This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Welcome to April! Friday begins a new month, and the NHL is giving us seven games on the docket. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups. It's the last month of the NHL regular season. Let's make it count.
GOALIE
Logan Thompson, VGK at SEA ($30): Thompson has gotten himself going recently. Over his last seven starts he has a 2.15 GAA and .934 save percentage. That includes a shutout in his last game when he faced…the Kraken. This wasn't a surprising result. Seattle has averaged 2.60 goals and 28.9 shots on net per contest.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Ville Husso, STL at EDM ($23): When Jordan Binnington stumbled, Husso stepped up big time. However, now Husso is going through a rough patch of his own. Over his last 10 games he has a 3.11 GAA and .898 save percentage. The Oilers have the dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, which is a big reason why they are ranked seventh in goals per game.
CENTER
Josh Norris, OTT at DET ($17): Since returning from injury, Norris has 13 points in 14 games. That includes eight power-play points. The Red Wings have become immensely porous defensively. They now have a league-high 3.82 GAA and the league's worst penalty kill.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mathew Barzal, NYI at NYR ($17): Barzal hasn't quite been the centerpiece of the Islanders' offense this year, and he's even getting outplayed by Brock Nelson. Now, his 46 points in 57 games is still quite impressive, but he's on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back here. Plus, he's facing the Rangers, and Igor Shesterkin has a 2.11 GAA and .936 save percentage.
WING
Alex Killorn, TAM vs. CHI ($15): Killorn has gotten back on track with a goal in each of his last two games. Those goals came against the Islanders and Hurricanes, two teams that are tougher to score on than the Blackhawks. Chicago has a bottom-10 GAA. It no longer has Marc-Andre Fleury. The Blackhawks are now trotting out the duo of Kevin Lankinen and Collin Delia, and they are on the second leg of a back-to-back.
Phil Kessel, ARI vs. ANA ($14): Clayton Keller seemingly suffered a serious injury in Arizona's last game, which means somebody is going to have to step up. The Coyotes may turn to the steady veteran in Kessel. Sure, his 5.1 shooting percentage is shockingly unlucky, but he still has nine points over his last 13 games. The reeling Ducks are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. Anthony Stolarz will likely be in net, and he hasn't played since March 12.
WINGS TO AVOID
Patrick Kane, CHI at TAM ($27): It's that classic recipe for a player to avoid: A high salary, the second leg of a back-to-back, and an elite goalie in the opposing net. Andrei Vasilevskiy has a 2.37 GAA and .919 save percentage.
Alex Tuch, BUF vs. NAS ($18): Tuch returned to action hot, but now he's sitting here with an 8.5 shooting percentage and one goal in his last nine games. I don't expect him to turn it around Friday. Juuse Saros has a 2.55 GAA and .921 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK at SEA ($21): Pietrangelo has really gotten into the swing of things offensively. Over his last 10 games he has eight points and 32 shots on net. The Kraken admittedly don't allow a lot of shots, but they allow plenty of goals. Seattle has a 3.51 GAA, and also the 29th-ranked penalty kill.
Erik Brannstrom, OTT at DET ($10): When Thomas Chabot went down, Brannstrom's power-play minutes skyrocketed. Over his last seven games he's averaged 3:21 on the power play. Both of his points in that time have come with the extra man. Now he faces the league's worst penalty kill.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Noah Dobson, NYI at NYR ($17): Dobson has exploded this season, but he's on the road for the second night of a back-to-back here. Shesterkin might win the Vezina with his 2.11 GAA and .936 save percentage. Sure, it isn't a long trip for the Islanders, who were at home Thursday. It's still a disadvantageous situation for Dobson and company.
Cam Fowler, ANA at ARI ($13): Yes, Karel Vejmelka has a 3.00 GAA in his last 10 games. However, he also has a .921 save percentage in that time. The Coyotes' netminder has played well. He's just been super busy. I don't expect that to be the case Friday. Anaheim is on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, so Fowler could be kept in check.
