This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
New Year's Day was unusual for the NHL. There was only one game on the slate, and it was the Winter Classic. Now, Tuesday is packed to the brim. There are 13 games on the schedule. Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Tristan Jarry, PIT vs. WAS ($31): A classic matchup of the modern era! Of course, the Capitals aren't the team they used to be, even with Alex Ovechkin still around. Washington is 31st in goals per game, a punchless offense to say the least. Jarry has bounced back nicely this year, as he has a 2.47 GAA and .916 save percentage.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Cam Talbot, LOS vs. TOR ($35): Talbot's 2.10 GAA and .924 save percentage have him at the forefront of the Vezina race, but sometimes, even a Vezina favorite is not the right choice for your DFS lineup. That goes double when you have 26 goalies to pick from. Toronto's offense is one of the four or five best in the league, as it has averaged 3.53 goals and 32.5 shots on net per contest.
CENTER
Charlie Coyle, BOS at CLM ($18): Coyle started hot, hit a drought, but now has five points over his last three games. Sure, the competition has been easy, but guess what? This matchup is also easy! The Jackets have a 3.66 GAA, but also have given up 34.4 shots on net per game. They are in the bottom three on both fronts.
CENTER TO AVOID
Brayden Point, TAM at WPG ($29): Point has delivered as per usual, with 39 points in 38 games. Although, only one of his 14 power-play points have come in his last 17 outings. I mentioned Talbot and the Vezina, but Connor Hellebuyck is gunning for his second Vezina as well. Over his last 14 games he had an 1.78 GAA and .939 save percentage.
WING
Patrick Kane, DET at SAN ($21): Kane taking him time to get healthy benefited him, it would seem. He has tallied 13 points in 13 games with the Wings. The Sharks remain the worst defense team in the NHL, with a 4.05 GAA that paces the league. In a bad way.
Gustav Nyquist, NAS vs. CHI ($19): Nyquist is skating on the wing of Nashville's first line, and he's also on the top power-play unit. That means a lot of time with Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi, which is nice. It has helped him notch 27 points in 37 games, including 10 with the extra man. Chicago is just outside the bottom five in penalty-kill percentage – a robust 27th! – but have a 3.78 GAA, 31st in the NHL.
WINGS TO AVOID
William Nylander, TOR at LOS ($32): It's a classic case of not rostering a goalie, but still being wary of the matchup against said goalie. Cam Talbot faces a tough matchup, but so does Nylander. In particular, Nylander's 17 power-play points out of 48 total points makes this a particularly tricky road trip. Yes, the Kings are first in GAA, but also in penalty-kill percentage.
Clayton Keller, ARI vs. FLA ($22): Even with a rotating cast of centers, Keller has delivered as per usual. However, this matchup is quite tricky. The Panthers have allowed a meager 27.1 shots on net per game, which has helped Sergei Bobrovsky put up some strong numbers. Even with a .911 save percentage, "Bob" has a 2.50 GAA.
DEFENSE
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. OTT ($30): Sure, Hughes' salary is on the heftier side, but he's worth it in this matchup. If you know the NHL at all, you know Hughes reigns as perhaps the king of power-play point men among defensemen. He's averaged 4:27 per game on the power play and has 16 points with the extra man in 36 contests. The Senators have the league's worst penalty kill. You can do the math there.
Devon Toews, COL vs. NYI ($19): I couldn't get away with recommending both Hughes and Cale Makar – the financial outlay of that pairing would wreak havoc on roster construction, but Toews is the number-two guy for Colorado. He's put 63 shots on target, and he's notched four power-play points while having averaged 2:19 per game with the extra man. Also, he's on a five-game point streak, which is encouraging. The Islanders' 3.22 GAA isn't good, but they have also allowed 35.4 shots on net per game and have a bottom-five penalty kill.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Evan Bouchard, EDM vs. PHI ($23): Bouchard has leveled up, there's no doubt about that. He's put 103 shots on net in 34 games and has tallied 17 of his 36 points on the power play. However, the Flyers are…really good defensively? They've only given up 28.7 shots on goal per game and have a top-four penalty kill, and that's with a below-average backup goalie in Samuel Ersson. Carter Hart has a .915 save percentage, so when he's in net, the Flyers are truly formidable.
Brent Burns, CAR at NYR ($21): Burns has five points over his last three games, but three of them came against the Canadiens, and three of them have been on the power play (and they aren't the same trio of points). The Rangers have the fifth-ranked penalty kill, and Igor Shesterkin may have found his form. Over his last five starts he has an 1.58 GAA and .946 save percentage.
