This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Sunday was a light day for the NHL, but so is Monday. Once again, there are only three games on the slate. Hey, every day can't be brimming with hockey, even if that is what we'd like. This isn't baseball, after all. Here are the players I'd target, and avoid, for DFS lineups Monday.
GOALIE
Linus Ullmark, BOS vs. STL ($40): Jeremy Swayman's injury is unfortunate, but Ullmark had already grabbed the lead role for the Bruins. He has a 2.16 GAA and .929 save percentage. It likely won't continue, but to start this season the Blues rank last in goals per game.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Darcy Kuemper, WAS vs. EDM ($30): Kuemper has a .919 save percentage with his new team in Washington, but this is not a matchup I want to mess with. The Oilers have averaged 3.83 goals per game, and right now Connor McDavid is playing at his peak, which is really saying something.
CENTER
Mathew Barzal, NYI vs. CGY ($17): Barzal has tallied 11 assists in 12 games, which is good. He has no goals, which is a surprise, but he's put 32 shots in net. Obviously, he's not going to fair on every single shot the rest of the season. Jacob Markstrom has started slowly, posting a 2.84 GAA and .900 save percentage, calling to mind the fact he had a .904 save percentage two seasons ago.
CENTER TO AVOID
Nazem Kadri, CGY at NYI ($30): Kadri has looked good with his new team, though he has only two points over his last four games. That's totally fine, but it has taken him from "scorching hot" to "a normal level of good play." However, the Islanders have home-ice advantage and Ilya Sorokin, who has a 2.12 GAA and .933 save percentage.
WING
Taylor Hall, BOS vs. STL ($17): Hall is not normally a goal scorer, but he has five through 12 games to go with his four assists. That's with him only having one point on the power play in spite of the fact he's averaged 3:00 per game with the extra man. Jordan Binnington was playing encouragingly to start the season, but now he has a 3.40 GAA and .879 save percentage.
Anthony Mantha, WAS vs. EDM ($15): Mantha had been cold, but he had a goal and an assist in his last game. Sure, it was against the Coyotes, but the Oilers have only been slightly better defensively. Edmonton has a 3.50 GAA and has allowed 34.8 shots on net per contest.
WINGS TO AVOID
Jonathan Huberdeau, CGY at NYI ($25): Kadri has gotten off to a good start with the Flames, but his teammate Huberdeau has not. The former Panther has five points in 10 games, including only one goal. Four of those points have come with the extra man, but the Islanders have the third-ranked penalty kill.
Pavel Buchnevich, STL at BOS ($20): Buchnevich has two points in St. Louis' season opener, but then he got hurt, and since returning he has zero points in three games. This is not the game to get on track in. Ullmark has a .929 save percentage, as I noted, but the Bruins also have the first-ranked penalty kill.
DEFENSE
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. CGY ($17): Dobson broke through with 51 points last year, including 13 goals. This season his power-play time has picked up, as he's averaged 3:32 with the extra man. Three of his eight points have come on the power play. As I mentioned earlier, Markstrom has a 2.84 GAA and .900 save percentage to start this campaign.
Erik Gustafsson, WAS vs. EDM ($10): Both John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov are banged up. What if they both can't go? Well, over Washington's last five games, Gustafsson has averaged 3:39 a night on the power play. The Oilers have the 27th-ranked penalty kill, so power-play time could pay off for Gustafsson.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Darnell Nurse, EDM at WAS ($19): I am worried about Kuemper against the Oilers as a whole, but he does have a .919 save percentage. Nurse has a three-game point streak, but he also has a 13.0 shooting percentage that will surely regress. Also, while the Capitals' penalty kill is ranked in the middle, Nurse has averaged only 0:59 per game with the extra man.
MacKenzie Weegar, CGY at NYI ($16): Weegar joined the Flames alongside Huberdeau, and the defenseman began the season with three points in three games. Since then, he has one point total. Now he faces Sorokin with his 2.12 GAA and .933 save percentage.
