This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
We've got eight NHL games on the slate for Tuesday. I'm here to help you sift through you options as we head toward the end of January. These are my players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. PHI ($37): Sorokin has actually built off the impressive numbers he had last year. His save percentage has risen from .918 all the way up to .928. There's a pretty big gap between the bottom six teams in the NHL in goals per game and the rest of the league, and the Flyers are in that bottom six. They are also on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. FLA ($30): Hellebuyck is having a rough season, especially recently. Since the start of December he has a 3.01 GAA and .909 save percentage. Now he's facing a Panthers team that has averaged 4.00 goals and 36.4 shots on net per contest.
CENTER
Elias Pettersson, VAN vs. EDM ($17): Pettersson has started 69.0 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Canucks. He got off to a slow start, but over his last four games he has four points. Mikko Koskinen has been brutal when he's taken the ice recently, as he has a 4.12 GAA and .870 save percentage over his last eight games.
CENTER TO AVOID
Chandler Stephenson, VGK at CAR ($19): Stephenson is having a career year, but he's on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back here. Not only that, he's facing the team with the lowest GAA in the NHL. Frederik Andersen has been a big reason for that, as he has a 2.03 GAA and .928 save percentage.
WING
Bryan Rust, PIT vs. ARI ($26): Rust has had trouble staying on the ice, but when he's played he's been excellent. Over 19 games he's tallied 24 points. He's played in Pittsburgh's last four games, notching four points. Meanwhile, the Coyotes have a 3.70 GAA.
Jesper Bratt, NJD vs. DAL ($20): Bratt has tallied 12 points in his last eight contests. He's also started 61.7 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second highest among New Jersey's forwards. The Stars are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, and Braden Holtby has allowed four goals in each of his last two games.
WINGS TO AVOID
Cam Atkinson, PHI at NYI ($18): As I noted, the Flyers are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back. Atkinson is having a good year, but being on the road and facing Sorokin is not a favorable situation. Sorokin has a 2.26 GAA to go with his .928 save percentage.
Clayton Keller, ARI at PIT ($17): Keller has been pretty much the only Coyotes forward who has stepped up this year with 31 points in 40 games. However, I don't like his odds on the road against the Penguins, especially assuming Tristan Jarry is in net. Jarry has a 2.09 GAA and .928 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. PHI ($18): Dobson had a nice productive stint with 14 points in 32 games. He hasn't notched any points in his last four games, but he's put 20 shots on net in those contests. The Flyers are in the bottom five in shots on net allowed per game, and they are on a back-to-back as well. Also, Martin Jones has a 3.52 GAA and .902 save percentage.
Mike Matheson, PIT vs. ARI ($17): Matheson has had a nice little stretch recently. He's tallied six points in his last four contests. The Coyotes have a 3.70 GAA, which is down there with the Canadiens in terms of goals allowed.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Shea Theodore, VGK at CAR ($21): The Hurricanes have the lowest GAA in the NHL, the second ranked penalty kill, and have only allowed 28.0 shots on net per contest. That's a tough matchup in any situation. Of course, Theodore is also going to be on the road for a second game in as many nights.
Mark Giordano, SEA vs. NAS ($18): Since returning to action Dec. 9, Giordano has only scored one goal in 16 games. He's picked up some assists, but the veteran defenseman has had little luck lighting the lamp. A lot of players have issues with that against Juuse Saros, as he has a 2.38 GAA and .925 save percentage.
