This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Game 1 of the World Series is on Tuesday. Cool, but I'm focused on the seven NHL games taking place, as well. You can watch baseball if you want, but you can still play DFS hockey at the same time. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Juuse Saros, NAS vs. SAN ($34): Saros' last start went poorly on the road against Winnipeg, but before that he had a 2.05 GAA and .928 save percentage. That's small sample sizes for you. Last season he had a 2.27 GAA and .927 save percentage. Conversely, the Sharks may have scored 3.80 goals per game to start this season, but that's on only 27.4 shots on net per contest. That kind of goal conversion won't continue.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Robin Lehner, VGK at COL ($36): Lehner has a 9.04 save percentage to start the season, and he's also lost four games in a row. The Golden Knights will be turning things around eventually I imagine, but it likely won't be on the road against the Avalanche. Colorado led the NHL with 3.52 goals per game last season.
CENTER
Nico Hischier, NJD vs. CGY ($18): Hischier is coming off his best game of the season, picking up his first goal of the year on five shots on net. He lost last year to injury, but he's still the guy who was talented enough to be a first-overall pick, and he's risen up the ranks to be New Jersey's first-line center. The Flames are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. Jacob Markstrom is playing well this year, but backup Daniel Vladar is inexperienced and has a career .885 save percentage.
CENTER TO AVOID
Brayden Point, TAM at PIT ($26): Point is obviously a big name and a reliable player. However, that's also why his salary is so high. The Lightning are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back much like the Flames. That's tricky as is, but Tristan Jarry also is off to a hot start for the Penguins with a 1.47 GAA and .943 save percentage.
WING
Kyle Connor, WPG at ANA ($26): Sure, Connor's 27.3 shooting percentage will regress, but he still has six goals in five games. Plus, he's proven to be one of the best goal scorers in the NHL. He notched over 30 goals in each of his first three seasons, and last year he had 26 in 56 games. John Gibson had a .904 save percentage over the previous two campaigns, and this year the Ducks have allowed 36.7 shots on net per game.
Tanner Jeannot, NAS vs. SAN ($14): There are some new faces in the Predators' lineup, including Jeannot. He scored five goals in 15 games last year, and the 24-year-old has three points in his last four games. The Sharks' new top netminder is Adin Hill, and he has a 2.91 GAA and .890 save percentage through four starts.
WINGS TO AVOID
Matthew Tkachuk, CGY at NJD ($21): Tkachuk's shooting percentage will likely improve, although he did have a 10.6 shooting percentage last year. The Devils have only allowed 27.0 shots on net per contest this year, and since they've revamped their defense that could mean something. Also, rookie Nico Daws might be in net again after the 20-year-old made 24 saves on 25 shots in his NHL debut. In truth, this is more about the Flames being on the second night of a back-to-back than anything specific about the Devils.
Jonathan Marchessault, VGK at COL ($19): Marchessault is off to a slow start, as he scored a goal in the season opener and hasn't gotten on the score sheet since. Darcy Kuemper is off to a slow start, but he had a .922 save percentage over the previous four seasons. Plus, I expect the Avalanche to clamp down defensively soon. They only allowed 25.4 shots on net per contest last year, fewest in the NHL.
DEFENSE
Roman Josi, NAS vs. SAN ($24): Josi was doing his best to carry the Predators offense last season, and he's doing it again this year. The Finn already has seven points and notably 22 shots on goal in six games. Also, he's started 62.9 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone thus far, which is quite high for a defenseman. The Sharks have a 3.50 GAA last season, and the duo of Adin Hill and James Reimer likely won't change that much.
Mark Giordano, SEA vs. MON ($18): Giordano is playing 21:49 per game, which is his lowest ice time in a decade. However, he's averaged 3:20 a night with the extra man, which is conducive to offensive production. Indeed, two of his three points have come on the power play. Meanwhile, Montreal has a bottom-five penalty kill to start the campaign.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Victor Hedman, TAM at PIT ($24): At this salary, with seven games on the docket, I think you can use your salary space better in DFS on Tuesday. Again, the Lightning are on the second leg of a back-to-back. Also, to repeat myself once more, Jarry has a 1.47 GAA and .943 save percentage. On top of that, the Penguins have the top penalty kill to start the season.
Alex Pietrangelo, VGK at COL ($22): This is not the performance the Golden Knights were expecting when they signed Pietrangelo to his big contract. He has zero points through five games and is a minus-7. While eventually that will improve, I don't expect it to be on the road against the Avalanche, a team I expect to improve defensively as well.
