This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There's NFL football, NBA basketball, and NHL hockey throughout the day! Of course, you'll want to get your NHL DFS lineup in before you get settled in, and that will have to happen early. All 10 games Monday are on the DFS slate, but the first one starts at noon ET. Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS rosters.
GOALIE
Anthony Stolarz, FLA vs. ANA ($29): Stolarz has been given the nod for Monday, and while he's only played in 11 games, he's posted an 1.95 GAA and .923 save percentage. Before he struggled playing for a woeful Ducks team last year, he'd actually showed some promise in next. Speaking of the woeful Ducks, they rank 29th in goals per game and are banged up on top of that.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Cam Talbot, LOS at CAR ($35): At this point, it feels straight-up awkward Talbot is going to the All-Star Game. Over his last 12 starts he has a 3.06 GAA and .899 save percentage. Now he's all the way across the country from his home rink playing a Hurricanes team that has averaged 3.45 goals and 33.3 shots on net per game.
CENTER
Brock Nelson, NYI at MIN ($21): With 19 goals in 42 games, Nelson is well on his way to his third 30-goal season in a row. That's with a 14.3 shooting percentage that would be his lowest since the 2018-19 campaign. While he centers the second line, Nelson is on the first power-play unit, and the Wild rank 30th on the penalty kill.
CENTER TO AVOID
Sidney Crosby, PIT vs. SEA ($34): No longer a kid by any stretch, Crosby is still productive, even with only 10 points on the power play (low for his standards). However, the Kraken remain a team that doesn't allow many shots – a calling card since their expansion season – and now they are getting strong goaltending as well. Over his last 13 outings, Joey Daccord has an 1.60 GAA and .949 save percentage.
WING
Alex Tuch, BUF vs. SAN ($24): I almost took a Buffalo goalie against San Jose's atrocious offense, but demurred in the end. On the other hand, I have no such hesitance about attacking San Jose's equally awful defense. The Sharks are last in GAA, last in shots on net allowed per game, last in penalty-kill percentage, you name it. Tuch's points have come in bunches, but all in all he has 29 points in 36 games, and this matchup is well worth targeting.
Owen Tippett, PHI at STL ($21): Since joining the Flyers, Tippett has been given the chance to let loose, and he has. After tallying 27 goals on 231 shots on target last year, he's notched 15 goals on 152 shots on net through 43 contests. St. Louis has allowed 32.0 shots on net per game, which is in the bottom 10 if not remarkably bad. That's bad enough, though, especially with Jordan Binnington posting a .906 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Frank Vatrano, ANA at FLA ($20): Vatrano has a goal in each of the first three games of Anaheim's road trip, but I think his streak ends here. The Panthers have only allowed 27.0 shots on net per contest, and have the sixth-ranked penalty kill. Vatrano's last two goals have come on the power play, and eight of his 21 total goals have come with the extra man.
Jordan Kyrou, STL vs. PHI ($19): Kyrou's 8.4 shooting percentage through 41 games is probably unlucky, though he's poor luck has now lasted half a season. Just getting a puck on goal against the Flyers is tough, though, as they have held opponents to 28.9 shots on net per contest. They also have the top penalty kill, and eight of Kyrou's 31 points have come with the extra man.
DEFENSE
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF vs. SAN ($21): With this matchup, frankly I am a little surprised Dahlin's salary is this low. He has 12 goals on 123 shots on net, 22 assists, 11 points with the extra man, what more do you want? The Swede isn't cold, either, with five points in his last five games. The Sharks have a 4.07 GAA! Go for it!
Brandon Montour, FLA vs. ANA ($21): When Montour and Aaron Ekblad both returned from long-term injuries, Montour got the role conducive to fantasy success. Namely, he's averaged 3:47 per game with the extra man. Now, Montour only has eight points in 26 games, but he's put 60 shots on net and his 1.7 shooting percentage is bound to improve. Also, five of those points have come on the power play. The Ducks do rank 21st on the penalty kill, which isn't terrible, but also have a 3.43 GAA.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Kris Letang, PIT vs. SEA ($22): Letang has picked up some assists recently, but he has three goals on the year, one over his last 18 games. Additionally, Erik Karlsson's arrival pushed Letang to the outskirts of the power play, a role in which he used to thrive. That means the veteran defenseman will have the face Daccord, with his 2.29 GAA and .923 save percentage, with limited time with the extra man.
Mike Matheson, MON vs. COL ($20): Even with iffy goaltending, the Avalanche have gotten by defensively. They have held opponents to 28.6 shots on goal per game, and they rank ninth on the penalty kill as well. Matheson is particularly reliant on the power play. In fact, 16 of his 30 points have come with the extra man. Against a top-10 penalty kill, that's a bit of an issue.
