This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Welcome to November! Wednesday brings us four NHL games to kick off a new month. Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Alexandar Georgiev, COL vs. STL ($43): Georgiev was not able to sustain his hot start, but he still has a 2.40 GAA and .915 save percentage. Plus, he's been dealing with some tough matchups, road starts against the Penguins and the Sabres and the like. This should be easier. A few of the teams at the bottom of the league in goals per game are why I expected, and then there's the Blues. St. Louis has managed a mere 1.86 goals and 24.7 shots on net per contest.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jordan Binnington, STL at COL ($25): Binnington, like Georgiev, started hot. He just allowed five goals to the Canucks, and his hot start dissipating feels more likely to me. Every year of his career Binnington has done worse than the last, and last season he had a 3.31 GAA and .894 save percentage. The Avalanche have averaged 3.38 goals per game, but also 34.6 shots on net per contest, making their offensive success feel more sustainable.
CENTER
Sean Couturier, PHI vs. BUF ($17): Couturier is making up for lost time. He missed all of last season, but looks to be at full capacity. He has eight points in nine games and is on a three-game point streak. The Sabres are one of the teams whose current GAA I don't see sustaining. Sure, they have young goalies that could improve, but Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen has a .915 save percentage in three starts this season but had an .891 save percentage last year.
CENTER TO AVOID
Elias Lindholm, CGY vs. DAL ($17): The offensive woes of the Flames have gripped Lindholm as well. He had six points in his first five outings, but has zero in his last four. Facing Jake Oettinger won't help, as he has an 1.74 GAA and .940 save percentage.
WING
Clayton Keller, ARI at ANA ($23): Keller has more offensive support around him, but he hasn't needed it in the past. Last year he had 37 goals and 86 points, and this season he has four goals and four assists. He's also put 28 shots on net, which is key here. Lukas Dostal has a (probably unsustainable) .921 save percentage, but still has a 2.79 GAA because the Ducks have allowed 32.1 shots on net per contest, and three times Dostal has faced at least 35 shots.
Jamie Benn, DAL at CGY ($18): Benn had a nice rebound campaign last year, tallying 33 goals and 45 assists. Was that an anomaly, or a sustainable return to form? Well he has six points through seven games, and that's with zero on the power play thus far. Last year 30 of his points came with the extra man. The Flames are the inverse of a few of these teams who have allowed a lot of shots but gotten goaltending that likely won't hold up. Calgary hasn't given up a ton of shots, but it has a 3.67 GAA through poor play in net.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jordan Kyrou, STL at COL ($19): The Blues have struggled to score, which unsurprisingly means many of the usual point producers are lagging. Kyrou is top of that list. He has one goal and two assists through seven games. While his 4.3 shooting percentage will improve, maybe not in this matchup. The Avalanche have a 2.50 GAA and have allowed only 28.8 shots on net per game.
Jonathan Huberdeau, CGY vs. DAL ($12): Though he is Canadian, Huberdeau seems to hate plying his trade north of the border. He had 115 points in his last season with the Panthers! Last year he fell to 15 goals and 55 points, and this year he has not rebounded. Over his last five games he has only one point, an assist, and five shots on net. Now he faces the Stars, and likely Oettinger and his 1.74 GAA.
DEFENSE
Travis Sanheim, PHI vs. BUF ($17): Sanheim has eight points in nine games and…it might be sustainable? He's the number-one defenseman for the rebuilding Flyers. The 27-year-old has averaged 25:42 per game in ice time, including 2:55 on the power play. Sanheim has put 22 shots on net, and his 4.5 shooting percentage his lower than his career 5.6 average, so he's not even been getting significant puck luck. All that, plus my questions about Buffalo's unproven goalies, has me believing in Sanheim.
Cam Fowler, ANA vs. ARI ($17): Fowler has a point in back-to-back games, both of them coming on the power play. While the Coyotes have gotten better-than-expected goaltending, they still have a below-average penalty kill. Speaking of that goaltending, Karel Vejmelka is likely to start, and he has a .926 save percentage through five appearances. He came into this year with a career .899 save percentage.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Owen Power, BUF at PHI ($18): Power may have been a first-overall pick, but as long as Rasmus Dahlin is around, he seemed destined to be second banana. That tamps down his production a bit, mostly because of limited playing time. Fifteen shots on net in nine games is also not ideal leaving him to rely on assists for points (though admittedly he has five of those). The Flyers have held opponents to 28.1 shots on net per game, and Carter Hart has a 2.30 GAA and .921 save percentage. Now, I don't think he sustains that, but we have seen hart be an above-average goalie a couple of seasons in his career.
Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. DAL ($17): Andersson legs should be well rested after sitting for four games due to a suspension. Will he be able to hit the ground running, though? I'm not expecting that, largely because of the matchup. Dallas has a top-three penalty kill to start the season, and a goalie in Oettinger with a career .917 save percentage.
