This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
It's election day in the United States, but you can vote and still get your NHL DFS lineups in. There are 10 games on the slate Tuesday, and these are my players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS contests.
GOALIE
Connor Ingram, ARI vs. SEA ($27): In early November, I don't want to just get into the habit of recommending whatever goalie is facing San Jose, though that will certainly happen often enough. Plus, Carter Hart is still banged up, and Samuel Ersson versus the Sharks is perhaps as bleak of a matchup I can imagine. Ingram's turn in the goalie rotation has arrived in Arizona, and he has a 2.39 GAA and .919 save percentage. The Kraken are off to a slow start, have only averaged 2.58 goals per game.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Semyon Varlamov, NYI vs. MIN ($33): With Ilya Sorokin surprisingly scuffling to start the season, Varlamov has been worked into a goaltending rotation. He's responded with a shutout in each of his last two starts. However, those games were against Columbus and Washington. The Wild have averaged 3.55 goals per contest, so this is a different level of challenge for Varlamov.
CENTER
Nick Suzuki, MON vs. TAM ($18): Suzuki went from being a 40-point scorer to a 60-point scorer quickly, and in his fifth season he has nine points through 11 games. Monday, he catches the only team on the second leg of a back-to-back in the Lightning. That likely means Matt Tomkins in net, and the 29-year-old who would have been in the AHL if not for Andrei Vasilevskiy's injury has an .891 save percentage through his first two NHL starts.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mark Scheifele, WPG at STL ($19): Scheifele started the season hot, encouraging after an offseason of uncertainty, but over his last five games he only has two points, both assists. While Jordan Binnington likely can't keep this up, he has a 2.38 GAA and .924 save percentage through seven starts, a throwback to his wonderful rookie campaign.
WING
Travis Konecny, PHI at SAN ($22): Hey, it would be malpractice not to recommend somebody facing the Sharks. They have a 4.91 GAA after having allowed 10 goals two games in a row, and have given up 37.5 shots on net per contest. Konecny has nine goals and 12 points, which tracks given that he had 61 points in 60 games last year.
Kyle Palmieri, NYI vs. MIN ($17): I've wondered a bit if Palmieri's early production would slow down – these are the kind of thoughts that occupy my time – but so far the veteran is still going strong. He has eight points in 10 games, and hasn't gone more than one game without a point. Marc-Andre Fleury has been named the starter for the Wild, and while he has a 2.83 GAA, he also has an .892 save percentage. Over the last three seasons he now has a .907 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jesper Bratt, NJD at COL ($26): Can Bratt keep it going without either Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier by his side? Well, given that he's been shooting at a 28.0 percent rate, his production is bound to regress. Alexandar Georgiev's last start went poorly, and he may need a rest. The Avalanche have only allowed 29.2 shots on goal per game, and they also have a top-five penalty kill. Thirteen of Bratt's 18 points have come with the extra man, so regardless of who is in net for Colorado I consider that a concern.
Jonathan Huberdeau, CGY vs. NAS ($13): Huberdeau has a couple assists recently but doesn't have a goal in his last seven games. What's concerning is that he only has seven shots on net across those games. Juuse Saros has a .909 save percentage, but a 2.68 GAA because the Predators have held opponents to 29.5 shots on net per game. Given that Saros has a career .919 save percentage, his numbers should improve.
DEFENSE
Noah Dobson NYI vs. MIN ($23): I mentioned my concerns about Bratt because of the penalty kill he'll be facing. Dobson, on the other hand, is facing a Wild squad that ranks last on the penalty kill. Dobson has four power-play points, and he had 19 last season, so this is up his alley.
Mike Matheson, MON vs. TAM ($20): Matheson has been all over the ice for the Canadiens. He's tallied seven points, 33 shots on net, 25 blocked shots, and he's averaged 4:27 per game with the extra man. The Lightning are in the bottom 10 in shots on goal allowed per game, and now they are on the second leg of a back-to-back with Tomkins presumably in goal. All that bodes well for Matheson.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Shayne Gostisbehere, DET at NYR ($14): It's been a tale of two seasons already for Gostisbehere. He had nine points across his first seven games. Since then, he has zero points and five shots on net in five games. This is not an easy matchup for Gostisbehere to turn things around in, as the Rangers have a 2.09 GAA and have held opponents to 27.5 shots on net per contest.
Tyson Barrie, NAS at CGY ($13): The Flames don't have an imposing GAA, but still do two things quite well defensively. Calgary has allowed 28.5 shots on net per game and has a top-five penalty kill. Barrie, long a power-play specialist, has averaged 3:42 per contest with the extra man, but it may not pay off this time.
