This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Friday is Valentine's Day, so you may need to get your hockey watching in on Thursday instead. Fortunately, there's plenty of NHL action for you to enjoy. There are 11 games on the docket. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
MacKenzie Blackwood, NJD vs. DET ($26): Blackwood has back-to-back shutouts in his last two starts, which was still only enough to get his numbers to a 2.84 GAA and a .910 save percentage. However, those are still better than Detroit's terrible offensive numbers. The Wings have only scored 2.03 goals per game, the lowest in the league by an extremely wide margin.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Ben Bishop, DAL at TOR ($34): Bishop is having another great season, but on the road in Toronto is a tough place for any goalie to play. The Leafs have scored 3.54 goals and put 33.6 shots on net per contest this season, both top five in the NHL. Bear in mind that the offense has also taken off since Mike Babcock finally got the heave ho, so this is an even more difficult matchup than it appears on paper.
CENTER
Christian Dvorak, ARI at OTT ($18): There's something to be said for consistency, and Dvorak has had one point in nine of his last 12 games. That's helped Arizona's first-line center tally 17 goals and 18 assists in 59 games. Meanwhile, Ottawa has a 3.32 GAA, third worst in the NHL, and has allowed 33.6 shots on net per contest.
CENTER TO AVOID
Leon Draisaitl, EDM at TAM ($32): No, I don't expect Draisaitl to fall off some cliff because Connor McDavid is injured and not on that top power-play unit anymore. That being said, it can't help the German's upside. More importantly, the Lightning have the third-ranked penalty kill. If that wasn't enough, Andrei Vasilevskiy has a 1.56 GAA and .948 save percentage over his last 14 starts.
WING
Jakob Silfverberg, ANA vs. CGY ($17): Silfverberg has been in and out of the lineup a bit recently, but he's still managed to score 17 goals in 51 games, and he's added 15 assists as well. The Flames are the only team on the second leg of a back-to-back Thursday, and Calgary has a 3.02 GAA and .907 save percentage as is.
Nikita Gusev, NJD vs. DET ($13): Gusev is finally in the NHL, and while he hasn't lit the world on fire with the Devils, that could be in part because of the talent around him. It may also be because of his 7.9 percent shooting, which seems a little low for a guy with a strong offensive reputation. Ultimately, though, the primary reason for this recommendation is that the Red Wings have a 4.07 GAA on the road.
WINGS TO AVOID
Johnny Gaudreau, CGY at ANA ($22): Like I mentioned earlier, the Flames are on the road for the second night of a back-to-back, and they are the only team stuck in that situation Thursday. While John Gibson hasn't had the kind of season he's had in the past, he's largely had his issues on the road. At home, the American netminder has a 2.62 GAA and .913 save percentage.
Sam Reinhart, BUF vs. CLM ($19): With Victor Olofsson out, Reinhart is the only Sabres forward not named Jack Eichel you could even imagine considering. Don't do that Thursday, though. Since taking over as Columbus' starter in net Elvis Merzlikins has a 1.57 GAA and .950 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Ryan Pulock, NYI at NAS ($24): Pulock has enjoyed a nice hot streak, as he's notched a point in six of his last seven contests. He also has seven power-play points, which isn't a ton, but is not bad for a defenseman. The Predators, surprisingly, have the league's worst penalty kill, so any opportunity with the extra man could pay off.
Matt Dumba, MIN vs. NYR ($18): Dumba isn't shy about trying to put the puck on net. He's tallied 139 shots on goal in 56 games, and the only thing holding down his numbers is 2.9 percent shooting that is a far cry from his career number. Dumba should have plenty of opportunities against the Rangers, as they've allowed 35.3 shots on net per game on the road. All it takes is one puck to find the back of the net.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Oscar Klefbom, EDM at TAM ($21): Klefbom has 17 power-play points, but those numbers were pretty front-loaded this season. Over his last 14 games he only has two points with the extra man. I don't expect that to change in this matchup, given that the Lightning have the third-ranked penalty kill and have a red-hot goalie in Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Thomas Chabot, OTT vs. ARI ($14): Chabot is doing his best, notching 30 points in 55 games. That includes 10 power-play points, though he doesn't have a single power-play goal. Darcy Kuemper hasn't returned yet, though his return is reportedly imminent, but Antti Raanta and Adin Hill have done their jobs, as the Coyotes still have a 2.68 GAA. They also have the seventh-ranked penalty kill.
