This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Monday is Martin Luther King Day, but the NHL isn't really celebrating. There's only two games on the slate. However, because it's a holiday one of those games is starting at 3:00 PM ET. That means you have to get your lineup in early! Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Philipp Grubauer, COL vs. DET ($30): Don't overthink it, as this is a no-brainer. The Red Wings have somehow only managed 2.10 goals per game. They are by far the worst offense in the NHL, while also having the league's highest GAA. That should all but guarantee Grubauer a win at home.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Devan Dubnyk ($27): Dubnyk may be one dollar cheaper than Sergei Bobrovsky, and also at home, but he still has a 3.35 GAA and .892 save percentage. Plus, if you were unaware, the Panthers have scored 3.36 goals per contest, which is tops in the league.
CENTER
Eric Staal, MIN vs. FLA ($17): On the other hand, I like Minnesota's offensive potential in this game as well. The Panthers have a 3.30 GAA on the road, and Sergei Bobrovsky has an .898 save percentage. Staal has a point in each of his last two games, giving him 35 points on the season.
CENTER TO AVOID
Dylan Larkin, DET at COL ($20): One team has a bad matchup Monday, and it's the Red Wings. Philipp Grubauer has a 2.82 GAA and .910 save percentage, which aren't great, but are the best numbers of any goalie expected in action Monday. Larkin is the third-most-expensive center, and I don't think he's worth it given everything going on with Monday's slate.
WING
Mike Hoffman, FLA at MIN ($20): Hoffman has an eight-game point streak, giving him 37 points in 47 games. He's also been a real power-play weapon this year, as he's tallied 15 points with the extra man. The Wild's penalty kill is just on the outskirts of the bottom five, so they shouldn't put the squeeze on Hoffman too much.
Andre Burakovsky, COL vs. DET ($17): Burakovsky has notched six points in his last five contest, giving the Russian 31 points through 45 games. This is also as good of a matchup as you can find in the NHL right now. The Red Wings have a 4.17 GAA on the road. That's staggeringly bad, and they have the league's worst penalty kill to boot.
WINGS TO AVOID
Frank Vatrano, FLA at MIN ($18): There's only one healthy Detroit wing you would consider, and I'll be getting to him in a second, so I had to find somebody else to recommend avoiding. Vatrano is the guy whose price seems the most puzzling to me. He only has 11 goals and 12 assists through 47 games, and he doesn't really play on the power play. Vatrano only has one point with the extra man.
Tyler Bertuzzi, DET at COL ($15): This doesn't take too much explanation. Bertuzzi was on a hot streak for a bit, but he doesn't have a point in his last four games. The Avalanche have a 2.90 GAA, but this year that's good enough to be in the top 10 in the NHL.
DEFENSE
Samuel Girard, COL vs. DET ($17): On the one hand, Girard has only one goal, but his 1.5 shooting percentage is likely to improve. On the other hand, though, he has 25 assists, which is what happens when your team is loaded with talented offensive players. Speaking of talent, the Red Wings basically have none, which is why they have a 4.17 GAA in away games.
Jonas Brodin, MIN vs. FLA ($13): Like Samuel Girard, Brodin has had some bad puck luck, as he has an 1.6 shooting percentage. Also like Girard, though, he has been helping out his teammates, as he has 18 assists. The Swede's lack of luck is part of what makes me feel like he's a good value, because regression is always possible. That's especially true given that the Panthers have a 3.26 GAA.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Aaron Ekblad, FLA at MIN ($17): While the Wild have been poor defensively, at home they have a 2.73 GAA. That's decidedly better than their road numbers. Ekblad also is not in line to take advantage of Minnesota's iffy penalty kill. He's only averaged 1:28 per game with the extra man, and he has a mere four power-play points.
Mike Matheson, FLA at MIN ($16): The story for Matheson is the same at Ekblad's, but his case is even iffier. Minnesota still has a 2.73 home GAA. While Matheson has six goals in 41 games, he also only has six assists. Plus, he doesn't play on the power play at all.
