This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Tuesday is packed to the gills with hockey action. There are a whopping 14 games on the slate. That's 28 teams in action, and none of them on a back-to-back, either. To try and help you navigate this busy day of NHL hockey, here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Vitek Vanecek, WAS vs. PHI ($31): Vanecek only has a .912 save percentage, but he has a 2.58 GAA because the Capitals have suppressed shots. The Flyers have only scored 2.60 goals per game, bottom five in the NHL, and they have nothing to play for while the Capitals are vying for playoff positioning.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Linus Ullmark, BOS vs. STL ($28): The Bruins have recently been turning to Ullmark more than Jeremy Swayman, so I am predicting that the Swede will be in net Tuesday. It's going to be a real test for Ullmark, who has played well recently but has a .912 save percentage on the season. St. Louis ranks fourth in goals per contest.
CENTER
Nico Hischier, NJD at ARI ($18): Jack Hughes is unfortunately done for the season, but Hischier has stepped up the plate in a big way. Over his last 12 games he has 16 points, with six multi-point efforts in that span. The Coyotes, for their part, have a 3.63 GAA and have given up 35.4 shots on net per contest.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. CAR ($27): Having Chris Kreider on his wing has been nice for Zibanejad, though he also has 27 goals of his own. This is as tricky a matchup as you will find, though. The Hurricanes are tops in the league in GAA, shots on net allowed per game, and penalty-kill percentage. That penalty kill could be particularly tough for Zibanejad to manage, as 24 of his points have come with the extra man.
WING
Jonathan Marchessault, VGK at VAN ($23): The Canucks have struggled on the penalty kill all season, and rank 30th on that front. In total though, they are in the top 10 in GAA, which speaks to just how much of their trouble has come when down a man. Marchessault is the kind of player who can take advantage of that, as he has 19 power-play points this season. He also has 11 points over his last seven games.
Mathieu Joseph, OTT at DET ($17): After being dealt from the Lightning to the Senators, Joseph has gone from averaging 13:42 in ice time to 17:09. He's playing on the top line, and he's tallied 11 points in 10 games with Ottawa. As for the Red Wings, they have a 3.82 GAA, highest in the NHL.
WINGS TO AVOID
Teuvo Teravainen, CAR at NYR ($22): This could be a low-scoring game, as two likely Vezina finalists should be in action. Carolina has Frederik Andersen, but New York has Igor Shesterkin, who has a 2.07 GAA and .935 save percentage. Teravainen has also moved down to the second line to open up some space for rookie Seth Jarvis on the top line, which is a bit of a step down for the Finnish winger.
Bryan Rust, PIT at NYI ($24): Rust, like Teravainen, has dropped for the first line for his team, being replaced by Rickard Rakell. His center Evgeni Malkin has been suspended, which hurts, but this is more about the fact the Penguins are on the road against the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin looked good in his return to action, and he has a 2.27 GAA and .927 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. SEA ($19): With an assist in each of his last two games, Andersson now has 40 helpers on the season. He also has 16 power-play points this year. The Kraken have a 3.46 GAA, and they also have the 26th-ranked penalty kill.
Shayne Gostisbehere, ARI vs. NJD ($15): This game should be the opposite of the Rangers-Hurricanes matchup, as it involves two teams in the bottom five in GAA. Gostisbehere has been revitalized in the desert, as his 11 goals and 43 points are his most since the 2017-18 season. He's also been a power-play staple as per usual, having averaged 2:53 per game with the extra man.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Adam Fox, NYR vs. CAR ($24): Fox has arguably been even better this year than when he won the Norris last season. However, this salary is pretty hefty in such a tough matchup. Additionally, nearly half of Fox's points have come on the power play (32 out of 67). The Hurricanes have the league's best penalty kill, and Andersen has a 2.07 GAA and .925 save percentage.
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. PIT ($18): Tristan Jarry has had a couple rough games recently, but all in all over his last 15 games he has a 2.50 GAA and .920 save percentage. Besides, anybody can get shelled by the Avalanche. The Penguins also have the second-ranked penalty kill, and 16 of Dobson's 40 points have come on the power play.
