Yahoo DFS Hockey: Saturday Picks

Yahoo DFS Hockey: Saturday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.

It's a busy NHL schedule Saturday with the eight evening games beginning at 7 p.m. EST included in the main contests at Yahoo! Interestingly, four of the eight games are rematches from Friday night: Minnesota-Arizona, Anaheim-Colorado, St. Louis-Los Angeles and Vegas-San Jose. The Avalanche, Golden Knights and Maple Leafs are the biggest favorites on the docket, and the highest over/under totals are in the North Division matchups between Toronto and Vancouver, and Calgary and Edmonton.

GOALIE

Hunter Miska, COL vs. ANA ($24): The rookie boasts an unimpressive NHL track record, but there are still plenty of incentives to load him up as your No. 2 goalie option Saturday. For one, his salary is one of the lowest in the goalie pool. Colorado also limited Anaheim to 36 shot attempts and five high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five Friday, and the Avalanche pace the NHL in Corsi For percentage and penalty-kill percentage with an 89.2 mark.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Jacob Markstrom, CGY at EDM ($34): This will be Markstrom's first start since Feb. 20, when he allowed five goals to the Oilers. He was just activated from injured reserve after missing six games with an upper-body injury. Health isn't as much of a concern as the matchup and high salary, though. Edmonton is coming off being swept during a three-game series by the Maple Leafs, and scored only one goal. It would be surprising if the Oilers didn't put forth one of their most complete games of the season Saturday in response. 

CENTER

Nazem Kadri, COL vs. ANA ($17): With Nathan MacKinnon likely out again with a head injury, look for Kadri to continue logging big minutes (22:14 during Friday's win over the Ducks), including a lot between Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. Additionally, while Kadri was held off the scoresheet Friday, he did collect two assists during Wednesday's game when MacKinnon sustained the injury.

CENTER TO AVOID

Joe Pavelski, DAL vs. CLS ($26): The veteran has recorded only three goals and three assists through his past 10 games and only posted double-digit fantasy points once during that stretch. Even with the downtick in protection of late, his current 3.52 points per 60 minutes is still way above the 1.64 mark he posted last season. Remember, Pavelski exploded for 15 points -- seven goals -- through the first eight games of the campaign, and his salary hasn't dropped down enough since.

WING

Reilly Smith, VGK at SJ ($14): A carryover from Friday's recommendations, Smith opened the scoring in that win and logged 19:29 of ice time with 4:00 on the power play. He's still a candidate for positive offensive regression, too. His current points per 60 minutes isn't near the 2.62 mark he posted over the previous three seasons, and this remains a soft matchup with San Jose surrendering the second-most goals per game in the league (3.86).

Kailer Yamamoto, EDM vs. CGY ($12): Edmonton has reunited the Leon Draisaitl-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins-Yamamoto line, and the trio has clicked for an elite 5.77 goals per 60 minutes dating back to last season. Calgary has also lost six of its past nine games and surrendered 33 goals during the skid. 

WINGS TO AVOID

Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG at MON ($25): The fifth-year winger continues to produce and has 11 tallies and 12 helpers through 23 games for the campaign. However, Ehlers has slowed down of late with just a single multi-point showing through his past 10 outings. Additionally, the Canadiens are an excellent five-on-five team with the second-best Corsi For percentage and third fewest high-danger scoring chances allowed per 60 minutes. That hurts Ehlers' upside because he doesn't skate with the No. 1 power-play unit. 

Dillon Dube, CGY at EDM ($12): Rarely will there be a fade recommendation on a player in Dube's salary range, but the 22-year-old forward is coming off a hat trick against Ottawa on Thursday and is playing in a top-six role. Just note, he's logged only 12:38 of ice time through the past six games and only has nine shots on net. He's also a plus-minus risk with a minus-7 rating through his past 16 contests.

DEFENSE

Samuel Girard, COL vs. ANA ($19): While Girard was held in check Friday with 2.0 fantasy points, he still logged 28:41 of ice time with 3:30 coming as the quarterback on the No. 1 power-play unit. With Cale Makar out nursing an upper-body injury, Girard is worth nightly consideration given his expanded offensive role. 

Josh Morrissey, WPG at MON ($14): Look for some statistical correction from Morrissey on Saturday. He's mired in a seven-game point drought despite averaging 23:17 of ice time, including 2:40 quarterbacking the No. 1 power-play unit. Montreal is vulnerable short-handed and sports a 20th-ranked 77.4 percent penalty kill. 

DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID

Alec Martinez, VGK at SJ ($20): This salary doesn't match Martinez's current form. The veteran defenseman has collected a single goal and assist through the past eight games while only recording double-digit fantasy points once. Furthermore, he doesn't receive consistent power-play time. It's a soft matchup, as noted, but Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo have been the better Vegas blueliners of late. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Neil Parker plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: naparker77, DraftKings: naparker77.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neil Parker
A loyal Cubs, Cowboys and Maple Leafs fan for decades, Neil has contributed to RotoWire since 2014. He previously worked for USA Today Fantasy Sports.
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