Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey: Searching for bargains on Friday
by Jason Chen
How much further can the Canucks fall? And the Penguins?
After losing Henrik Sedin on Thursday to a lower-body injury, the Canucks will now have to depend on rookie Jared McCann and sophomore Bo Horvat down the middle, which isn’t exactly a recipe for success for a team in playoff contention. The Red Wings are a talented team and always give the Canucks a tough time, and the Canucks are playing their second game in two nights.
For the Penguins, new head coach Mike Sullivan is still looking for his first win with the Penguins, who are playing host to a Boston team that has played very well most of the season. The defense should have its hands full with Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Krejci flying high, and Loui Eriksson and Ryan Spooner pitching in to provide some more secondary scoring.
The game with the most entertainment value is probably Lightning-Capitals, a matchup that favors the Capitals a lot more than it should. The struggling Lightning are trying to find their game amidst controversy and drama surrounding their star player and recently-extended coach, while the Caps have seemingly found a new gear with John Carlson emerging as a superstar defenseman and Evgeny Kuznetsov emerging as a legitimate No. 2 (or maybe No. 1) center. Barry Trotz’s teams tend to lock down on defense, but Ben Bishop has saved the Lightning’s necks all season in what could be a low-scoring game despite the star power.
GOALIE
Jimmy Howard, DET vs. VAN ($30) – The Canucks are a shambles and are coming off a game against Philadelphia the night before. Although Howard has ceded time to Petr Mrazek, the Red Wings should have no problem against the Canucks, despite injuries to key players. He’s one of the best value goalies of the night.
Goalie to Avoid:
Jeff Zatkoff, PIT vs. BOS ($35) – It’s odd that Zatkoff is priced so high with the Penguins struggling and Sullivan still looking for his first win of the year. The Bruins are just five points ahead of Pittsburgh, but there’s no question the B’s have been the stronger squad.
CENTER
Pavel Datsyuk, DET vs. VAN ($19) – It’s going to be hard not to pick on the Canucks. Datsyuk has five assists in his last six games yet admits he feels that something still isn’t right with his ankle. That he’s been so productive despite not feeling 100 percent healthy is a scary thought. But, then again, this is the Magic Man.
Center to Avoid:
Mark Scheifele, WPG vs. NYR ($23) – Scheifele gets the dishonorable mention for the second straight Friday against the Rangers. On a night where most of the league’s top centers are playing, and where the best — Patrice Bergeron — is priced at a reasonable $28, Scheifele isn’t an attractive option as a high-risk, high-upside option.
WING
Jeff Skinner, CAR vs. FLA ($21) – The former Calder Trophy winner is en fuego. He has two hat tricks in three games and eight points in his last four games against a team that is one bad Roberto Luongo night away from scoring a lot of goals. Scoring goals has not been a problem for Carolina, which has scored at least three goals in six consecutive games.
Bobby Ryan, OTT vs. SJ ($20) – Martin Jones has been very good for the Sharks, but Ryan is also on fire with four points in his last five games. Although he’s had his struggles in Ottawa, Ryan has found some good chemistry with Mike Hoffman ($26), who’s not a bad choice himself.
Wings to Avoid:
Rick Nash, NYR at WPG ($25) – He’s been productive against the Jets in his career with nine points in 15 games, but not productive enough to warrant such a high price and a spot on your roster. Nash is coming off a two-point game against the Oilers, and the Rangers are unlikely to be shut out by the Jets, so there’s a chance he could get some points, but Hoffman, Ryan and Skinner can be had for cheaper.
Daniel Sedin, VAN at DET ($28) – Daniel has proven he can play without Henrik, and Henrik has certainly proven that he can play without Daniel, but when the twin powers aren’t at full strength, they’re simply just not as good. Henrik left Thursday’s game against Philadelphia and did not return, and with the entire team struggling as a whole, Daniel isn’t an attractive option at all.
DEFENSE
Erik Karlsson, OTT vs. SJ ($26) – Can you believe he’s not the most expensive player Friday? He’s coming off a two-game point streak and played more than 31:30 against the Capitals, but fatigue shouldn’t be a problem. The Sharks have allowed just three goals in their last two games, but the Senators offense is underrated, and it’s unlikely they’ll get shut out.
Justin Faulk, CAR vs. FLA ($26) – Faulk is on a five-game point streak with four goals and four assists in that span. He’s one of the best puck movers in the league, and if not for playing on such a weak team, he’d be blowing everyone with his production. Ride the hot hand while you can.
Defensemen to Avoid:
John Carlson, WAS vs. TB ($30) – Like Faulk, he’s on a hot streak with two goals and three assists in his last four games, but the Caps are going up against the Lightning and Ben Bishop, who has played very well this season. Carlson is assuredly one of the best defensemen in the league, but it’s best to avoid him Friday.
Justin Braun, SJ at OTT ($18) – He’s only priced this high because he’s been productive with two assists Tuesday against Montreal, but with just a goal and 10 assists on the season, he’s not nearly as productive as some of his peers, including Olli Maatta ($17) or Keith Yandle ($17). Braun is logging a lot of ice time for the Sharks, but he’s not exactly the offensive type and forms a rather unexciting but solid pairing with Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Paul Martin and Brent Burns will handle most of the scoring duties.
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