This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Football and playoff baseball are all well and good, but don't miss a chance to play DFS hockey even when there are only two NHL games on the docket. The first game starts at 5 p.m. EDT. Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your lineups.
GOALIE
Linus Ullmark, BOS at ANA ($37): The Flames are the only team not on the second leg of a back-to-back Sunday, but they are visiting a red-hot Red Wings team that has been frequently lighting the lamp. Anaheim's offense is…less remarkable. Since the start of last season, the Ducks have scored a mere 2.53 goals per game and only put an average of 28.3 shots on net during that time. Ullmark has followed up winning the Vezina by allowing a single goal in both of his starts.
GOALIE TO AVOID
James Reimer, DET vs. CGY ($24): Reimer produced a shutout in his first start with the Red Wings, a nice way to make good with the fans in the Motor City. The 35-year-old isn't likely to replicate that based on not having a save percentage better than .914 since 2016-17. While Calgary is middling in goals per game since the start of last year and has begun this season slowly, catching Reimer behind a team on the second of consecutive days could kickstart this offense.
CENTER
Pavel Zacha, BOS at ANA ($17): Zacha has been given the chance to play on Boston's first power play and center David Pastrnak, though the returns have been OK. I expect that to change since Zacha managed 21 goals and 36 assists for the Bruins last year without such a favorable situation. It's certainly favorable to face the Ducks, the team that ranks last in GAA and shots allowed over the last year while retaining the same goalies who've struggled.
CENTER TO AVOID
Nazem Kadri, CGY at DET ($16): Two seasons ago, Kadri managed 87 points. Last year, he dipped to 56 as his shooting percentage dropped to 9.0 and his minutes were cut. With his ice time back up, surely there would be a rebound for Kadri. But he's only registered an assist through five games. And his linemates are Dillon Dube and Adam Ruzicka. Perhaps we've already seen the peak of Kadri's career.
WING
Jake DeBrusk, BOS at ANA ($23): There will be at least one rested Bruin in the lineup Sunday. DeBrusk was benched Saturday due to missing a team meeting. He'll look to redeem himself Sunday against John Gibson, a goalie with a .902 save percentage the last five seasons. DeBrusk has also tallied at least 25 goals three times during in his career.
Jonathan Huberdeau, CGY at DET ($17): Huberdeau, unlike Kadri, someone I see improvement after a listless first season with the Flames. Of course, it helps we've already witnessed proof as the former Panther has notched four points, even though he hasn't recorded one with the extra man despite averaging 4:18 there. James Reimer enters with a career .911 save percentage. Though I'm worried about Kadri, I have no such concerns about Huberdeau.
WINGS TO AVOID
Troy Terry, ANA vs. BOS ($19): Sometimes when you catch a team on the second leg of a back-to-back, you get to face a backup goalie who isn't the starter for a reason. Unfortunately for Terry, this is not one of those times. Of course he's getting Ullmark - the reigning Vezina winner - but the Bruins didn't have to sweat the first half of their doubleheader because Jeremy Swayman is just as solid.
David Perron, DET vs. CGY ($19): After a slow start to the campaign, Perron has three points in his last two games. The problem comes from the fact all three have come on the man-advantage. Since the start of last season, the Flames have carried the fourth-ranked penalty kill, so getting anything done against them on the PP isn't easy, especially when you just played Saturday.
DEFENSE
MacKenzie Weegar, CGY at DET ($17): Weegar is a player who provides DFS value by doing a bit on offense and quite a bit on defense having racked up 31 points, 160 shots on net, and 117 blocked shots last season. While he's only at one point so far, he's put 12 shots on target and blocked 14 shots. Weegar has been quite active, and he'll face a Red Wings team on the second leg of a back-to-back.
Hampus Lindholm, BOS at ANA ($15): Lindholm hasn't found the scoresheet yet, but he's produced seven shots. He's also coming off a season where he tallied a personal best of 53 points. I don't know if Lindholm will be extra charged up facing his old team, though it doesn't hurt. Over the last four seasons, Gibson didn't finish with a GAA under 2.98 with a 3.99 last year.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Shayne Gostisbehere, DET vs. CGY ($19): Gostisbehere has been more than a power-play specialist so far for the Wings, but that is still where his bread is buttered. He's posted at least one point in every game, but three of his seven have come while up a man. Again, the Flames have the fourth-ranked penalty kill since the start of 2022-23, and Detroit isn't using Gostisbehere as a 20-minutes-a-night defenseman.
Cam Fowler, ANA vs. BOS ($15): You know the drill. Since the start of last season, the Bruins are first in GAA, and also first in penalty-kill percentage. They have two goalies who would both start for 75 percent of the teams in the NHL. Fowler is a steady presence on a young squad, but he's not a miracle worker.
