This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
We're a week from a certain Kris Kringle having a busy evening, but the NHL isn't nearly as packed this Sunday. There are five games on the slate, but the first one starts at 3 p.m. EST. Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Alexandar Georgiev, COL vs. SAN ($31): The Avalanche are on the second leg of a back-to-back, and Georgiev has been struggling. However, the club rank top-half in shots allowed per game. And the Sharks aren't great offensively having averaged a league-worst 2.13 goals and 25.8 shots.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Vitek Vanecek, NJD vs. ANA ($23): Like the Avs, the Devils are at home for the second straight day. The Ducks have also struggled to produce as they've averaged 2.55 goals and 29.6 shots on net per game, obviously better than what San Jose offered. And while Jersey's offense is quite good, Colorado's has been better. These margins may be narrow, but they're enough for me to go with Georgiev and fade Vanecek.
CENTER
William Karlsson, VGK vs. OTT ($20): Karlsson's rebounded from a couple down years in terms of shooting percentage as he's at 13 goals to go with 15 assists. He's also tallied eight points with the extra man. In five of Joonas Korpisalo's last six starts, he's allowed at least four goals. The Senators also maintain a bottom-five penalty kill, which Korpisalo shoulders some of the blame for.
CENTER TO AVOID
Ryan Johansen, COL vs. SAN ($10): Johansen may be Colorado's second-line center and the Sharks are the NHL's worst team defensively, but the former Pred hasn't been playing well with nine goals on the year and none in his last nine games. And those nine markers are paired with only two assists. Since the Avs are on the second leg of a back-to-back and have combined their three above-average forwards on one unit, I don't like Johansen's odds even in this matchup.
WING
Jesper Bratt, NJD vs. ANA ($25): Bratt started scorching hot last season and then cooled off where some people kind of forgot about him, but he still ended up with 73 points for the second straight season. This year, he's at 36 and isn't slowing down with eight points from the last six appearances. While Bratt stays on fire, John Gibson has certainly fizzled out sporting an .881 save percentage across 10 starts.
William Eklund, SAN at COL ($17): Is there anybody intriguing on San Jose's lackluster offense? Eklund is worth considering. His resume includes being the seventh-overall pick in 2021, and he skates on the first line. Eklund has also picked up six points in his last six games. The Avalanche just played Saturday, so perhaps one Shark is worth a shot.
WINGS TO AVOID
Claude Giroux, OTT at VGK ($21): Giroux has been moved down to the second line away from Tim Stutzle and next to Josh Norris, and also notably to the second power play. Given that six of his 24 points have come with the extra man – and 24 of 79 last year – that's not favorable for any upside. The Golden Knights also sit top-10 in shots allowed and top-five in penalty-kill percentage.
Frank Vatrano, ANA at NJD ($20): Vatrano has 14 goals, but none in his last six. Not only that, he didn't even register a shot on goal in his last game. Anaheim's usual second-line center Mason McTavish has been out, and Sam Carrick doesn't cut it. If McTavish doesn't return Sunday - and that's very much up in the air - that will be an issue for Vatrano.
DEFENSE
Bowen Byram, COL vs. SAN ($13): Given the Sharks have a 3.83 GAA and have allowed 36.3 shots per game, I wanted to included somebody from Colorado, even if the team is on the second night of a back-to-back. Byram has been erratic, yet has five goals and five assists. He registered 24 points last year, but in only 42 games. It's easier to roll the dice on a defenseman, and Byram is a decent option for Sunday especially since Cale Makar missed Saturday.
Pavel Mintyukov, ANA at NJD ($10): The Ducks have allowed Mintyukov to share the load with veteran Cam Fowler, and it's been the rookie's responsibility to take the lead - particularly on the power play where five of his 14 points have been produced. New Jersey sits bottom-10 on the penalty kill, and playing for a second consecutive day will further exhaust its shorthanded crew.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Jakob Chychrun, OTT at VGK ($21): Chychrun has been recently racking up assists, but I still feel reason for pause in this matchup. Logan Thompson has a 2.49 GAA, and the Golden Knights boast a top-five penalty kill. And notably, eight of Chychrun's 20 points have come with the extra man.
Calen Addison, SAN at COL ($11): Addison has built a larger role for the Sharks, though he's still fairly reliant on the power play as three of his six points with the new club have come there. The Avalanche list a top-eight penalty kill, so this matchup is a concern for a power-play specialist like Addison even with Colorado on the second leg of a back-to-back.
