This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Wednesday's five-game NHL slate starts with a pair of Eastern Conference matchup at 7:00 p.m. ET, and it goes late as well with Vegas and Chicago facing off at 10:00. Read on for tips and tricks in setting your DFS lineup tonight.
GOALIE
David Rittich, CGY vs. DAL ($34): Rittich has stood tall between the pipes in November, registering a 3-0-1 record and .939 save percentage. Dallas is coming to town in what could be a goaltending match against the league's stingiest defense over the last three weeks (1.11 GAA at even strength), but Rittich gets an edge, as he hasn't lost in regulation yet this year.
GOALIE TO AVOID
MacKenzie Blackwood, NJD vs. OTT ($28): Blackwood was wildly inconsistent on the recent road trip, as he finished two outings below an .890 save percentage while posting a .968 or better in the other two. He may end up in with a latter performance, as Ottawa has surprisingly been one of the top offenses over the last nine games, racking up 3.36 goals per 60 minutes, ranking third in the league.
CENTER
Dylan Strome, CHI vs. VGK ($18): Strome is a player to deploy in his home barn, as he's failed to post a point in seven road contests. On the contrary, the 22-year-old has been superb in the United Center lately, racking up two goals and six assists over his last three home games. It doesn't hurt that he centers a line with Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat.
CENTER TO AVOID
Sean Monahan, CGY vs. DAL ($23): As mentioned in the Rittich tip, Dallas has been tight defensively lately. Monahan is already swimming upstream against the Stars, as he's pointless and minus-5 against them over their last five meetings, so it'll be difficult to turn the tide.
WINGS
Brady Tkachuk, OTT at NJD ($17): Tkachuk's red-hot with four goals and as many assists over the last seven contests, and he's averaging nearly four shots on net during that span. Unfortunately, 20-year-old hasn't notched a point with the man advantage this year since he posted 10 on the power play during his rookie campaign. Tkachuk is in a good position to find the back of the special-teams scoresheet versus the Devils' 73.7 penalty-kill rate -- fifth-worst in the league.
Tom Wilson, WAS at PHI ($18): Wilson's amid a five-game, nine-point streak where he notched a plus-8 rating. It's been a good run, and it doesn't look like it'll slow down soon, as the Flames' goaltenders sport a 3.40 GAA at even strength over the last eight outings.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jamie Benn, DAL at CGY ($19): Benn's in a rut and there's no clear way to climb out of it. The veteran winger hasn't lit the lamp in 13 contests, and his ice time dropped to a measly 13:03 last outing. He's not generating as many chances as usual, either, as he sports a mediocre 49.9 Corsi For percentage. That won't cut it against Rittich's recent performances.
Jordan Eberle, NYI vs. TOR ($18): Eberle's only played six games due to a lower-body injury, and he's starting a career-low 46.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. It's tough to rediscover your 2018-19's performance at that rate, so DFS gamers would be wise to tread lightly until it turns around.
DEFENSE
Morgan Rielly, TOR at NYI ($24): John Carlson ($30) is the chalk, but Reilly sports a steady floor at a more-affordable price, as he's fired 19 shots on goal over the last four outings. With 20 multi-point games since the start of last season, banking on the floor while simultaneously knowing he's on one of the most powerful man advantages in the league can pay off fantastically in DFS circles.
Ivan Provorov, PHI vs. WAS ($17): Provorov's banking massive minutes, including 27:26 in his last outing against the Bruins. The Capitals have been part of many high-scoring affairs lately, and it's blossomed into a 3.07 GAA over the last seven contests. Provorov comes at a cheap price for this opportunity.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Esa Lindell, DAL at CGY ($17): Lindell's registered a pair of assists over the past two contests, but he still only has four points over 18 games with two of those coming with the man advantage. Calgary shuts down power plays extremely efficiently with the fourth-best kill rate (86.3 percent).
Jake Muzzin, TOR at NYI ($18): Muzzin started the season hot but has tapered off recently. Zero points over the last five contests is no way to round out your DFS lineup, and he's averaging just 6.3 fantasy points per game.
