This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Before our attention is swallowed up by March Madness, there are four NHL games Wednesday. Here are some players to target and avoid for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. NJD ($38): For me, it's about whether or not you want to go with Markstrom or Andrei Vasilevskiy on Wednesday. To me, it's Markstrom. For one, the Flames are at home. Second, the Devils are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. Oh, and Markstrom has a 2.07 GAA and .928 save percentage. Vasilevskiy probably has the easier matchup in the Kraken, but when I consider everything I'm going with Markstrom.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jeremy Swayman, BOS at MIN ($35): It's easy to see why the Bruins saved Swayman for this game and started Linus Ullmark on Tuesday against Chicago, because the Wild are a tougher matchup. Minnesota has scored 3.67 goals per game, top four in the NHL. Of course, that means even with all his success this season – and Swayman does have a .926 save percentage – he's on the road on the second leg of a back-to-back against one of the league's top offenses.
CENTER
Josh Norris, OTT vs. CLM ($22): Norris has been on fire since he returned from injury. In seven games he has six goals and two assists. I can see him staying hot against the Blue Jackets. Columbus has a 3.67 GAA, third highest in the NHL.
CENTER TO AVOID
Jack Hughes, NJD at CGY ($21): Hughes has become the player people hoped for when he was taken first overall, as he's averaged over a point per game this season. That being said, Hughes and the Devils are on the road to close out a back-to-back, and Markstrom has a 2.07 GAA and .928 save percentage. Calgary has also only allowed 29.2 shots on net per contest.
WING
Oliver Bjorkstrand, CLM at OTT ($19): Bjorkstrand has hit 20 goals for the third time in four seasons, and nine of his goals have come in his last 16 outings. On top of that he has 24 assists in 58 games for good measure. While Anton Forsberg will be in net Wednesday, he has a 2.83 GAA even though he has a .916 save percentage. That's because the Senators have allowed 33.4 shots on net per game.
Alex Killorn, TAM at SEA ($13): With 47 points in 59 games, Killorn is set to put up a new career high in points this year. He's also averaged 3:15 per contest on the power play, though admittedly his power-play production has cooled down (but his playing time has not dropped). The Kraken have a bottom-six penalty kill, and they also have a 3.59 GAA.
WINGS TO AVOID
Matthew Boldy, MIN vs. BOS ($21): Boldy has been fantastic as a rookie, but on the other hand it's only 27 games. Can he keep this up? A 16.9 shooting percentage is not unsustainable, but it's not a low number either. While I am skeptical about Swayman because he'll be backstopping a team on the second leg of a back-to-back, he does still have a 2.06 GAA and .926 save percentage.
Jesper Bratt, NJD at CGY ($19): I've mentioned a couple sticking points going against the Devils on Wednesday, so let me add something new here. The Flames have the fourth-ranked penalty kill. Bratt has tallied 16 of his 55 points on the power play. Calgary is a team lined up to keep a player like Bratt in check.
DEFENSE
Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. NJD ($21): Both goalies saw action for the Devils on Tuesday, and actually split the game pretty evently. Maybe Nico Daws gets another start after allowing four goals on 21 shots, or maybe Jon Gillies gets the nod. Either way, it bodes well for the Flames. Andersson may only have two goals, but he has 34 assists in 59 games, and that includes nine points in his last nine contests.
Thomas Chabot, OTT vs. CLM ($19): Chabot is on the ice as much as any player, as he's averaged 26:42 in ice time. He doesn't just skate around either, as he has nine points and 33 shots on goal in his last nine contests. Chabot is a defenseman who shoots quite a bit, and the Blue Jackets have allowed a league-high 35.6 shots on net per contest.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Dougie Hamilton, NJD at CGY ($19): The same points remain for Hamilton that I mentioned for Hughes and Bratt. On top of that, Hamilton's spot on the top power-play unit was usurped by Damon Severson, who didn't give it back when Hamilton got healthy. He's only averaged 1:54 per game with the extra man since returning and only has one power-play point.
Mark Giordano, SEA vs. TAM ($12): Giordano may be traded at the deadline, but his play hasn't been boosting his stock recently. He doesn't have a point in his last seven games. Vasilevskiy has slipped a bit recently, but even so he has a 2.40 GAA and .918 save percentage.
