This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
All five NHL games Sunday are happening in the afternoon. Hmm…I wonder what might be going on Sunday night? Oh, right, Columbo is airing on MeTV. In all seriousness, we know your Sunday is probably built around a certain football game, but you can still get a DFS lineup in before 12:00 p.m. EST. Here are the players to target, and to avoid, thanks to a mix of salary, performance, and matchup.
GOALIE
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA vs. DET ($31): Bobrovsky is struggling again this year with a 3.57 GAA and .881 save percentage. However, he's still been swapping starts with Chris Driedger. And if the Panthers want to get Bob on his game, this is the kind of matchup that can help. Detroit's offense has been totally lacking punch, as it's only scored an NHL-low 1.83 goals per game.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Brian Elliott, PHI at WAS ($31): Carter Hart missed Friday's game with back spasms and backs are tricky and temperamental, so I am going to assume Elliott is starting Sunday. He's been the better goalie for the Flyers anyway, but this matchup could prove daunting. The Capitals have scored 3.55 goals per game, and that's with somebody like Alex Ovechkin missing time.
CENTER
Roope Hintz, DAL vs. CHI ($17): Hintz started the season hot, then missed a couple games, but he's recorded a point in back-to-back contests. He's also averaged 4:24 per game with the extra man while notching seven power-play points overall. Maybe I will end up regretting my skepticism on Kevin Lankinen, but he's 25 and has only played in eight NHL contests. Would he have been buried down the depth chart if the Blackhawks believed he could be this good? Plus, the Blackhawks have also allowed 34.2 shots on net per game.
CENTER TO AVOID
Anze Kopitar, LOS at VGK ($18): Even though the Kings have not been a playoff team – much less a Cup contender – in recent years, Kopitar isn't slowing down. He's posted 13 points over 10 games, but only one of those is a goal. Vegas has managed a 2.25 GAA and has only allowed 24.4 shots on net per contest, so getting on the score sheet will be difficult Sunday unless Kopitar's teammates continue to succeed when he passes them the puck.
WING
Patric Hornqvist, FLA vs. DET ($20): How has Hornqvist gotten off to a hot start with his new team? A 17.2 shooting percentage definitely helps, but he's also started 67.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone - highest on the Panthers. If that wasn't enough, he's averaged 3:21 with the extra man. Look, however you slice it, the Red Wings have a 3.58 GAA, and that's as big a reason to put the Swede in your lineup as anything.
T.J. Oshie, WAS vs. PHI ($13): Oshie scored 10 goals on the power play last season and this year has averaged 2:51 per game with the extra man. He's also tallied three power-play points through 11 games, even though the Washington power play was missing Ovechkin for a little while. The Flyers have been surprisingly poor on the penalty kill ranking in the bottom-five.
WINGS TO AVOID
Patrick Kane, CHI vs. DAL ($29): A lot of times I find myself down on Kane, but it's mostly salary-based. I'm all for splashing the cash in a favorable matchup, but this is not such a matchup. Anton Khudobin has a 2.51 GAA in spite of a .908 save percentage. He managed a .930 save percentage last year and a .923 mark the year before that, so I fully expect his play to improve.
Cam Atkinson, CLM vs. CAR ($16): Two seasons ago, Atkinson scored 41 goals. Since then, his puck luck has disappeared and could only muster an 8.1 shooting percentage last year with a 7.4 number this season. As per usual, the Hurricanes have been good at suppressing shots on net (26.0 per game), so Atkinson might not even get many chances to increase that shooting percentage.
DEFENSE
Keith Yandle, FLA vs. DET ($18): Let's keep it simple. Yandle is a power-play specialist. He's posted at least 18 power-play points in each of his last seven seasons and already has six through eight games this year. Meanwhile, the Red Wings come in with a bottom-five penalty kill. I don't need to draw you a picture, but if I did it would be of Yandle picking up an assist with the extra man Sunday.
Ivan Provorov, PHI at WAS ($17): Provorov is taking on an even bigger role this year ans has racked up 26:09 in ice time. He's still producing with six points in 12 games while blocking 25 shots. Vitek Vanecek has had to shoulder the road in net for the Capitals, and he's given up at least three goals in seven of his last eight starts.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. LOS ($25): Alex Pietrangelo was added to the mix this offseason (he's dealing with COVID-19 protocol at the moment), but Theodore has not seen his role – or performance – drop. I'm hoping/assuming the Kings will do the wise thing and start Cal Petersen with his career .925 save percentage. On top of that, the Kings actually offer a top-five penalty kill.
Drew Doughty, LOS at VGK ($17): I don't want to doubt Doughty, but I'm skeptical his 15.0 shooting percentage can be maintained. His 4:09 per game on the power play will likely drop as well, as a small-sample size is giving outsized import to a game where he got 8:14 and tallied two of his four points with the extra man. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights enter with a 2.25 GAA and that's with Robin Lehner posting an .895 save percentage that is bound to improve.
