This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Yesterday there was only one NHL game, but Tuesday more than makes up for it. There are a whopping 13 games on the slate, which means you have so many options for your daily fantasy lineup. The decisions are piling up. This has been a weird season, which is a strikingly obvious statement. Some teams have played as many as eight games. Others have played as few as two. The sample sizes are all over the place. Here are my recommendations for your DFS hockey needs.
GOALIE
Anton Khudobin, DAL vs. DET ($37): The Stars are one of the teams that have only played a couple games, but those games couldn't have gone much better for Khudobin. He got plenty of run alongside Ben Bishop last season, posting a .930 save percentage in the regular season and impressing in the playoffs. The Red Wings have looked a bit better offensively this year, but we are not far removed from them scoring a mere 2.00 goals per game last season.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. TOR ($34): The Canucks are probably missing Markstrom, as they've gotten bad goaltending while their old netminder has a 2.26 GAA and .928 save percentage. However, he's never had a save percentage higher than .918 before. The Maple Leafs scored 3.39 goals per contest last season, third highest in the NHL, and their key offensive players are healthy to start the year.
CENTER
Ryan Johansen, NAS vs. CHI ($14): Johansen is coming off a rough season, but he still centers Nashville's top line. He's also still on the top power-play unit, and he's averaged 3:46 per game with the extra man. Maybe he's not the true No. 1 center the Predators wanted, but he's had over 40 assists four times in his career. The Blackhawks allowed a league-high 35.1 shots on net per contest last year, and the goaltending situation is so bleak they've turned to 25-year-old rookie Kevin Lankinen. He has a 2.64 GAA and .909 save percentage in three starts, but two of those were against the Wings.
CENTER TO AVOID
Evgeni Malkin, PIT at BOS ($30): Malkin's extensive history of success has earned him this salary, but by his standards he's off to a slow start. The Russian has only two points, and he's also only put 11 shots on goal in six games. Tuukka Rask has an .892 save percentage, but that's with an impressive 2.23 GAA. The Bruins have allowed a mere 23.6 shots on net per contest this season, and Rask's save percentage is destined to rise considerably.
WING
Jakub Voracek, PHI at NJD ($17): Voracek has been lending a helping hand this year. He already has six assists through six games, and he's had over 40 assists in each of his last six seasons. It'd be nice if he shot more, but as long as the veteran is dishing out assists he can help your fantasy lineup. Right now MacKenzie Blackwood is out due to COVID-19 protocols, which means Scott Wedgewood could be in net Tuesday. He's shut out the Islanders at home his last time out, but this is his first NHL action since the 2017-18 season, and that year he had an .893 save percentage with the Coyotes.
Sam Reinhart, BUF vs. NYR ($16): Reinhart has gotten the opportunity to play alongside Jack Eichel for a few seasons, which has boosted his numbers and his fantasy upside. Now, he also has Taylor Hall on his line, which takes things to another level. The 2014 second overall pick had 50 points in 69 games last season, and he has four points in six games to start this campaign. As for the Rangers, they've allowed 34.0 shots on net per contest, and vaunted goaltending prospect Igor Shesterkin has gotten off to a slow start with an .899 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jonathan Huberdeau, FLA at CLM ($25): Huberdeau and the Panthers have played only two games this season, and they've been off since January 19. He got to ease himself into the season against the Blackhawks, but the Blue Jackets are a much tougher matchup. Columbus had a 2.61 GAA last season and only allowed 29.9 shots on net per contest.
Rickard Rakell, ANA at ARI ($17): Rakell has two 30-goal seasons to his name, but the last two seasons he's seen his shooting percentage drop, and so has his goal totals. While he scored in his last game, that was his first goal of the season. Darcy Kuemper may have a 2.79 GAA and .906 save percentage this year, but four of his five games have come against the Golden Knights, one of the top offenses in the NHL. This matchup should help stabilize his numbers.
DEFENSE
John Klingberg, DAL vs. DET ($19): Klingberg has come out of the gate on fire, posting four assists in the two games the Stars have played. Additionally, all four of those points have come on the power play. The Wings had the highest GAA and the worst penalty kill in the NHL last season, so more power-play time Tuesday should lead to more success for the Swede.
Zach Werenski, CLM vs. FLA ($17): Werenski notched his first point – a goal – in Columbus' last game, but there are still encouraging signs. For starters, he's averaged 24:17 in ice time, a personal best, and has put 17 shots on goal in six games. His 5.9 percent shooting is likely to improve, and he'll eventually score on the power play as well. The Panthers have only played two games, but last season they had a 3.25 GAA.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
John Carlson, WAS vs. NYI ($24): Carlson is a prolific point producer from the blue line, and he's at it again with five points in six games. That being said, the Capitals are dealing with COVID issues, and that drains the talent around Carlson and puts a crimp in his fantasy upside. Plus, former Caps coach Barry Trotz knows a thing or two about spoiling the fun for opposing offenses. Given Semyon Varlamov's incredible start to the season (0.33 GAA, .988 save percentage) this could be a day of revenge for former Capitals employees.
Torey Krug, STL at VGK ($19): How is Krug's first campaign with the Blues going? So far, he has one goal and one assist through six games, with only one power-play point. His power-play minutes are down (2:34 per game), but it's early enough in the season that's likely as much about opportunity as anything else. Since Robin Lehner had a .920 save percentage last year, I'm not worried about him having an .899 save percentage in three starts this year. He's only had one bad outing really, and that was on the road.
