Flames, but the reverse holds true as well, especially with Andrew Hammond in net for Ottawa. Wideman is playing three minutes a night on the man advantage, and he’s got two power-play goals in his five games. He’s always been a contributor in those situations, and that remains true at age 33; that’s always a good thing from a fantasy perspective.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Zach Werenski, CLM at ANA ($20): Werenski’s price Friday indicates that daily fantasy has caught up with how good he is. That means a lot of the value has been priced out here. Moreover, Werenski is on the second night of a back-to-back, and the Ducks have only allowed 19 goals in eight games. Considering he’s one of the pricier defensemen, you may want to look elsewhere.
Yohann Auvitu, NJD vs. CHI ($16): Auvitu is a 27-year-old rookie who only has one point this season. Now, he’s also played 2:45 on the power play, and the Blackhawks have a terrible penalty kill. This isn’t that bad of a matchup, but Auvitu has such a meager track record that he’s not worth $16 at this point.
