This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Since Saturday was packed to the brim with NHL action, Sunday features several teams on the second day of a back-to-back. It also features earlier starts. The DFS slate covers all six games, with the first starting at 1 p.m. EDT. Here are my Easter recommendations for players to target, and ones to avoid.
GOALIE
Marc-Andre Fleury, MIN vs. SAN ($33): With so many clubs playing on consecutive days, goaltending options are a little dicey. Fortunately, the Wild provide a better combo than most with a true 1 and 1A tandem, and it's Fleury's turn on Sunday. The Sharks are on the road for the second straight night and are also ranked in the bottom-five in goals per game.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Ilya Sorokin, NYI at TOR ($35): Though the Islanders didn't play Saturday and the Maple Leafs did, I still would be wary about going with Sorokin on the road as Toronto has averaged 3.84 goals and 34.6 shots on net. The Leafs are up there in the rarified air of the Panthers and Avalanche. And even on a back-to-back, they're a threat to any goalie, even one as good as Sorokin.
CENTER
Tage Thompson, BUF at PHI ($18): The Sabres and Flyers are having a home-and-home this weekend, and Thompson enters this matchup red hot with 17 points in his last 16 games. Carter Hart is expected to be out for the season, so rookie Felix Sandstrom – who has appeared in two NHL games over his career – will likely start.
CENTER TO AVOID
Logan Couture, SAN at MIN ($17): Scoring has gotten a little sparse for Couture by his standards with only three points from his last 10 outings. Both teams are on a back-to-back, but the Sharks are the ones on the road. And since joining the Wild, Fleury has posted a 2.36 GAA and .929 save percentage.
WING
Troy Terry, ANA vs. CLM ($18): Terry has potted a goal in three straight, and I could easily see that becoming four. The Blue Jackets sit in the bottom-four in both GAA and shots allowed and will be on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back.
Anders Lee, NYI at TOR ($17): Lee has started 61.1 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second highest on the Islanders. He's also second on the team with 26 goals. Jack Campbell will be in net for the Maple Leafs after Erik Kallgren started Saturday. Since returning from injury, Campbell has produced a 3.37 GAA and .889 save percentage in five starts.
WINGS TO AVOID
William Nylander, TOR vs. NYI ($23): Toronto's offense is formidable, but so is Sorokin with a 2.29 GAA and .928 save percentage. Nylander is on a back-to-back, and he's also facing the NHL's fourth-ranked penalty kill. That may be a problem for Nylander, who's accumulated 28 of his 72 points on the power play.
Patrik Laine, CLM at ANA ($23): This is assuming Anthony Stolarz is in net for Anaheim, as he's started four of Anaheim's last seven games witha .917 save percentage. The Ducks are at home, and the Blue Jackets are on the second day of a back-to-back. So if Stolarz gets the nod, that doesn't bode well for Laine.
DEFENSE
Justin Faulk, STL at NAS ($19): Faulk has notched 12 points in his last 10 games to give him 41 points on the campaign. The Predators started Juuse Saros on Saturday, so David Rittich will likely go Sunday and he's produced a 3.21 GAA and .891 save percentage.
Cam Fowler, ANA vs. CLM ($16): Fowler is shouldering a heavy load for the Ducks averaging 25:03 in ice time and 2:18 per game with the extra man across his last seven outings where he's also managed five points. The Blue Jackets enter with a 3.68 GAA, they've given up 35.4 shots on goal and are on a back-to-back.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. NYI ($22): Rielly is the kind of defenseman whose stock drops when faced with a top penalty kill. He's notched 22 of his 65 points with the extra man. The Islanders boast a top-five penalty kill and Sorokin comes in with .928 save percentage, so this isn't an ideal matchup for Rielly.
Brent Burns, SAN at MIN ($17): Burns has slowed down a bit at 37 with 188 shots on net in 74 games. That's still a lot, but far from his glory days of racking up over 300 a season. Burns is on the road for the second day of a back-to-back, and Fleury has looked excellent since joining the Wild.
