Yahoo DFS Hockey: Thursday Breakdown

Yahoo DFS Hockey: Thursday Breakdown

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.

GOALIE

Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. OTT ($30): Markstrom has been remarkable this season with a .926 save percentage, 2.15 GAA and 12-7-5 record through 24 games. He was dealing with a minor injury last week. While we haven't received an update, there's a good chance that he suits up against the Senators, who rank 24th in the league with 2.69 goals per game. 

GOALIE TO AVOID

Jonathan Quick, LA vs. PIT ($34): Quick is having his best statistical season since the 2017-18 campaign, but his home stats (a .911 save percentage, 2.65 GAA and 6-6-2 record) aren't anything to write home about. This matchup against the Penguins is daunting now that Evgeni Malkin is fully back, and he put up three points in his return. Prior to Malkin's return, the Penguins were already 10th in the league with 3.29 goals per game. 

CENTER

Ryan O'Reilly, STL vs. SEA ($18): O'Reilly is having a bit of a down year with 22 points through 32 games, but he's too talented to stay low for long. The 30-year-old is still playing nearly 20 minutes a night and averaging 2.5 shots per game. The matchup against the Kraken is quite enticing, as Chris Driedger should be in net with a dismal 3.49 GAA through nine starts this year. 

CENTER TO AVOID

Anze Kopitar, LA vs. PIT ($21): Kopitar relies heavily on the power play for his fantasy production, with 11 of his 30 points coming with the man advantage. Considering he'll be playing against Tristan Jarry, who has a 1.79 GAA on the road, and the Penguins' top-ranked PK (90.7 percent), Kopitar's ceiling is low. 

WING

Alex DeBrincat, CHI vs. MON ($22): Both Canadiens goaltenders, Jake Allen and Samuel Montembeault, were lit up by the Bruins last night, and now one of them will get the nod against Chicago. The Canadiens have struggled enough this year, and Wednesday was probably demoralizing. DeBrincat has 23 goals with nine on the power play through 36 games, and the Canadiens rank 30th on the penalty kill at 71.6 percent. 

Martin Necas, CAR vs. CLS ($16): Necas has blistering speed and a wicked wrist shot. He skates on the third line, but he also operates on the top power-play unit. The 22-year-old has produced 19 points, but only three with the man advantage, through 31 games. The Blue Jackets' defensive system isn't as sound as it used to be, as the team has allowed 3.56 goals per game (28th). 

WINGS TO AVOID

Tyler Bertuzzi, DET vs. WPG ($20): Bertuzzi has scored 17 goals on 71 shots (23.9 percent) this season. It's unlikely that he continues that rate when 16.3 percent was his best prior full season in the NHL. He may have a tough time against Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck, who has recorded a .911 save percentage and 2.83 GAA this year. 

Kyle Okposo, BUF at NSH ($17): We can typically find values in this salary range, but Okposo is far from that. He's skating on the fourth line now, and the Sabres have plenty of struggles as it is. Predators goalie Juuse Saros is rock solid in net, too. 

DEFENSE

Charlie McAvoy, BOS vs. PHI ($19): Matt Grzelcyk has been getting the spotlight recently, but McAvoy is still the Bruins' No. 1 defender. He is skating more than 24 minutes per night, and he has posted 20 points, 62 shots on net and a plus-10 rating. Eight of those points have come on the power play, so he'll draw an intriguing opportunity against the Flyers' 18th-ranked PK (79.8 percent). 

Quinn Hughes, VAN at TB ($18): The Quinn Hughes Hype Train has slowed down this year, but he's still the same player. The 22-year-old has accrued 28 points, 12 with the man advantage, through 34 games while logging 24:40 of ice time. The Lightning are still one of the league's best teams, but their PK (80.4 percent) ranks 16th in the league, making Hughes a value play tonight. 

DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID

Brady Skjei, CAR vs. CLS ($18): Skjei hasn't been a major offensive contributor since his rookie season, but he has put up eight points over the last five games. Let others take the bait, as his production shouldn't last long. Skjei doesn't handle power-play minutes, and he posted just five points this season before his hot stretch. 

Tyler Myers, VAN at TB ($17): Myers has just 10 points through 35 games, and he's averaging just 1.5 shots per contest. His upside is severely capped without power-play usage, and Andrei Vasilevskiy is the toughest goalie in the league at even strength. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Jordan Mazzara plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Mazz30 Yahoo: Mazz30 DraftKings: Mazz30.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jordan Mazzara
Jordan has produced NFL and NHL content for RotoWire since 2017. He's the beat writer for the St. Louis Blues and Seattle Seahawks.
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