It’s the final Saturday of November, and we’re following a Friday where 30 teams were in action. Saturday is less busy. There are six games on the slate starting at 7 p.m. EST or later. Here are the players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Casey DeSmith, VAN at SAN ($30): I decided to focus on the matchup when it comes to my goaltending pick. DeSmith has been solid backing up Thatcher Demko, as he has a .912 save percentage. The Sharks haven’t done anything solid, more or less, including ranking last in goals and shots on net per game.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Connor Ingram, ARI at VGK ($30): Vegas and Arizona are the two teams playing Saturday who didn’t play Friday. Ingram started the year fairly well, but now has a 2.94 GAA and .910 save percentage. Vegas is just above average in terms of goals per game at 3.30, but that’s enough for me Saturday. Even if Ingram is one of only two goalies playing for a rested team, I’d rather avoid him.
CENTER
Dylan Cozens, BUF at NJD ($17): Cozens hasn’t picked up a ton of points centering Buffalo’s top line, but he’s been active. Though he has only two points over his last seven games, he’s put 22 shots on target. Shooting like that could be to his benefit Saturday, as Vitek Vanecek has a 3.43 GAA and .886 save percentage.
CENTER TO AVOID
John Tavares, TOR at PIT ($26): I’d argue the Maple Leafs have the second-worst matchup among teams Saturday. They are on the road for the second leg of their back-to-back, while the Penguins are at home. On top of that, Tristan Jarry was saved for this one. Jarry has a 2.47 GAA and .916 save percentage, but also a .922 save percentage at home. With so many favorable matchups, I’m hesitant to pony up for Tavares’ salary.
WING
Brock Boeser, VAN at SAN ($24): I’m not surprised that Boeser has slowed down, as even now his shooting percentage has a lot of room for regression. However, he has consistently been a 20-goal scorer and he has a career 13.3 percent shooting mark, so he’s no slouch. The Sharks are last in GAA and shots on net allowed per game, so even if it takes a few pucks on net, Boeser has a great chance to light the lamp.
Owen Tippett, PHI at NYI ($19): Tippett has eight points over his last seven games, but what stands out to me is the fact he’s put 65 shots on net in 20 contests and often is seen manning the point on the top power-play unit. Those things matter to me because the Islanders are in the bottom five in shots on goal allowed per game and penalty-kill percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Nick Schmaltz, ARI at VGK ($17): Several teams are catching backup goalies and below-average netminders Saturday. Schmaltz and the Coyotes? They face a Golden Knights team with a 2.40 GAA. Not only that, but both Adin Hill and Logan Thompson have save percentages of .920 or higher, so there is no easy matchup here.
Ivan Barbashev, VGK vs. ARI ($14): Barbashev was added to supplement the Golden Knights’ playoff run last year, and it paid off with a Cup for the team and a new contract for the Russian. Unfortunately for Vegas, though he once had 26 goals in a season, that year he did it via 23.4 percent shooting. This season he has four goals and 31 shots on net through 20 games. While Ingram’s plays has slipped, I question Barbashev’s ability to take advantage of that, even as the Golden Knights keep him on the first line presumably in hopes that he’ll turn it around.
DEFENSEMEN
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. PHI ($23): The Islanders have had issues getting production from their forwards, so it’s not a surprise the blue line has not exploded offensively either. Dobson, though, is the exception. He has 16 points and 46 shots on net through 19 games. In terms of those matchups featuring backups and below-average goalies, Samuel Ersson qualifies as both. The Swede has a career .887 save percentage.
Filip Hronek, VAN at SAN ($17): It still feels like Hronek is under the radar a bit, but that’ll happen when your teammate is threatening to lead the NHL in points as a defenseman. Quinn Hughes has been remarkable, but Hronek has 20 points in 21 games himself. San Jose, of course, is last in GAA, so both Hughes and Hronek could add to their totals, but one guy has a salary that is a bit easier to work around.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Sean Durzi, ARI at VGK ($20): In his first season with the Coyotes, Durzi has 12 points in 19 games, though with a 13.5 shooting percentage that will be rather tough for a defenseman to sustain. Additionally, six of those points have come on the power play. Unsurprisingly, given the goaltending the team has gotten, the Golden Knights have a top-10 penalty kill.
Morgan Rielly, TOR at PIT ($20): Rielly recently had a three-point game, but that was against the Wild, who have been woeful defensively, ranking in the bottom five in GAA. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is in the top 10 in GAA, and Jarry has a 2.47 GAA and .916 save percentage.
