This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
GOALIE
Elvis Merzlikins, CLS at CHI ($24): Merzlikins should serve as a salary-saving, contrarian option in the crease. He has been solid on the road in 2022, recording a .910 save percentage and a 5-2-0 record. Meanwhile, Chicago enters Thursday's game with eight losses over their last 11 outings while averaging 2.45 goals per game.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Anthony Stolarz, ANH at EDM ($28): Stolarz can create the illusion of value with an average salary and a .917 save percentage. However, his save percentage drops to an .899 mark on the road, and this matchup is daunting. The Oilers have averaged 3.21 goals per game this year. They're healthy, too.
CENTER
Mark Scheifele, WPG vs. SEA ($20): Scheifele has six goals and three assists across the last five games, and he's encroaching on a point-per-game pace this season. The veteran pivot has been highly effective on the power play with 12 points thus far, and he'll take on Seattle's 28th-ranked PK (74.8 percent) on Thursday. Philipp Grubauer has recorded a brutal .885 save percentage and 3.15 GAA this year, too.
CENTER TO AVOID
John Tavares, TOR vs. PIT ($25): Tavares has registered a respectable 11 points through the last 14 games, but his minus-10 rating is a major eyesore that is damaging for DFS purposes. Furthermore, Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry is having a Vezina-caliber season while playing his best hockey on the road, recording a .929 save percentage and a 2.02 GAA away from his home barn.
WING
Jordan Kyrou, STL at MON ($20): Kyrou has cooled down over the last nine games with just four points (all goals) after posting 39 points through the first 34 games. His salary has fallen as a result, but we should be ready to buy the dip, especially against the Canadiens. Samuel Montembeault will likely start in net, and he's recorded an .894 save percentage and a 3.92 GAA through 22 games.
Brady Tkachuk, OTT at BUF ($19): Tkachuk continues to fire a high volume of pucks on net, as he's accrued 151 shots through 43 games (18th in the league). He has produced 35 points as a result. His matchup against the Sabres is favorable, as they'll start 40-year-old netminder Craig Anderson, who has a mediocre 2.67 GAA this year.
WINGS TO AVOID
Tyler Bertuzzi, DET at NYR ($21): Bertuzzi is on a tear in 2022 with 11 goals and 12 assists through 18 games. However, it's difficult to trust him in this matchup against the Rangers. Goalie Igor Shesterkin has put up a .938 save percentage and a 2.05 GAA this season, and the Rangers rank ninth in the league with an 82.7 percent penalty kill.
Dylan Strome, CHI vs. CLS ($17): Strome made headlines with a hat trick a couple weeks ago, but he's still averaging just 17 minutes of ice time per game in 2022 despite getting occasional time on the top line. Merzlikins is an impediment to his goal-scoring abilities, too, but we should be mostly concerned about his flaky ice time.
DEFENSE
Adam Fox, NYR vs. DET ($25): We've discovered some value plays already, so it's worth splurging on a defenseman like Fox in this matchup. The 23-year-old has produced 47 points – 21 with the man advantage – through 45 games. The Red Wings are expected to start Alex Nedeljkovic in the blue paint, and he has accrued a 3.31 GAA through 15 games in 2022.
Justin Faulk, STL at MON ($17): Faulk makes an excellent stack with Kyrou, as the blueliner has posted seven points over the past seven games. We're targeting the Canadiens, and Faulk lines up on PP2 with Kyrou. The Canadiens' PK ranks 30th in the league at 73.3 percent.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Ivan Provorov, PHI vs. WAS ($18): Provorov is a remarkable defensive player, but he hasn't shown enough offensive upside to be useful in large DFS tournaments. He has produced 18 points through 45 games. With just four points on the power play, he's less likely to exploit Washington's 18th-ranked PK (79.1 percent) than his peers.
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. BOS ($17): Dobson leans on the power play too much for my liking in this contest. Seven of his 20 points have come with the man advantage, and Boston will get Patrice Bergeron back Thursday to assist a penalty kill that ranks 10th in the league at 82.5 percent.
