Yahoo DFS Hockey: Friday Picks

It's an unusual day for this point in the NHL season. There is only one game on the schedule Friday, which means a random single-game DFS contest day for us all. The Vancouver Canucks are hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Obviously, I don't want either team's starting goalie. However, I have $105 in salary to divvy out to five players, one of whom is my Superstar and earns 1.5 times the points. Here's my suggested lineup.

SUPERSTAR

Elias Pettersson, VAN vs. LOS ($25): Pettersson has shouldered a massive load for the Canucks as a center who has averaged 20:21 in ice time. Sure, that include 4:03 in power-play time, but that's still a ton of minutes. And yet, he has not buckled under the pressure, as he's tallied 20 points and 52 shots on net. The Swede hasn't gone more than two games in a row without a point yet. Jonathan Quick will presumably be in net for the Kings, and he has a 3.09 GAA and .895 save percentage.

FLEX

Bo Horvat, VAN vs. LOS ($24): Horvat has racked up a staggering 14 goals in 17 games. Now, he does have a 21.9 shooting percentage, but while that is a lofty number it isn't unheard of over the course of a full campaign. Just last year Horvat scored 31 goals in 70 games with a 16.0 shooting percentage. Plus, a decent number of pucks go past Quick, who has a .900 save percentage over the last five seasons.

Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. LOS ($20): Hughes' strength? It's the power play, as you may know. Last year he had 31 points with the extra man. He did that while averaging 3:29 per game on the power play, but this year he's up to 4:28 per game on the power-play front. That's helped him notch seven points with the extra man in 13 games. Meanwhile, the Kings have the 25th-ranked penalty kill.

Kevin Fiala, LOS at VAN ($18): The Kings have a poor penalty kill. The Canucks? They have the worst penalty kill. Literally, they rank 32nd in penalty-kill percentage, a carryover from last season. In his first season as a King, Fiala has averaged 3:39 in power-play time and racked up five of his 18 points with the extra man.

Arthur Kaliyev, LOS at VAN ($16): A fourth-liner in my lineup? Yes, a fourth-liner who has averaged 2:38 per contest in power-play time. A fourth-liner with six power-play points. Kaliyev is practically used as a power-play specialist, but that's enticing in a matchup with a terrible penalty kill.