This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
The Stanley Cup playoffs continue Wednesday with a three-game slate that begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time. Read on to see which players stand out as options to target and which are best avoided in this set of Game 4s.
GOALIE
Pekka Rinne, NSH at DAL ($33): This series has been about as even as can be through three games, with the Predators holding a 2-1 edge thanks to Rinne outplaying Ben Bishop in net. Rinne boasts a 1.98 GAA and .936 save percentage in this series, and he should continue to impress against a Stars offense that ranked last among playoff teams and third-worst overall with just 2.55 goals per game in the regular season.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Mike Smith, CGY at COL ($32): While it wasn't really his fault, Smith was blitzed for six goals on 56 shots in Game 3. Between the risk of a repeat dominant performance from the host Avalanche and Smith's .898 regular-season save percentage, it's awfully tough to trust him here.
CENTER
Nathan MacKinnon, COL vs. CGY ($34): MacKinnon has done what superstars are supposed to do, taking over this series with three goals and an assist since the Avalanche suffered a shutout loss in Game 1. After posting 97 and 99 points in the last two seasons, the 23-year-old center is proving that he can be just as dominant in the playoffs. Keep riding him as Colorado looks to take a commanding 3-1 series lead at home.
CENTER TO AVOID
Derek Ryan, CGY at COL ($16): Ryan's been a non-factor in this series, averaging 1.3 fantasy points in 13:17 of ice time. Despite his poor play, it still costs $16 to get the fourth-line center into your lineup. You're better off saving $1 and targeting Boston's Charlie Coyle.
WINGS
Sam Bennett, CGY at COL ($14): Bennett has gotten on the scoresheet in every game this series, recording a goal and three assists. The mustached forward remains extremely affordable at just $14, making him a nice value pick as the top-seeded Flames try to even this series.
Mitch Marner, TOR vs. BOS ($27): Marner is the cheapest member of Toronto's big three up front, but he's also been the group's most productive member with two goals, an assist, 13 shots and a plus-2 rating in this series' first three games. Usually content with relying on his passing ability, Marner's frequent shooting so far bodes well for his ability to generate offense moving forward.
WINGS TO AVOID
Brad Marchand, BOS at TOR ($31): When you consider that 61 of Marchand's 100 points this season have come on home ice, it's no surprise that he was held to one shot in a scoreless road Game 3 after racking up a goal and two assists over the series' first two games in Boston. With Game 4 taking place in Toronto, Marchand is going to have a hard time living up to his $31 valuation with the Leafs using last change to dictate matchups.
Jamie Benn, DAL vs. NSH ($22): Benn has a four-game point streak going, yet he hasn't produced a multi-point effort since March 19. In the 11 subsequent games, he has just one goal and four assists. His offensive upside is lower than what we've grown accustomed to in recent years, and it's lowered further by facing a locked-in Rinne.
DEFENSEMEN
Cale Makar, COL vs. CGY ($18): Makar's deployment will likely remain limited, but the fourth overall pick from the 2017 draft oozes upside from the blue line. Signed immediately at the end of a college season in which he tallied 49 points over 41 games, Makar lit the lamp in his NHL debut Monday. He skated just 14:19 in the blowout victory, but that deployment included power-play time. Makar's the definition of a high-risk, high-reward play here.
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. NSH ($15): Heiskanen hasn't found the scoresheet since a two-point effort in the series opener, but he's been very noticeable in every game, firing three shots on net in each of the last two games while also topping 28 minutes of ice time in both. The third overall pick in the 2017 draft is breaking out on the big stage after a 12-goal, 33-point rookie season.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Roman Josi, NSH at DAL ($22): The bang for the buck just isn't there on Josi at $22. Offense has been hard to come by in this tight-checking series, and Nashville's most expensive defenseman has failed to differentiate himself from the two cheaper big names on the Predators' blue line. Through three games, Josi's one goal, six shots and eight blocks look a lot like what $19 P.K. Subban (one goal, one assist, 10 shots, seven blocks) and $18 Ryan Ellis (one assist, six shots, nine blocks) have had to offer.
Jamie Oleksiak, DAL vs. NSH ($18): The Stars probably didn't have high hopes when they reinserted Oleksiak into the lineup in Game 3, yet he still found a way to underwhelm with just one block and no other meaningful statistics in 10:45 of ice time. Oleksiak has just one assist without a goal in his last 33 games, so even his friends and family are likely looking elsewhere in the fantasy realm.
