This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
It's the final week of the NHL regular season, and we have a busy Tuesday on the schedule. There are 13 games taking place. That's a ton of hockey! Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Cam Talbot, MIN vs. ARI ($41): I'm assuming Talbot will get the start Tuesday, although Marc-Andre Fleury has started the last two games, and the Wild do likely need to decide on a starter for the playoffs. Maybe it should be Talbot, though. He does have a 2.15 GAA and .925 save percentage over his last 12 starts. This is the best matchup a goalie can have right now, as the Coyotes have managed a mere 2.43 goals and 25.7 shots on net per contest.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Darcy Kuemper, COL vs. STL ($36): The Avalanche have scored a bunch of goals, but they've recently fallen to fourth in goals per game. What team leaped past them? That would be the Blues, who have scored 3.78 goals per contest. Kuemper has been an excellent goalie much of the year, but St. Louis should give him a real challenge.
CENTER
Josh Norris, OTT vs. NJD ($22): Norris has a point in each of his last two games, and he has another easy matchup on the slate to make it three in a row. The Devils have a 3.62 GAA, which is in the bottom five in the NHL. Norris had an under-the-radar rookie campaign last year, and now as a sophomore he's exploded with 34 goals, with a chance to add to that Tuesday.
CENTER TO AVOID
Sebastian Aho, CAR at NYR ($28): The Hurricanes and Rangers are fighting for the top spot in their division, and they also happen to be the teams with the lowest GAAs in the NHL. This could be a low-scoring affair, and the Rangers have Igor Shesterkin in goal. The likely Vezina winner has a 2.03 GAA and .936 save percentage.
WING
Jakub Vrana, DET at TOR ($19): Over his last 15 games, Vrana has eight goals on 42 shots on net and four assists as well. Since this game is in Canada, the unvaccinated Tyler Bertuzzi won't be able to play, which should mean an even bigger role for his vaccinated teammate. Since Jack Campbell returned to action, he hasn't exactly found his footing. In eight starts he has a 2.94 GAA and .908 save percentage.
Matthew Boldy, MIN vs. ARI ($18): Boldy has a point in all eight games he's played since an injury absence, and he had points in the two games before that injury as well. The Coyotes have allowed a league-high 35.6 shots on net per contest, and Karel Vejmelka has been having a tough time in net. Over his last 15 starts he has a 4.26 GAA and .886 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Filip Forsberg, NAS vs. CGY ($26): There are 26 teams in action Tuesday, so there are a lot of options for your DFS lineup. I wouldn't spend the salary on Forsberg in this matchup given the opportunities available elsewhere. Jacob Markstrom has a 2.21 GAA and .922 save percentage for the Flames. On top of that, Calgary has only allowed 28.9 shots on net per contest.
Troy Terry, ANA at SAN ($19): Terry has managed to keep producing even after all the trades and injuries that have depleted the Anaheim lineup. James Reimer has been better at home for the Sharks, with a .916 save percentage in those outings. Plus, the Sharks have the third-ranked penalty kill, and 15 of Terry's points have come with the extra man.
DEFENSE
Mark Giordano, TOR vs. DET ($17): Since joining the Maple Leafs, Giordano has tallied 11 points in 18 games. The Red Wings have a 3.80 GAA, second highest in the NHL, and they have the second-worst penalty-kill percentage. Giordano has three points with the extra man for Toronto.
Dougie Hamilton, NJD at OTT ($16): Points have been hard to come by for Hamilton, but he remains prolific at putting shots on net. Through 59 games this year he's tallied 190 shots on goal. The Senators have allowed 33.4 shots on goal per contest, so Hamilton should be his usual busy self. That could lead to points.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Cale Makar, COL vs. STL ($32): Now, you rarely go wrong when you go with Makar, but his salary is lofty. If he doesn't perform like he usually does, he'll ends up not quite paying off. The Blues could keep Makar in check to some degree. Ville Husso has a 2.47 GAA and .921 save percentage. St. Louis also has the fourth-ranked penalty kill, and of course Makar does a lot of his damage with the extra man.
Noah Dobson, NYI at WAS ($18): The goaltending hasn't always been great for the Capitals, but the defense has done its job. Washington has only allowed 29.0 shots on net per contest. It also has the ninth-ranked penalty kill. The Caps could keep Dobson from being too active from the blue line, and 19 of his 47 points have come with the extra man.
