This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
With the end of the regular season rapidly approaching, Friday's four-game NHL slate should garner plenty of attention from fantasy owners. Below you'll find the options to target, as well as those to avoid in this slate, which begins at 7:30 PM Eastern time.
GOALIE
Casey DeSmith, PIT vs. OTT ($30): With his team playing its second game in as many nights, DeSmith is expected to be in net for this massive mismatch. The Penguins have already clinched a playoff spot, but with seeding still on the line, don't expect them to take it easy on a far inferior Senators club. Ottawa's been outscored 3.44 to 2.71 on average this season and the team's best player -- Mark Stone (leg) -- is done for the year, so Matt Murray's affordable backup is primed to provide strong value here assuming he's given the nod in net.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jake Allen, STL at CHI ($30): You'd think a St. Louis team battling for a playoff spot would be heavily favored against a Chicago club with nothing to play for, but the Blues' 4-3 home loss to this same opponent Wednesday suggests otherwise. That was Allen's fourth consecutive loss, and he's scored exactly 1.2 fantasy points in three of those defeats, so it's tough to put much trust in him despite his team's desperate circumstances.
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CENTER
Tyler Johnson, TB vs. BUF ($14): This is a good buy-low opportunity on Johnson, who's been mired in a rut recently but continues to get plenty of chances to produce in Tampa Bay's high-octane offense. He's skated at least 16:54 in six of the past seven games, and Johnson's average of 6.2 fantasy points per contest is tops among sub-$17 centers in this slate. A home tilt against a Sabres team that's getting outscored 3.34 to 2.38 on average should help the diminutive forward get back on track.
CENTER TO AVOID
Tyler Seguin, DAL at ANH ($28): Seguin's wrapping up another fine season, but he's had trouble living up to his lofty $28 valuation on the road, where teams can use last change to match up their top defenders against him. While he has 24 goals, 50 points and a plus-19 rating in 41 home appearances, Seguin's been held to just 14 goals, 27 points and a minus-8 mark in 39 away tilts. Don't be surprised to see a Ducks team that's allowing the fourth-fewest goals per game (2.58) contain him.
WINGS
J.T. Miller, TB vs. BUF ($20): Miller's price has been steadily climbing recently, but he continues to provide bang for the buck with three goals in his last four games and five goals in the past seven. Since coming over from the Rangers at the trade deadline, Miller's played at a point-per-game pace in 17 appearances while lighting the lamp 10 times over that stretch. The lowly Sabres will have trouble slowing him down here.
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL at CHI ($28): The Blues have been struggling at the worst time recently, but Tarasenko isn't to blame for the team's late-season collapse. He's got six goals and eight points in the last seven games, and the Russian sniper should see all the minutes he can handle with St. Louis battling for a wild card spot out West. Tarasenko's also flung at least three pucks on net in all but one game over this productive stretch, so he'll certainly have opportunities to get right back on the scoresheet against a Blackhawks team that's challenged in net.
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WINGS TO AVOID
Dylan Sikura, CHI vs. STL ($17): Sikura's gotten his NHL career off to a fast start with three assists in three games, but his usage suggests he's a bit overpriced at $17. After all, the 2014 sixth-rounder is averaging just 13:50 of ice time per game.
Conor Sheary, PIT vs. OTT ($17): Considering Pittsburgh's lineup is teeming with highly skilled alternatives, it makes little sense to pay $17 for Sheary and his putrid average of 3.9 fantasy points per game. He's currently toiling away on the third line and has seen his ice time dip below 12:15 in five of the last eight games.
DEFENSEMEN
Mikhail Sergachev, TB vs. BUF ($13): This is the type of low-risk matchup that's perfect for Sergachev, as Buffalo has few weapons capable of exploiting his weaknesses in his own end while the young Russian has the offensive firepower to pay off big time at just $13. Sergachev's sheltered minutes have allowed him to rack up 39 points and a plus-11 rating in his rookie campaign, giving him an average of 5.4 fantasy points per game that's tops among sub-$15 blueliners. This is the epitome of a low-risk, high-reward pick, and Sergachev's relative value is amplified by the lack of alternatives in this meager slate.
Hampus Lindholm, ANH vs. DAL ($16): Lindholm's being tasked with an even greater role in the aftermath of Cam Fowler's shoulder injury. The Finnish blueliner averages a healthy 22:44 of ice time per game, but that number jumped to 26:24 Wednesday in the first game since Fowler went down, including a role on the top power-play unit. Identically priced teammate Brandon Montour also saw his role rise, but Lindholm's a safe bet to be his team's most heavily used weapon on the blue line against a Stars team that's 15-19-5 on the road.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Erik Gustafsson, CHI vs. STL ($17): Gustafsson scored just 0.7 fantasy points in Wednesday's 4-3 win over St. Louis, giving him fewer than 4.0 in seven of his last 10 appearances. Identically priced teammates Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook both have significantly better pedigrees for a reason, and each makes a much stronger play than Gustafsson considering both just scored at least 14.9 fantasy points against the Blues.
Thomas Chabot, OTT at PIT ($16): Chabot exploded for two goals and an assist at home against the Jets on Monday, but he has just seven other points in his past 23 games, including a measly two helpers in 12 road tilts over that stretch. Between his lack of contributions on offense and the danger posed to his minus-9 rating by the talented Pittsburgh offense, Chabot is best left out of fantasy lineups here.
