This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There's no World Series baseball Thursday. Also, Thursday Night Football features Washington's terrible football team. So let's give our attention to the 10 NHL games on the slate! Here are some guys to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy hockey lineup.
GOALIE
Ben Bishop, DAL vs. ANA ($30): Dallas is off to a notably slow start offensively, but you know what team is also struggling to score? Anaheim, who also happened to finish last in goals per game last year. Speaking of last season, Bishop had an 1.98 GAA and .934 save percentage last year. His GAA is 2.58 this season, which isn't as stellar, but is still good.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Braden Holtby, WAS at EDM ($29): Is Holtby coasting on his name at this point? He may have a 4-1-0 record, but he has a 3.60 GAA and .884 save percentage. The Oilers have no depth, but they have two elite players, and a truly stellar top power-play unit. If Holtby has to face Connor McDavid and crew down a man, goals will be scored.
CENTER
Brayden Schenn, STL vs. LOS ($18): Schenn is lighting it up to start the year. He already has six goals through nine games. His shooting percentage will regress, but don't bet on it happening in this matchup. The Kings have an .865 save percentage as a team, which is largely why they have the worst GAA in the league as well.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mathew Barzal, NYI vs. ARI ($20): Barzal is kind of a one-man offense, but he's getting it done. The third-year center has a four-game point streak. I expect that to end against the Coyotes. Arizona isn't messing around defensively, as they have a league-best 1.88 GAA.
WING
Brendan Gallagher, MON vs. SAN ($22): If there's one thing Gallagher knows how to do, it's put pucks on net. Last year he tallied 302 shots on goal, and this year he has 33 shots through nine contests. The Sharks have a 3.56 GAA, and last season they were decidedly worse on the road than at home defensively.
James van Riemsdyk, PHI at CHI ($16): JVR doesn't have a point yet, but that's going to change. He's started 58.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second highest on the Flyers. He's also put 35 shots on goal through seven games. That kind of activity is going to lead to points. That could definitely be the case against a Blackhawks team that has allowed 33.7 shots on net per contest.
WINGS TO AVOID
Alexander Radulov, DAL vs. ANA ($21): The Stars have been making tweaks to try and get their offense going, and in the process has recently moved Radulov down to the third line. The thing that is most striking, though, is the fact that the Russian forward -- who has had 23 points on the power play in each of his last two seasons -- has zero so far. The Ducks have a 2.20 GAA, and they've also only allowed 29.5 shots on goal per game.
Cam Atkinson, CLM vs. CAR ($20): Atkinson scored two goals early this year, but doesn't have a goal in his last six games. The Hurricanes have been great at suppressing shots for several seasons, and this year is no different. Carolina has only allowed 28.9 shots on net per contest.
DEFENSE
Mathew Dumba, MIN at NAS ($19): Dumba has started 55.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest among Minnesota defenseman. He's also averaged 3:07 with the extra man, the most of his career. While the Predators may turn it around eventually, at the moment they have the 30th-ranked penalty kill, which bodes well for Dumba.
Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF at NYR ($17): Ristolainen's role has been diminished thanks to the rise of another Rasmus, Dahlin, but he's still involved offensively. The Finn has five points through 10 games, all assists, and he's put 24 shots on net. The Rangers have been porous defensively this year, as they've given up a whopping 36.6 shots on net per contest. That should help Ristolainen be active.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
John Klingberg, DAL vs. ANA ($19): Klingberg is a guy with a proven track record, but he also only has three points through 11 games. This includes only one point with the extra man. John Gibson is coming off a bad start, but even with that he has a 2.24 GAA and .927 GAA through eight starts.
Keith Yandle, FLA at CGY ($17): Yandle is just a power-play specialist at this point. All three of his points this year have come with the extra man. This is maybe not the matchup for the veteran defenseman, though, as the Flames have the third-ranked penalty kill.
