This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are eight games in the NHL on Thursday as Yahoo is not using the Detroit vs. Ottawa contest in Sweden. Columbus hosts Arizona, Vegas travels to Montreal, New Jersey faces Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay visits in Chicago, Calgary is the home team against a tired Vancouver team, Seattle hosts the Islanders after both teams lost Wednesday, while Florida takes on LA and San Jose is home to St. Louis. Below, you'll find suggested options for crafting an effective lineup.
GOALIE
Casey DeSmith, VAN at CGY ($26): DeSmith is expected to get the start as Thatcher Demko faced the Islanders on Wednesday. Desmith has yet to lose in regulation as he is 4-0-1 with a 2.67 GAA and .916 save percentage. The Flames have struggled most of the season and are 5-8-2, scoring just 39 goals in 15 contests.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Mackenzie Blackwood, SJ vs. STL ($21): The Sharks are the worst team in the NHL, so it's easy to avoid any of their netminders. The team has given up 72 goals in only 16 games this season. Blackwood is 2-8-1 with a 4.02 GAA and .898 save percentage. He has faced a ton of rubber this season, stopping 370 of 412 shots in 11 starts and one appearance in relief of Kaapo Kahkonen.
CENTER
Connor Bedard, CHI vs. TB ($22): Bedard has been outstanding to begin his career as he has nine goals and 13 points in 13 games. The first overall pick in the 2023 Draft, Bedard has been on fire of late with seven goals and nine points in his past six games. He was sensational in his only appearance versus Tampa Bay a week ago, scoring twice and setting up two more in a 5-3 win over the Lightning. Bedard's salary is going to skyrocket over the next few months so take advantage now of his relatively small cap hit.
CENTER TO AVOID
Martin Pospisil, CGY vs. VAN ($17): The rookie is off to a good start with two goals and four points in just five games but he is playing less than 12 minutes per contest and receiving very little power play time. He will have a tough matchup against the Canucks, so don't expect a lot from the 23-year-old.
WING
Patrik Laine, CLS vs. ARI ($18): Laine is rounding back into form after missing nine games with an upper-body injury. He scored in his return to action but has been held off the scoresheet the last two games, although he does have 11 shots on goal. Laine has a pair of markers with an assist in seven games this season. He is a good price Thursday to complete your fantasy lineup.
Pavel Buchnevich, STL at SJ ($19): Buchnevich has been hot of late with three goals (two shorthanded) and three assists in his last three games. He is seeing time on the top line, as well as the first power play and has four goals and nine points in 12 games. He has 143 points in 136 games over the previous two seasons. Buchnevich will play against the Sharks, who are the worst team in the NHL at this time. He was a stud versus San Jose last season, picking up eight assists in just three games.
WINGS TO AVOID
Cole Caufield, MON vs. VGK ($23): Caufield has 14 points in 16 games, but he has been held off the scoresheet over the last two games. The diminutive winger is seeing plenty of power play time, averaging 4:28 heading into Thursday's action, but isn't lighting the lamp like he has since he came into the league. Caufield had 53 goals in 123 games heading into the 2023-24 campaign, but has only five this season.
Blake Coleman, CGY vs. VAN ($17): Coleman saw his three-game point streak come to an end Tuesday. He has four goals and six points in 15 games this season, seeing bottom-six minutes, and this salary is tough to justify.
DEFENSE
Erik Karlsson, PIT vs. NJ ($27): Karlsson is on a six-game point streak, finding the back of the net four times while chipping in with seven assists. After a slow start, Karlsson is up to 15 points in the Penguins' 14 games thus far. He quarterbacks the power play and is coming off a 101-point season, the first defenseman to hit the century mark in over 30 years.
Noah Dobson, NYI at SEA ($23): Dobson is having his best season in the NHL thus far, scoring four times while adding nine assists in just 15 games. He is the quarterback of the Islanders' power play and has six assists with the man-advantage. Dobson is only 23 and should only improve over the next few seasons.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Kris Letang, PIT vs. NJ ($21): Letang lost a lot of fantasy value in the offseason when the Penguins traded for Erik Karlsson and installed him on the first power play, a position that Letang had held for most of the previous 16 seasons. Letang has a goal and eight points in 14 games this season, but the 36-year-old blueliner is averaging 1:06 on the power play, compared to over 3:30 over the last 15 campaigns.
Colton Parayko, STL at SJ ($16): Parayko has only two goals and four points in 14 games this season, after picking up 27 points in 2022-23. Parayko receives no time on the power play, averaging just four seconds per game. There are better choices at or near his price at this time.
