This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are six games in the NHL on Monday, and the Senators are the biggest underdog and only club playing for the second consecutive night. Colorado, St. Louis and Montreal are also notable favorites, whereas Minnesota and Anaheim are short home underdogs. Per usual, the highest over/under totals are in the two North Division contests and the Blues-Sharks tilt.
GOALIE
Mike Smith, EDM vs. OTT ($34): Ottawa held on for a 4-3 shootout win over the Flames on Sunday, so this will be a tough test for the Senators playing their second road game in consecutive nights. Plus, Edmonton is the largest favorite on the docket. Smith has had a few poor showings of late, but he still boasts a high-end 7-2 record, .925 save percentage and 2.30 GAA.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jordan Binnington, STL at SJ ($31): The 27-year-old netminder's home-road splits are notable, as Binnington has a mediocre .913 save percentage and 2.57 GAA over the past three years on the road, including .911 and 2.67 marks this year. Additionally, he's not in great form with a 1-3-1 record, .881 save percentage and 3.55 GAA through his past six appearances. It's also a deep goalie pool Monday, so this probably isn't a target-worthy matchup, either. San Jose scored 11 goals in its past two games against St. Louis.
CENTER
Connor McDavid, EDM vs. OTT ($35): No. 97 broke out with a three-point showing Saturday, and now he faces the Senators on the second leg of a back-to-back road set after they went to extra time Sunday. Ottawa has allowed the most goals per game in the league this season and sports a 23rd-ranked 75.0 penalty-kill percentage, so the matchup also checks out.
CENTER TO AVOID
William Karlsson, VGK at MIN ($22): The Wild aren't a pushover and have held opponents to the sixth fewest high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes at five-on-five while also boasting the sixth best penalty-kill percentage in the league. Additionally, while Karlsson has racked up nine points through the past nine games, he's also missed the scoresheet in four of those outings and only has 16 shots.
WING
Chandler Stephenson, VGK at MIN ($17): Skating between Max Pacioretty ($32) and Mark Stone ($28) has been a cushy gig, and particularly of late, as Stephenson has picked up five points -- two goals -- during his active four-game point streak. The trio have also clicked for an elite 5.78 goals per 60 minutes this season. It's not the best matchup, but this is also an accommodable salary. It's not a deal breaker, but definitely note that Stone didn't play in the third period Saturday because of a minor injury.
Andreas Athanasiou, LA at ANH ($14): The speedster continues to be a decent low-salary option. Athanasiou has recorded four points and 15 shots through the past six games while combining with linemates Gabriel Vilardi ($15) and Jeff Carter ($16) for a respectable 3.68 goals and high-end 17.55 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes.
WINGS TO AVOID
Tyler Toffoli, MON at VAN ($22): The streaky scorer has scored in three straight games and has already piled up eight goals and a 32.0 shooting percentage through five games against the Canucks this season. Toffoli is currently sporting a career-high 20.0 shooting percentage and has only scored seven goals through his other 18 games this season, so statistical correction probably isn't in his favor Monday. Vancouver netminder Thatcher Demko ($22) has also been locked in of late with a .962 save percentage through his past four starts.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM vs. OTT ($27): As noted, there's nothing scary about the matchup, and Nugent-Hopkins is locked into a top offensive role. However, it's difficult to build a lineup with both him and center Conor McDavid ($35), and Nugent-Hopkins is struggling with just two points -- one goal -- and 12 shots through the past six games. Additionally, RNH has missed the scoresheet entirely in nine of his past 15 contests, so there's been a lot more miss than hit of late.
DEFENSE
Tyson Barrie, EDM vs. OTT ($20): The power-play quarterback's salary has dipped during his current four-game point drought, so with the noted favorable matchup in mind, this checks out as a bounce-back spot for Barrie. After all, even with his recent slide, Barrie sports a ninth-ranked 1.87 points per 60 minutes and averages 4:04 of power-play time per game this season.
Samuel Girard, COL vs. ARI ($19): As long as Cale Makar ($25) is out with an upper-body injury, Girard is a strong option. He's quarterbacking the No. 1 power-play unit and collected two goals and four assists while averaging 25:52 of ice time (4:10 with the man advantage) over the past five games.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Brent Burns, SJ vs. STL ($19): With a minus-8 rating through the past three games and a minus-15 mark for the ceiling, the veteran is a risky option from this salary range. The Blues have somewhat quietly scored a respectable 3.2 goals per game this season, and they've scored 20 times through their first five meetings against San Jose.
Thomas Chabot, OTT at EDM ($18): The emerging blueliner has found the scoresheet in six of the past seven games while logging a hefty 26:15 of ice time (3:29 on the power play). However, as noted, this sets up as a tough matchup, and even with all his offensive success Chabot has posted a minus-3 rating during the recent seven-game stretch.
