This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are nine games on the slate for the NHL on Tuesday, so naturally we have a mix of high-quality squads and some of the dregs of the league in action. I've sifted through the 18 teams and landed on these guys as my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Igor Shesterkin, NYR at SAN ($34): Shesterkin just can't find any consistency this season. I look through his game log and I see vintage performances and disappointing outings littered throughout. However, any goalie worth their salt can handle this matchup. The Sharks are last in goals and shots on net per game, and they are also on the second leg of a back-to-back.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jake Oettinger, DAL at DET ($35): Oettinger's tough-luck season continues, as his return from injury was swiftly followed by him missing a start with an illness, though he served as Scott Wedgewood's backup so he's in line to start Tuesday. Unfortunately, he'll be on the road against the Red Wings. Dallas' offense is strong, comfortably third in the NHL in goals per game, but Detroit is in the mix of the teams in fourth through seventh that are neck-and-neck with one another.
CENTER
Morgan Frost, PHI vs. TAM ($19): Since missing a game, Frost has tallied nine points in nine games, and put 21 shots on net as well. He's serving as a second-line center and gets to play next to Joel Farabee and Cam Atkinson, who are both having solid campaigns. Andrei Vasilevskiy has yet to round into form after his injury, as he has a 2.83 GAA and .901 save percentage.
CENTER TO AVOID
Tomas Hertl, SAN vs. NYR ($16): While Hertl may now also have Logan Couture around to help shoulder the load, they both play center, so time together aside from the power play will be limited. The Sharks also happen to be on the second leg of a back-to-back Tuesday. New York has a 2.83 GAA, top 10 in the NHL, and has also held opponents to shots on net on per game.
WING
Chris Kreider, NYR at SAN ($24): Kreider having 22 goals in 46 games is no surprise, but he's supplemented those goals with 21 assists, unusual for him. He's also notched 16 points with the extra man. The Sharks are last in GAA and penalty-kill percentage, making this a great matchup for Kreider.
Warren Foegele, EDM vs. CLM ($21): When a team goes on a tear like the Oilers have, it takes more than just one player to make it happen. Skating next to Leon Draisaitl, Foegele has 14 points over his last 14 games. Not only that, but he's put 44 shots on net in that time, and his 11.4 percent shooting across those outings does not speak to tremendous puck luck that's bound to regress. With a 3.73 GAA, the Blue Jackets now sit 31st in the NHL by that measure, meaning only the Sharks are worse.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jonathan Marchessault, VGK at NYI ($23): With no Jack Eichel or William Karlsson, Marchessault is skating next to Nicolas Roy, which is not quite the same. Plus, the Golden Knights are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. Ilya Sorokin has been up and down, but he has a .910 save percentage this year and a career .920 save percentage. Also, here's hoping Patrick Roy helps improve the defense.
Johnny Gaudreau, CLM at EDM ($15): Gaudreau has picked up 22 assists, but his mere seven goals are disappointing. Yes, he's shooting at a 7.8 percent rate, but last year he had a 9.5 percent mark so that isn't terribly abnormal for Gaudreau. Stuart Skinner has certainly been key to the Oilers' success, and over his last nine games he has an 1.32 GAA and .952 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Mike Matheson, MON vs. OTT ($20): Matheson has thrown 120 shots on net through 46 games, and he's also been stellar on the power play. The defenseman has tallied 18 points with the extra man. His power-play acumen is encouraging here, as the Senators have a bottom-five GAA and penalty-kill percentage.
Mattias Ekholm, EDM vs. CLM ($19): Ekholm has provided nice supporting offense from the blue line behind Evan Bouchard, with eight assists in his last 14 games. On the year he's also put 92 shots on net through 41 contests. The Blue Jackets have a 3.73 GAA, but also have given up 34.0 shots on goal per game as well.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Victor Hedman, TAM at PHI ($20): Hedman's offensive uptick is thanks to his return to the role as the point man on the power play. He's tallied 20 of his 45 points with the man advantage. The Flyers have a 2.79 GAA, which is quite good. However, they also have allowed a mere 28.7 shots on goal per game and have the second-ranked penalty kill, which is not good for Hedman.
Shayne Gostisbehere, DET vs. DAL ($14): Gostisbehere has six points over his last 12 games, but each of them has come with the extra man. Even with goalie injuries and issues, the Stars have the third-ranked penalty kill, so this is not a good matchup for a guy reliant on the power play for offensive output.
