This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are only two NHL games Sunday, and all four teams will be on the second leg of a back-to-back. The first matchup starts at 6 p.m. EST. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your DFS lineups.
GOALIE
Casey DeSmith, PIT at CHI ($27): The Blackhawks are clearly the worst offense in action on Sunday. And DeSmith is probably the best goalie on the slate with a .910 save percentage.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA at CLM ($27): On name recognition, you might want to go with Bobrovsky. I'd advise against it. He's posted an .895 save percentage this season, and the Blue Jackets have a middling - but not terrible - offense. While there's a good chance "Bob" gets the win, he likely won't look good doing it.
CENTER
Sam Bennett, FLA at CLM ($20): I may not want Bobrovsky in net, but I'd love to have a few Panthers in my lineup. The Blue Jackets rank bottom-two in GAA and shots allowed per game. Daniil Tarasov has been recalled from the AHL, and has struggled to a 3.57 GAA and .893 save percentage in five NHL appearances this year. Bennett, by the way, has registered multiple points in four of five outings.
CENTER TO AVOID
Jonathan Toews, CHI vs. PIT ($14): The Penguins have had issues allowing shots this season, but Toews isn't built to take advantage with only 36 shots and 125 last year. That makes it less likely he'll threaten DeSmith and his .910 save percentage that I trust the most on Sunday.
WING
Rickard Rakell, PIT at CHI ($18): Playing on Sidney Crosby's wing was bound to pay off eventually, and Rakell has responded with five points in his last six matchups. Arvid Soderblom comes in with a .918 save percentage, but also a 3.03 GAA as the Blackhawks allow a lot of shots on net and are still without Seth Jones. Soderblom has also appeared in all of nine NHL games in his career with an overall .901 save percentage.
Eetu Luostarinen, FLA at CLM ($14): Luostarinen has surprisingly picked up 10 points so far. It helps he's started 60.6 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone - third most on the Panthers - and has moved up to the second line. Luostarinen now faces the team at the bottom of the league in GAA starting a third-stringer with an .893 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Patrick Kane, CHI vs. PIT ($22): Kane is Chicago's only winger of note whose salary really makes a dent in your lineup. However, he's also experienced bad puck luck with just two goals this season. Given the circumstances, I might look elsewhere and try and allot funds in a different fashion.
Yegor Chinakhov, CLM vs. FLA ($12): Chinakhov has accumulated nine points to go with 22 shots and currently lines up on Columbus's second unit. The Panthers are the only team even approaching being average in terms of shots on goal allowed per game, so I'm less enthused about the Blue Jackets who aren't active on that front.
DEFENSE
Brandon Montour, FLA at CLM ($22): Aaron Ekblad is back, but it hasn't made a dent in Montour's production or power-play time. He's also started 57.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, most among Florida defensemen. Montour has been used in ways conducive to offensive success, and it's also quite helpful to face a team struggling in both GAA and shots allowed.
Marcus Pettersson, PIT at CHI ($16): Pettersson doesn't receive power-play time, but he does skate on Pittsburgh's top duo alongside Kris Letang. He's also produced eight assists this season, with four in his last six games. Soderblom has had to play above average just to maintain a 3.03 GAA, and it's unlikely he can sustain his .918 save percentage over a larger sample size.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Vladislav Gavrikov, CLM vs. FLA ($15): With Zach Werenski out, Gavrikov is now logging top-pair minutes. He did post 33 points last season, but only has four this year and that's from two multi-point efforts. Gavrikov is also not as active in terms of shooting as Werenski with only has 20 shots on net from 17 outings.
Caleb Jones, CHI vs. PIT ($10): Caleb's brother got hurt, and he responded with six points in six games. Unfortunately, he hasn't found the scoresheet since. Caleb has never really solidified himself in the NHL, and that earlier run could've been a fluke with regression now kicking in.
