Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey: Saturday picks

By Sasha Yodashkin

Saturday’s evening slate encompasses eight of the day’s 11 games. There’s plenty of selection regardless of your strategy, but Arizona’s recent improvement makes the Coyotes a less appealing option to stack against than they have been throughout the season.

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GOALIE

Craig Anderson, OTT at TOR ($29): Anderson’s 13-7-1 record, 2.37 goals-against average and .926 save percentage suggest he should be priced well above $29, but an extended absence due to personal reasons has reduced his price. The affordable veteran has looked good in allowing just three goals in two starts since returning, and is catching the slumping Maple Leafs at the right time, as Toronto has just three wins in its past 10 games, and has been held to one or fewer goals four times in that span.

Goalie to Avoid

Martin Jones, SJ at ARI ($34): Jones was shelled for six goals on 22 shots in his last outing Wednesday, and getting back on track could be harder than it seems against the surging Coyotes. Arizona has gone 4-1-1 with 27 goals scored in its past six games, so this isn’t the peachy matchup that it seems to be at first glance.

CENTER

Mark Letestu, EDM at CHI ($14): Letestu’s role on the top power-play unit separates him from ordinary fourth-line centers. Six of his 11 goals have come with the extra man, which makes the Letestu the perfect low-cost candidate to exploit a Blackhawks penalty kill that has allowed opponents to capitalize on 23.2 percent of opportunities. The team’s other three centers cost an average of $23, so using Letestu also provides massive cap savings compared to the alternatives in this matchup. Minimum-priced winger Milan Lucic is also a sensible play for similar reasons.

Center to Avoid

Eric Staal, MIN vs. NSH ($21): Staal has been seriously slumping with just one goal and four helpers over the past 16 games. Turning things around won’t be easy against Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne, who has held opponents to two or fewer goals in 10 of his past 15 appearances. If you insist on using a Wild center, the equally-priced Mikael Granlund is a superior play considering he has six goals and 11 assists over the same 16-game span.

WINGS

Ondrej Palat, TB at DAL ($15): Palat is skating on the first line and top power-play unit but is priced at just $15. He’s a great value at this price in almost any matchup, and especially so against a Stars team that has allowed the second-most goals per game at 3.20. This is as promising a combination of role and opponent as you can hope for in this price range.

Jordan Eberle, EDM at CHI ($15): It’s no coincidence that Eberle broke an eight-game point drought with a goal and an assist Thursday in just his second game since being promoted back up to the top line. The sniper is significantly more dangerous when playing alongside league points leader Connor McDavid, and he will get to do so at even strength. While he remains separated from McDavid on the power play, Eberle has racked up 11 points in extra man situations and is still a major threat from the second unit against the 27th-ranked Chicago penalty kill.

Wings to Avoid

Jonathan Huberdeau, FLA at LA ($27): Huberdeau has been nothing short of fantastic with seven points in four games since finally making his season debut following an Achilles injury, but that success has led to a massive overinflation in his price. The 23-year-old winger is due for some downward correction toward the 0.63-point-per-game pace he posted in his first four seasons, and that correction could well start against a Kings team that has held opponents to 2.46 goals per game.

Ryan Hartman, CHI vs. EDM ($18): Hartman has played fewer than 14 minutes in each of his past 11 games, due in large part to a non-existent role on the power play. He has managed just four points in that stretch, which sounds about right for a player in his role. There’s no reason to use $18 on him regardless of opposition.

DEFENSEMEN

Alex Goligoski, ARI vs. SJ ($16): Goligoski has been exceptional in all facets over the past 12 games, with a goal, seven assists, 21 blocked shots and a plus-10 rating en route to 7.3 fantasy points per contest. He has finished with at least a neutral rating in every game over that span, which is impressive playing for a Coyotes team that has scored the fourth-fewest goals per game while allowing the fourth-most. The whole team has been trending up of late, and the inexpensive blueliner’s all-around contributions have been a major part of that turnaround.

Mark Giordano, CGY at VAN ($18): Twelve of Giordano’s 23 points have come with the extra man, and he has a great chance of adding to both totals against the 24th-ranked Vancouver penalty kill. Besides getting on the scoresheet, Giordano also offers top-notch production across the board with a plus-11 rating (28th among defensemen), 108 shots (34th among defensemen) and 129 blocks (eighth in the NHL). His combination of safety and upside is hard to find in blueliners cheaper than $20, and this subpar opposition only further raises the veteran’s value.

Defensemen to Avoid

P.K. Subban, NSH at MIN ($22): Subban is more volatile than most blueliners, offering greater scoring upside while also carrying more significant downside given his minus-9 rating. That downside is more likely to manifest itself against tough competition like the Western Conference-leading Wild. Minnesota’s second-ranked defense is likely to limit Subban’s production, while the Wild’s fourth-ranked offense makes him a series rating risk.

Alexander Edler, VAN vs. CGY ($16): Don’t be fooled by Edler’s five points in the past six games, as he had just one goal and eight assists in his first 38 appearances. Couple his lack of offense with a minus-11 rating, and you begin to see that Vancouver’s most expensive blueliner is rarely a strong play.

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