This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Tuesday is packed to the gills with NHL action. If you like hockey, this is the day for you. There are 12 games on the docket, so you are spoiled for choice for your DFS lineups. Having said that, to help you hone in, here are some recommendations for players to target, and also to avoid.
GOALIE
Matt Murray, TOR vs. ANA ($39): Murray has made 10 appearances this season and has posted a 2.50 GAA and .926 save percentage. The Ducks are down in the bottom three in goals per game, and they are also on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Ilya Sorokin, NYI at BOS ($34): Though the Islanders haven't been as stingy defensively as they were under Barry Trotz (31.8 shots on net allowed per game this season), Sorokin has stepped up with a .925 save percentage. That being said, this matchup is going to test the Russian netminder. The Bruins top the NHL at 3.89 goals per game, and they have also averaged 35.0 shots on net per contest.
CENTER
Sam Bennett, FLA vs. CLM ($20): Bennett has tallied seven points in his last eight games. He's still only shooting at an 8.0 percent rate on the season, so there is room for improved puck luck on his behalf as well. The Blue Jackets have given up 35.9 shots on goal per game, and they also have a 4.07 GAA. That could go a long way to boosting Bennett's numbers.
CENTER TO AVOID
Matty Beniers, SEA at TAM ($19): Beniers is off to a Calder-caliber start to the season, but 19.6 percent shooting is a little tricky to maintain. He's also only put 56 shots on net through 27 games, which is not a hefty total. Meanwhile, Andrei Vasilevskiy has been looking like his typical self recently, posting a 2.12 GAA and .928 save percentage over his last nine starts.
WING
Matt Duchene, NAS vs. EDM ($18): Both of these teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back, but I like Duchene at home Tuesday anyway. Yes, he has 21 points in 26 games, but there is one name that makes me enticed by this matchup: Jack Campbell. Stuart Skinner started for Edmonton on Monday, leaving Campbell likely to take on this matchup. He has a 4.12 GAA and .872 save percentage.
Michael Bunting, TOR vs. ANA ($18): Bunting is on an eight-game point streak that I expect to hit nine. The Ducks are last in the NHL in GAA and shots on net allowed per game. Plus, they are on the road for the second night of a back-to-back. Truly, matchups don't get better than this right now.
WINGS TO AVOID
Mark Stone, VGK at WPG ($19): Stone will be without his usual center Jack Eichel on Tuesday, which dampens his upside. Additionally, Connor Hellebuyck has a 2.33 GAA and .930 save percentage. The Jets have a top-five penalty kill for good measure.
Troy Terry, ANA at TOR ($19): Being on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back is also a concern for the rare Ducks players worth considering for your lineup. Terry tops that list. Also, going back to my goaltending recommendation, Murray has a 2.50 GAA and .926 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Mikhail Sergachev, TAM vs. SEA ($20): Sergachev has averaged 2:52 per game on the power play, the most of his career. That's helped him tally 12 points with the extra man. By and large, the Kraken don't allow a lot of shots, but they do have the 29th-ranked penalty kill.
Gustav Forsling, FLA vs. CLM ($17): Forsling has 18 points in 29 games, but he's also put 89 shots on net. Columbus has allowed 35.9 shots on net, so Forsling will have his opportunities. Those opportunities will likely come against Elvis Merzlikins, who has a .900 save percentage across the last two seasons.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Charlie McAvoy, BOS vs. NYI ($23): Maybe Sorokin isn't going to put up his usual numbers in this tough matchup, but his 2.36 GAA and .925 save percentage are reasons for concern for Bruins players like McAvoy. The Islanders have a top-eight penalty kill as well, and half of McAvoy's points have come with the extra man.
Ivan Provorov, PHI at COL ($14): Provorov's numbers are down a bit this year. Part of that is 1.6 percent shooting that will likely improve, but a big part of it is also the fact that Tony DeAngelo has taken over his role on the top power-play unit. The Avalanche have a below-average penalty kill, but Provorov isn't in line to take full advantage. Alexandar Georgiev and his .920 save percentage will be squaring off with Provorov mostly at even strength.
