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Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey: Thursday picks

COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 13: Tuukka Rask #40 of the Boston Bruins makes a save during the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on October 13, 2016 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH – OCTOBER 13: Tuukka Rask #40 of the Boston Bruins makes a save during the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on October 13, 2016 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

By Chris Morgan

He’s great! No wait, he’s terrible! If you invest too much in the early season results, you can end up thinking both of those thoughts about the same player in short order. This is especially true with goalies, and the fact that more and more teams are shying away from workhorse starters won’t help that. All we can do is try to maximize the information we have, which is what we will do on a busy Thursday.

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GOALIE

Tuukka Rask, BOS vs. NJD ($34): Rask has started two games. One went well, one did not. However, Rask is a netminder who has been great for much of his career. The Devils really struggled offensively last season. Rask is on the pricier side, but he’s far from the priciest. He should end up being well worth the money spent.

Goalie to Avoid:

Ben Bishop, TAM vs. COL ($38): This isn’t so much about Bishop, who’s great, despite the .889 save percentage he has in two games this season. This is partially about the matchup. The Colorado Avalanche may have questions defensively, but they don’t seem to have an issue scoring. It’s also about the price. Bishop is tied for being the third-priciest goalie Thursday, and you can get better bang for your buck elsewhere.

CENTER

Ryan O’Reilly, BUF at VAN ($22): O’Reilly was solid with the Sabres last year, and he’s off to a hot start to this season. He has five points in three games, and his minutes are up. The Canucks are off to a good start of their own, and they’ve only let in five goals in three games. However, let’s not get too excited by that. This is a good matchup for O’Reilly.

Center to Avoid:

Aleksander Barkov, FLA vs. WAS ($26): Barkov is off to a fine start to the season, with three points in three games. He has shown himself to be a legit top-line center in the NHL. The reason to have questions about Barkov at this price is the matchup. The Capitals were great last year, and they’re off to a strong start to this season. They have the reigning Vezina winner in net in Braden Holtby. With so many centers available, you can avoid paying a premium price on Barkov and get somebody with a much better matchup, or at least a longer track record.

WING

Alexander Radulov, MON vs. ARI ($18): Radulov is making another go of it at the NHL level. His numbers leave a little to be desired (one goal on seven shots in three games), but he is averaging 2:46 on the power play. He’s also going up against an Arizona team that has allowed 10 goals in two games, and that hasn’t been known for its defensive prowess in recent years. Radulov could easily double his goal total Thursday.

Michael Frolik, CGY at CAR ($16): Despite not playing on the power play, Frolik already has three goals this season (and also four blocked shots). That level of production won’t continue, but he’s playing well now, and Carolina has maybe the weakest goaltending duos in the NHL. This could be enough to keep Frolik’s hot streak going for at least one more game.

Wings to Avoid:

Brad Marchand, BOS vs. NJD ($30): Marchand has been the hottest player in the NHL to start the season. It’s not a fluke either, as he had 37 goals last season. However, Marchand is the third-highest valued winger Thursday, and he and his teammates have to try to get the puck past Cory Schneider. This is not about Marchand as much as it is about the high cost you will have to pay to get him.

Sebastian Aho, CAR at CGY ($22): Aho is off to a reasonably good start with two points, both assisted on the power play, in three games. He also only has four shots in those games, though. Meanwhile, you can get Wayne Simmonds, Gabriel Landeskog, or Daniel Sedin for $21. There are way better values than Aho available Thursday, regardless of his matchup.

DEFENSE

Jared Spurgeon, MIN vs. TOR ($18): Spurgeon has a couple points. Neither have been on the power play, but he had 13 power-play points last season and has played more than three minutes a night with the extra man this season. More to the point, the Maple Leafs are on the second night of a back-to-back, and they just let up five goals to the Jets. This is a very favorable matchup for a reasonably priced blueliner.

Kevin Shattenkirk, STL at EDM ($18): Shattenkirk may always be rumored to be traded, but it’s not because he lacks talent or production. He’s notched at least 44 points in his last three seasons, and he’s a heavy-duty power-play producer. The Oilers are a team known more for their offensive firepower than their goal prevention. As long as Shattenkirk isn’t traded before Thursday it’s a nice matchup for him.

Defensemen to Avoid:

John Carlson, WAS at FLA ($28): While Carlson doesn’t have a goal yet, he’s tallied 13 shots on goal in three games. He’s been a really good point producer the last couple seasons. However, this is a tough matchup on the road, and Carlson isn’t one of the elite offensive defensemen in the league. At $28, he’ll cost you $5 more than Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Victor Hedman. You can save money on options as good, and perhaps even better.

Torey Krug, BOS vs. NJD ($18): The start of the NHL season has not been kind to Krug. He’s pointless through three games. Eventually, he will get on the scoresheet, but he’s also coming off a season where he only scored four goals. Schneider and the Devils will make things tough for Krug, too. This may not be the night he finally gets that goose egg out of his points column.