This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Friday's NHL slate features six games beginning at 7:00 PM Eastern time. While there isn't an overwhelming selection of available options, certain players still stand out from the pack. Read on to see which guys to target and which to avoid in this slate.
GOALIE
Braden Holtby, WAS vs. NYI ($23): If the struggling Holtby's going to bounce back, this is as good an opportunity as any. He should get plenty of support against an Islanders team that hemorrhaged seven goals in their own building when these teams met Thursday, and his extreme home/road splits suggest this is an excellent buy-low opportunity. Holtby has a 4.00 GAA and .896 save percentage on the road, but he's been his usual stellar self at Capital One Arena with an 18-6-2 record, 2.33 GAA and .924 save percentage.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Devan Dubnyk, MIN at VGK ($37): Don't try to get cute here just because Vegas is coming off an uncharacteristic 8-3 home loss to the Devils. The Golden Knights are still outscoring opponents by an average margin of 3.36 to 2.76, and Dubnyk's just 11-10-0 with a 3.22 GAA and .900 save percentage on the road.
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CENTER
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS vs. NYI ($20): Kuznetsov's three assists against this opponent Thursday gave him five points in the last two games, pulling him within one point of a point-per-game pace through 70 games. Despite this extended success and a career-high 21 goals this season, the Russian center still costs just $20. This rematch with the league's worst defensive team (3.51 goals allowed per game) should only lead to further success for Kuznetsov.
CENTER TO AVOID
Dylan Larkin, DET at ANH ($16): Larkin's suffered from the poor defensive play around him while failing to counteract that weakness with his own production. He's in the midst of a 14-game goal drought and has a minus-6 rating in that stretch, so it's no wonder Larkin is averaging a mere 4.3 fantasy points per game in that stretch. Even reaching that modest average will be difficult on the road against a Ducks team that's allowing just 2.62 goals per game.
WINGS
Alexander Radulov, DAL at OTT ($21): The cheapest member of Dallas' top line has produced at a similar rate to linemates Tyler Seguin ($29) and Jamie Benn ($27), yet he can be had at a significantly lower price. All three are primed for productive outings against an Ottawa team that's allowing the second-most goals per game (3.38) while killing penalties at the league's fifth-worst rate (75.9 percent). Radulov has 61 points to Benn's 63 and Seguin's 69, plus his 25 goals are tied with Benn's total, so he's a tremendous alternative for owners who don't want to be hamstrung by paying up for one of the other two.
Micheal Ferland, CGY vs. SJ ($13): Ferland does most of his damage at even strength, where he benefits from skating on the top line with Johnny Gaudreau ($28) and Sean Monahan ($21). He has 20 goals and 37 points to go with a plus-10 rating, but just six of those points have come on the power play. That distribution makes Ferland an excellent fit against a Sharks team that's middling defensively outside of a league-best 85.0 percent penalty kill.
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WINGS TO AVOID
Evander Kane, SJ at CGY ($22): Kane has a respectable six points in seven games since joining the Sharks at the trade deadline, but an undisclosed injury could keep him from adding to either category here. Even if the questionable winger toughs it out, he'll be playing at less than 100 percent against a Flames club that recently got back netminder Mike Smith, who boasts a 2.51 GAA and .922 save percentage after Tuesday's shutout of the Oilers.
Filip Forsberg, NSH at COL ($26): While Forsberg seems like a strong option against an Avalanche team playing its second game in as many nights, his reliance on the power play makes this a tricky matchup. The talented forward has a team-leading 10 goals with the extra man and ranks second on the Predators with 18 power-play points despite missing 14 games, but adding to those totals won't be easy against the third-ranked, 83.7 percent Avalanche penalty kill.
DEFENSEMEN
Colin Miller, VGK vs. MIN ($14): Minnesota's struggled in the penalty killing department, ranking 20th in the league at 79.3 percent. That stat is music to Miller's ears, as he ranks third on the Golden Knights and tops among the team's defensemen with 15 power-play points. With 37 points overall, he's a tremendous offensive threat from the blue line relative to his $14 price, especially given Dubnyk's struggles on the road.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, SJ at CGY ($16): Vlasic's not flashy, but his well-rounded output is effective in the fantasy realm. His average of 6.2 fantasy points is tops among healthy blueliners that cost $18 or less. Vlasic has created a high floor with multiple shots in eight of his past 11 games and multiple blocks in nine of the last 10. Another strong performance should be in the cards against a Flames team that's only 15-16-4 in Calgary.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Nick Leddy, NYI at WAS ($17): Leddy just posted minus-4.2 fantasy points against this opponent, which was his ninth outing in the last 14 games with fewer than 4.0 fantasy points. His minus-33 rating is just one ahead of Oliver Ekman-Larsson's league-worst mark, and that category serves as a serious anchor, especially against superior opponents like Washington.
Tyson Barrie, COL vs. NSH ($21): Barrie has made owners forget about his minus-12 rating with an eight-game point streak. Unfortunately, that poor rating could take a beating while stretching his point streak will be difficult in this matchup with a Predators team that's outscoring opponents 3.19 to a league-low 2.43 this season.
