This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Wednesday's four-game NHL slate begins at 8:00 PM Eastern time. While there aren't many options to choose from, certain players are still primed to provide strong bang for the buck while others should be avoided.
GOALIE
John Gibson, ANH at VGK ($34): Gibson may not get much goal support, but he's still having a terrific season, with a 2.47 GAA and .931 save percentage. Look for him to further pad those stats against a Vegas team that's averaging just 2.39 goals on 34.7 shots per game.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Corey Crawford, CHI vs. STL ($30): It's tough to trust the reeling Blackhawks, who have lost eight in a row. Crawford gave up six goals the last time he faced the Blues, and his 3.07 GAA and .902 save percentage don't inspire much confidence.
CENTER
Ryan O'Reilly, STL at CHI ($21): O'Reilly took a few games to adjust to his new team, but he's certainly reaping the benefits of skating with an improved supporting cast now. He's riding a 10-game point streak, during which the veteran center's compiled a whopping 17 points (eight goals). A Blackhawks team that's giving up 3.72 goals per game -- second-most in the league -- will be hard-pressed to cool down the red-hot O'Reilly.
CENTER TO AVOID
David Krejci, BOS at COL ($17): Krejci's value is tied almost exclusively to assists, as he has just two goals and 19 shots in 17 games. It's tough to consistently rely on scoring from your teammates without doing so yourself, and facing Avalanche netminder Semyon Varlamov (2.26 GAA, .929 save percentage) will make things even more difficult for Krejci.
WINGS
Blake Wheeler, WPG vs. WAS ($27): Something about playing in front of the Winnipeg crowd brings out the best in Wheeler. He was among the league's best players at home last season with 60 points in 41 games, and he's picked up right where he left off with 16 points through 10 home games this season. He's primed for another multi-point effort against a Capitals team that's playing its second game in as many nights.
Alexander Steen, STL at CHI ($16): Steen's average of 6.1 fantasy points leads all wingers in this slate priced at $17 or less, as he's capitalizing on a prominent role on the second line and already has four power-play points. Given Chicago's defensive struggles, it wouldn't be surprising to see Steen once again outperform the competition in this price range.
WINGS TO AVOID
Patrik Laine, WPG vs. WAS ($26): Laine hasn't been living up to his lofty valuation this season, recording only two points away from the power play to go with a minus-6 rating. Seeing as he's stuck on the third line, his even-strength struggles are likely to continue.
Rickard Rakell, ANH at VGK ($22): Rakell's average of 6.8 fantasy points is by far the lowest among forwards priced over $20, with nobody else sitting below 7.9. Reversing his trend of underperforming his price tag will be difficult in what figures to be a low-scoring game on the road given Anaheim's offensive struggles on the whole (2.21 goals per game).
DEFENSEMEN
Tyson Barrie, COL vs. BOS ($19): Known more as an offensive specialist in years past, Barrie has bloomed into a terrific two-way defenseman. The production is still there (14 points, five on the power play), but Barrie also has a plus-12 rating, already putting him just five shy of his single-season high from 2013-14. Barrie's 2.7 percent shooting percentage is well below his career 7.0 mark, so he's due for even better results once his shooting luck normalizes.
Duncan Keith, CHI vs. STL ($13): Chicago's struggles have created a nice buy-low opportunity on Keith at $13. He's maintained a plus-3 rating even with the team hemorrhaging goals with other guys on the ice, and Keith is on an identical scoring pace to last season's 32-point performance. Against a Blues team that's allowing 3.40 goals per game, Keith's a low-risk, high-reward pick.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. ANH ($17): Theodore's offensive upside is low against Gibson, but he carries plenty of rating risk with a minus-9 mark this season. Even in this small slate, there are plenty of cheaper defensemen likely to outperform Theodore.
John Carlson, WAS at WPG ($26): Carlson's extensive ice time allows him to rack up fantasy points, but it also puts him at greater risk of a negative rating in this second leg of a back-to-back against an elite Jets team. Winnipeg's outscoring opponents 3.19 to 2.63 on average this season, and Carlson's exorbitant price makes paying up for him in subpar matchups a losing strategy more often than not.
