This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Wednesday's NHL slate is a modest one, with four games on tap after 7:00 PM Eastern time. Even with the limited available selection, certain players stand out as value plays to target while others are best avoided at their respective prices. Read on to see who falls into which category.
GOALIE
David Rittich, CGY vs. DAL ($28): Whichever option Calgary chooses in net between Rittich and Mike Smith should benefit from a favorable matchup against a Stars team that's struggled to generate offense on the road. Dallas ranks third-worst in the league in away scoring at a meager 2.30 goals per game, while Calgary's netminder will have the backing of an offense that's leading the league with 4.16 goals per game on home ice.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Ben Bishop, DAL vs. CGY ($38): Given Calgary's prolific scoring rate at home, it's tough to trust Bishop at $38 here. He's earned that lofty valuation with terrific recent play, but the matchup is too daunting to spend such a significant chunk of change.
CENTER
Patrice Bergeron, BOS vs. NYR ($33): All signs point to a high likelihood of a dominant performance from Bergeron against a Rangers team that's surrendering 3.81 goals per game on the road. The veteran center has done most of his damage at TD Garden, with 48 of his 75 points this season coming on home ice. He's also on fire coming into this one, having notched five goals, five assists and a plus-9 rating over an active five-game point streak.
CENTER TO AVOID
Sean Monahan, CGY vs. DAL ($27): Monahan hasn't quite looked like himself in three games since returning from an illness, totaling just 4.1 fantasy points. It's best to wait for him to get back into form before deploying him, especially with a defensively sound Dallas club coming to town.
WINGS
Jakub Voracek, PHI vs. TOR ($21): Voracek has been up and down of late, but he's ultimately managed to produce five goals and 14 points in his past 11 games. The talented forward has a nice opportunity to add to his recent success against a Toronto team that's struggled to keep the puck out of its net recently. Over their past eight games, the Maple Leafs are 3-4-1 with 35 goals allowed.
Jonathan Marchessault, VGK at COL ($21): Marchessault leads the Golden Knights with 16 power-play points, and he'll have a great opportunity to add to that total against a 77.6 percent Colorado penalty kill that ranks fourth-worst in the league. He's more than capable of delivering in other situations as well, having racked up four goals, four assists and a plus-6 rating over the past five games.
WINGS TO AVOID
Danton Heinen, BOS vs. NYR ($17): It's better to pay up for Boston's elite stars than hope for an outlier from a guy like Heinen, who averages just 4.5 fantasy points and 14:03 of ice time per game. Heinen has a hard time generating offense, with more than one shot on goal in just three of his past 13 games.
William Nylander, TOR at PHI ($17): Nylander has gone 13 games without a goal, and only Heinen averages fewer fantasy points per game than Nylander's 4.7 among healthy wingers that cost $15 or more. The bang for the buck just isn't there at $17.
DEFENSEMEN
Tyson Barrie, COL vs. VGK ($20): Some of the effectiveness of Colorado's top-heavy forward corps has been sapped by injuries, but Barrie's doing his best to pick up the slack from the blue line. He has five goals and nine points in his last 10 games, adding at least four shots on net in seven of those contests. The offensive-minded defenseman is unlikely to slow down given how important every game is for an Avalanche team on the playoff bubble.
Jake Muzzin, TOR at PHI ($17): Muzzin is being asked to take on a larger load with Toronto beat up on the blue line, and he's been up to the challenge. Over the past six games, the trade deadline acquisition has mustered a well-rounded three goals, two assists, 20 shots, nine blocks and a plus-5 rating. Despite the recent success, Muzzin can still be had for just $17.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Kevin Shattenkirk, NYR at BOS ($18): Shattenkirk has been a major liability in his own end with a minus-14 rating this season, including a minus-7 mark in his past six games. Expect a talented Boston team that has the benefit of last change in its home arena to exploit that weakness.
Radko Gudas, PHI vs. TOR ($15): There just isn't much to get excited about with Gudas. He has just 19 points this season, doesn't see power-play time and has posted a minus-6 rating over his last 11 games. Even if you're looking to save money on the blue line, there are more enticing options to be found.
