This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
You may be relaxing after your work week Friday, but that won't be the case in the NHL. Five of the six road teams in action are on the second leg of a back-to-back. That can be a goldmine for daily fantasy purposes. So with that in mind, here are my recommendations for who to target, and who to avoid, for your DFS hockey lineups.
GOALIE
Jacob Markstrom, VAN vs. WAS ($30): You'd normally be afraid of a matchup with the Capitals, and with good reason as they rank in the top-five in goals scored per game. However, Washington is one of those teams on the second night of a back-to-back. On top of that, Markstrom is off to a hot start to the year with a 2.15 GAA and .933 save percentage.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Philipp Grubauer, COL at VGK ($35): The Avalanche are the one road team playing Friday that didn't play Thursday, but I still have concern. It comes down to shots. The Golden Knights get a lot of them, as they've averaged 34.9 shots on net per game. Meanwhile, the Avalanche have given up 35.2 shots on goal per contest. Add that together, and it could be an incredibly busy night for Grubauer.
CENTER
Alex Kerfoot, TOR vs. SAN ($15): With John Tavares out, Kerfoot has moved to centering Toronto's second line. He's also getting time on the Leafs' second power-play unit. The Sharks were rather lousy defensively on the road last season, with a 3.44 GAA in away games.
CENTER TO AVOID
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS at VAN ($25): Kuznetsov is on Washington's second line, which means he doesn't get to have Alex Ovechkin or T.J. Oshie on his wing, but he's still on the top power-play unit. Indeed, three of his seven points have come with the extra man. However, the Canucks own the fourth-ranked penalty kill and a 2.11 GAA.
WING
J.T. Miller, VAN vs. WAS ($18): Miller is skating on Vancouver's top line with Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser, and he's also on its top power play. That's helped the former Ranger tally 10 points in nine games. He's also been getting more active recently, with 19 shots on goal over his last five games. The Capitals are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back, and unproven rookie Ilya Samsonov will be in net.
Sam Reinhart, BUF at DET ($17): Here's an instance where I'm not afraid of going with a guy on the road on the second night of a back-to-back. Reinhart broke out with 65 points last season and has racked points through 11 games this year, including four with the extra man. The Wings may be at home and they may be playing a team dealing with some fatigue, but they also have struggled to a 3.80 GAA while giving up 35.3 shots on net per contest.
WINGS TO AVOID
Taylor Hall, NJD vs. ARI ($28): Hall has experienced some terrible shooting luck to start the year, as he's recorded a 3.1 shooting percentage. However, this may not be the day to turn it around. The Coyotes boast the best goaltending tandem in the NHL this year, and also one of the best last season. Yes, Darcy Kuemper started Thursday, but Antti Raanta also has a .926 save percentage.
Gabriel Landeskog, COL at VGK ($24): The Avalanche's top line is a machine, but it can break down if one little screw comes loose in a machine. Mikko Rantanen is out with an injury, and that makes me concerned about how Landeskog can produce with one-third of his line missing. Also a concern? The fact the Golden Knights own the top-ranked penalty kill.
DEFENSE
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI at NJD ($17): Ekman-Larsson has notched four points in nine games, and there is reason to think he can do more than that. He's started 58.2 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone - most among Arizona defenseman - and has averaged over three minutes per game with the extra man for the eighth-straight season. The Devils comes in with the 26th-ranked penalty kill, and an awful .881 team save percentage.
Jake Muzzin, TOR vs. SAN ($16): Muzzin doesn't receive power-play time, but that probably doesn't matter since the Sharks maintain a top-five penalty kill. And Muzzin hasn't needed it to have success, as he's racked six points over his last seven games. On the second night of a back-to-back, Martin Jones will be in goal for San Jose with his .846 save percentage to start the season.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
John Carlson, WAS at VAN ($27): This may seem like madness, as Carlson has been as good as any player in the NHL to start the season, and his price reflects that. However, his shooting percentage is guaranteed to regress, and he's not going to keep averaging over an assist per game. Being on the road against the Canucks on the second leg of a back-to-back is going to be a difficult task for the veteran defenseman. Vancouver enters the game with a 2.11 GAA and the fourth-ranked penalty kill.
Cale Makar, COL at VGK ($19): Makar had as much buzz as any young player heading into this season, and his eight assists in nine games certainly shows why that was the case. However, he's only put seven shots on goal and five of his points have come with the extra man. Facing Vegas' top-ranked penalty kill may represent the perfectly wrong matchup for the rookie.
