This article is part of our FantasyDraft NHL series.
Do you want to avoid a terrifying Friday the 13th? Then consider these players for your fantasy hockey lineup. There are five games Friday, and if you listen up, perhaps you won't find yourself with some bad luck.
GOALIE
Anaheim Ducks, ANA at COL ($15,900): Let's eschew the small sample size of this season for this one. The Avalanche averaged a mere 2.01 goals per game last year. That was worst in the league by a wide margin. The Ducks, meanwhile, only gave up 2.40 goals per contest on average. John Gibson had a .924 save percentage last year. Colorado may be better this year, but they aren't so improved as to suddenly be a good offense.
CENTER
Nicklas Backstrom, WAS at NJD ($13,600): Like the Avalanche, let's not buy into the Devils just yet. Sure, they have only allowed two goals per game this year, but they've given up 38.7 shots on net per contest as well. Those two numbers don't go well together in the long term. Backstrom, meanwhile, is only one of the best players in the NHL over the last decade and already has six points (three on the power play).
Jonathan Marchessault, VGK vs. DET ($8,900): After taking everybody by surprise by scoring 30 goals last year, Marchessault is currently pointless for the Golden Knights. Don't fret, though. He's put nine shots on goal through three games and has averaged 3:47 per game on the power play. The Wings will be on the second night of a back-to-back, and that means Petr Mrazek (3.04 GAA, .901 save percentage last season) will be in net.
WING
Corey Perry, ANA at COL ($12,600): Remember when I pointed out how terrible the Avalanche were offensively last season? Well, they also allowed a league-high 3.37 goals per game as well. Perry is looking to bounce back from last year's bad shooting percentage and so far he has two goals on 12 shots through four games. Plus, even with his struggles, he had 20 power-play points last year while the Avalanche had the 29th-ranked penalty kill.
Anthony Mantha, DET at VGK ($11,700): Coming into the year, it seemed like a great idea to try and take advantage of Vegas being an expansion team. Yet here they are with the fewest goals allowed per game so far. However, let's be realistic; that isn't going to be the case forever, especially since they've allowed 35.7 shots on net per tilt thus far. Mantha showed a ton of potential last year and this season he's added power-play time into the mix. He also has two points with the extra man through four games.
Oliver Bjorkstrand, CLM vs. NYR ($10,200): Bjorkstrand has started the highest percentage of his shifts in the offensive zone of any Blue Jacket (65.4). Last year that number was at 58.8 percent. Columbus certainly tries to make it easy on the 22-year-old Dane. After posting a career-low .910 save percentage last season, Henrik Lundqvist has a .898 save percentage this year.
DEFENSEMEN
Mike Green, DET at VGK ($10,600): Has Green found the Fountain of Youth? The man has eight assists through four games. He will likely slow down, but he's always had offensive talent, lest we forget he once scored 31 goals in a season. Also, let us not forget that Marc-Andre Fleury had a 3.02 GAA and a .909 save percentage last season.
Brandon Montour, ANA at COL ($6,900):Sami Vatanen is out, which has probably given Montour a bigger role thus far. He's only notched one point, but he has 12 shots on goal through four games. On top of that, he's averaged 3:07 per game with the extra man thus far. As previously noted, the Avalanche were terrible both defensively and on the penalty kill last year.
