This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Eight evening games are included in the main contests at Yahoo on Saturday. Colorado, Tampa Bay and Detroit are the largest favorites with the Penguins, Maple Leafs and Rangers all receiving notable road chalk. Here's a look at a number of recommendations and fades for each position.
All statistics from Natural Stat Trick and Hockey Reference.
GOALIE
Alex Nedeljkovic, DET vs. BUF ($28): The Sabres rank third last in expected goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five in the league, and Nedeljkovic has been sneaky good of late with a .928 save percentage through his past four starts. Expect Detroit to handle Buffalo.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jack Campbell, TOR at STL ($38): Fancy stats aside, St. Louis still ranks fifth in goals per game, and this will be Toronto's fourth consecutive contest on the highway. This salary also makes it difficult to roster many cost-effective alternatives at other positions.
CENTER
Nazem Kadri, COL vs. ARI ($30): Not only is Kadri pacing the league in points per 60 minutes, he's sporting a 13-game point streak consisting of six tallies and 17 helpers. Additionally, the veteran pivot has racked up an impressive 22 shots, 29 attempts and 12 scoring chances through his past four outings.
CENTER TO AVOID
Joe Pavelski, DAL at TB ($23): The veteran got a dose of Florida life last night against the Panthers, and a Saturday night date with the Lightning doesn't project to be any luckier. Opposing netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy enters on a 13-3 heater with a .930 save percentage and 2.00 GAA, too.
WING
Nikita Kucherov, TB vs. DAL ($33): With the Stars playing their second game in consecutive nights, look for Kucherov to stay hot Saturday. He has three multi-point showings through four games to the tune of three tallies and four helpers since returning from injury.
Patrick Kane, CHI vs. ANH ($24): This is an affordable salary for Kane. He finally found the back of the net Thursday after failing to score a goal in each of the previous 13 games. However, he's been piling up assists of late with seven during his active six-game point streak. With the Ducks playing their second game in consecutive nights, this could also prove to be a soft schedule spot for Kane and Chicago.
WINGS TO AVOID
Mitch Marner, TOR at STL ($27): The winger pool is deep on this slate, so this is a steep salary considering Marner's only played twice since Dec. 4. Plus, he's also underachieved this season, with his current 2.33 points per 60 minutes being a career-low mark.
Cam Atkinson, PHI vs. NYR ($27): With a nine dollar salary jump since his last outing, Atkinson looks out of place in this range despite his recent success. Building on his current five-game heater, in which he's amassed three goals and five assists, will also be tough with New York ranking fifth in goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five and third in penalty-kill percentage.
DEFENSE
Drew Doughty, LA at SEA ($21): The veteran is having an elite season across the board with 19 points, 41 shots, 24 blocks and a plus-7 rating through 18 contests. This also projects as a favorable matchup for Doughty. The Kraken have surrendered the second-most goals per game in the league and rank 25th in penalty-kill percentage.
Erik Gustafsson, CHI vs. ANH ($13): The 29-year-old defenseman collected a pair of assists in Thursday's win over Montreal, and he's projected to quarterback the No. 1 power-play unit again Saturday with Seth Jones out. Gustafsson has a 60-point campaign on his resume, so the offensive upside is there, and his salary is helpful Saturday. The Ducks have also surrendered 18 goals through their past four contests.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Braden Schneider, NYR at PHI ($18): The most expensive third-pairing defenseman in the player pool scored in his NHL debut Thursday, and his salary skyrocketed for Saturday's matchup against Philadelphia. Expect the rookie to play limited minutes after logging just 14:49 in his NHL debut, which restricts his fantasy upside.
Thomas Chabot, OTT at EDM ($17): With the Oilers on an 0-5 stretch coming out of the holiday break, it wouldn't be surprising to see Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have strong showings. Chabot, of course, will be tasked with spending most of his even-strength ice time matched up against one or both of Edmonton's superstars. As a result, it could prove to be a long night for Ottawa's No. 1 defenseman.
