This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Hey, a day without afternoon hockey. How novel! We have six games on the slate for the NHL. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Ilya Sorokin, NYI at SEA ($36): Both of these teams struggle to score goals, but the Kraken are last in the league in shots on net per game. Also, they are on the second leg of a back-to-back. As a result, sign me up for Sorokin, who has a 2.44 GAA and .921 save percentage.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Juuse Saros, NAS at FLA ($33): Saros has been one of the top goalies in the league. I'm not denying that. The Panthers, however, have been the top offense in the league. They lead in goals per game and shots on net per game. Never rely on a goalie who is on the road against a team that is scoring over four goals a night on average.
CENTER
Robert Thomas, STL at PHI ($17): Thomas has been generous this season, handing out 32 assists in 42 games. Also, two of his seven goals have come in his last three contests. The Flyers are in the bottom eight in GAA, and they are also on the second night of a back-to-back.
CENTER TO AVOID
Jared McCann, SEA vs. NYI ($12): McCann is pacing the expansion Kraken's offense. That being said, 32 points in 46 games doesn't exactly have him in the Hart race. Plus, he's on a back-to-back and likely will face Sorokin and his .921 save percentage.
WING
Patrik Laine, CLM vs. TOR ($22): Laine has a nine-game point streak, with 10 goals coming in that time. What's encouraging is that he also has 17 assists in 30 games this season, as he used to be seen as just a goal scorer. The Maple Leafs are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, and Jack Campbell's recent numbers tell a very different story from his overall numbers. Over his last 11 games he has a 3.69 GAA and .883 save percentage.
Kyle Palmieri, NYI at SEA ($10): It's been a brutal season for Palmieri, who has been in and out of the lineup, was ice cold for a while, and is shooting at a 5.6 percent pace. However, he has three goals in his last three games. Just two seasons ago he had his sixth 20-goal campaign in a row. The Kraken have gotten the worst goaltending in the league, give or take the Canadiens, as both of Seattle's primary goalies have sub-.900 save percentages.
WINGS TO AVOID
Filip Forsberg, NAS at FLA ($25): Forsberg is having a great year, although his 22.5 percent shooting is way higher than his career 12.8 percent mark. I don't know if he can sustain that. Sergei Bobrovsky has a 2.51 GAA and .919 save percentage, but he's been better at home. On his own rink the Russian has a 2.45 GAA and .926 save percentage.
Travis Konecny, PHI vs. STL ($17): Konecny has put a slow start behind him, and he has a point in 11 of his last 15 games. That being said, it was exactly one point in each game, and he hasn't had a multi-point outing since December 18. Sure, that's kind of nitpicking, but this isn't: Ville Husso has a 1.97 GAA and .936 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Justin Faulk, STL at PHI ($18): Faulk has a six-game point streak, giving him 24 points in 43 games. Carter Hart unfortunately has picked up an eye infection, and it's possible he won't be back Tuesday. If that's the case, AHL call-up Kirill Ustimenko may be in net for the Flyers.
Brent Burns, SAN at ANA ($17): John Gibson has slipped a bit recently and I want a chance to take advantage of that if it continues. Over his last eight games he has a 3.70 GAA and .888 save percentage. Burns isn't scoring goals like he did at his peak, though 3.0 percent shooting is part of the reason for that. He's put 133 shots on net in 49 games, so he's still quite active for a defenseman.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Kevin Shattenkirk, ANA vs. SAN ($15): Shattenkirk has 12 power-play points, and he's no stranger to success with the extra man. However, he's been held without a point in his last six games. On top of that, the Sharks, perhaps unexpectedly, have a top-five penalty kill.
Ivan Provorov, PHI vs. STL ($13): I have the same issues with Provorov as I do with his teammate Konecny. The Flyers are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Husso has an 1.97 GAA and .936 save percentage. None of that bodes well for the blueliner.
