This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
A limited three-game slate Wednesday makes it essential to find the best values for your lineup. Here are some ideas to get you started...
Goalie
Brian Elliott, PHI vs. DET ($29)
Prior to getting lit up by an excellent Kings team in his last start, Elliott had been incredibly solid, anchoring the Flyers to a six-game winning streak while allowing two goals or fewer in each game over that stretch. Feel free to roll with Moose here, as his price is very affordable and his competition, the Red Wings, are playing the second half of a back-to-back and are averaging just 2.17 goals per game in December.
Goalie to Avoid
Jake Allen, STL @ CGY ($31)
The Blues have cooled down significantly since their hot start to the season and currently have several of their most essential playmakers on the injured reserve list. The resulting slump has found its way down to Allen, who has lost three straight starts while posting a .898 save percentage over that span. Add in the fact that the 27-year-old shows a .907 save percentage and 2.82 GAA in away games and you should probably steer clear.
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Center
Alexander Wennberg, CLS vs. TOR ($15)
Wennberg's Wednesday price is very low considering the current three-game point streak he is on and the immense opportunity he has in front of him -- the 23-year-old Swede has cemented himself as a staple of the Columbus power play, averaging 2:41 of ice time there this season, and will be facing off against a Toronto team that kills off just 81.9 percent of its penalties and will be playing its second game in as many days.
Center to Avoid
Sean Monahan, CGY vs. STL ($21)
Monahan is mired in a five-game point drought that has seen him fire just 11 shots on goal, a rate that is significantly below his season pace. The Blues have been very effective at limiting opposing offenses recently, allowing 29.7 shots per game and 2.20 goals per game in December thus far, so it's far from promising that the 23-year-old will be able to break out of his slump Wednesday.
Wing
Josh Anderson, CLS vs. TOR ($17)
Anderson is developing a nice role for himself with the Blue Jackets this season and has steadily seen his ice time increase as a result -- the 23-year-old has averaged 19:49 of ice time in the last eight games after averaging 15:20 in his fist eight contests of the campaign. It's even more encouraging to see him shooting the puck so readily, as he is averaging almost four shots on goal per game in his last 10.
Alexander Steen, STL @ CGY ($15)
Steen's inability to score goals himself has lowered his price to a very affordable level, but that does not mean he is completely devoid of value. On the contrary, the veteran winger is a core member of the Blues' first power-play unit and has recorded almost half of his points there this season. That bodes well for him against a poor Calgary penalty kill that finds success just 77.5 percent of the time.
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Wings to Avoid
James van Riemsdyk, TOR @ CLS ($20)
Van Riemsdyk lit up the scoresheet Tuesday with a goal and two assists on the way to his team's 8-1 drubbing of the Hurricanes, but the Leafs could be in for a reality check when they head to Columbus for a meeting with Sergei Bobrovsky and the Blue Jackets. JVR isn't actually a high-volume shooter and his tendency to get burned on defense could lead his already unimpressive plus-minus to take another hit against a potent offense.
Tomas Tatar, DET @ PHI ($17)
As previously mentioned, the Flyers have been adept at keeping opposing teams from scoring on them lately, allowing just 2.00 goals per game in December on average. Tatar is riding a nice three-game point streak, but his 46-point 2016-17 campaign and the fact that he had taken just three shots on goal in five games prior to his recent offensive outburst suggests it isn't meant to last. Look elsewhere Wednesday.
Defense
Colton Parayko, STL @ CGY ($20)
Parayko boasts some nice offensive production, which includes eight points in his last 12 games, but what really sets him up for success Wednesday is the Flames' penchant for shooting the puck. The team from Calgary is leading the league in shots per game in December (36.7) and ranks ninth for the season overall (33.2), which bodes well for the 24-year-old, who has blocked at least two shots in six of his last seven contests.
Dougie Hamilton, CGY vs. STL ($17)
You have to love Hamilton's willingness to shoot the puck consistently when considering him as an option -- the Toronto native has taken at least one shot on goal in each and every game this season, leading him to average just over three shots on goal per game. Additionally, his ability to maintain the defense, as evidenced by his plus-4 rating in the last five games, gives him a nice floor with which to work.
Defensemen to Avoid
Zach Werenski, CLS vs. TOR ($22)
Werenski has shown a bit more offensive prowess than Hamilton, but unlike the the latter, the former has been getting burned on a consistent basis in his own end of the ice -- the Michigan native shows a terrible minus-7 rating in the last four games. Going up against a Toronto offense that just dropped eight goals Tuesday does not sound like a recipe for success for Werenski, especially at this steep price.
Ivan Provorov, PHI vs. DET ($16)
Even as the stock for the Flyers continued to rise over the last couple weeks, Provorov has been unable to break away from his scoring slump, as he now has just one assist in the last nine games. The Russian blueliner has held his own defensively in terms of plus-minus, but he isn't blocking enough shots to be relevant in this daily format at the moment.
