This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
It's a quiet three-game slate in the NHL on Monday, but there's plenty of starpower with Edmonton, Tampa Bay and Washington all lacing up. The Oilers are huge favorites over Seattle, and the Blackhawks and Lightning are both receiving home chalk against the Senators and Capitals, respectively. Here's a peek at the daily-fantasy landscape ahead of the action.
All statistics from Natural Stat Trick and Hockey Reference.
GOALIE
Mikko Koskinen, EDM vs. SEA ($32): With Edmonton a huge favorite, and a lot of uncertainty in the goalie pool, turning to Koskinen as one of your options is a solid starting point. He's won four of five starts with a .934 save percentage and 2.26 GAA, and Seattle is also traveling to play its second game in consecutive nights.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Marc-Andre Fleury, CHI vs. OTT ($25): While the veteran is coming off his best start of the campaign with 36 saves on 37 shots, he's still sporting a discouraging .872 save percentage and 4.63 GAA for the campaign. With nine goals through its past two games, Ottawa isn't a doormat, either.
CENTER
Connor McDavid, EDM vs. SEA ($38): In a shallow player pool, McDavid's high-floor, high-ceiling profile is all the more attractive. He's found the scoresheet in every game this season and has also racked up an eye-popping 25 shots through his past three outings.
CENTER TO AVOID
Lars Eller, WAS at TB ($14): Finding values will be imperative Monday. Eller hasn't fit the bill to start the campaign, though. He's collected just three assists through eight games and is projected to continue skating down the lineup with underwhelming linemates Carl Hagelin ($10) and Garnet Hathaway ($10).
WING
Drake Batherson, OTT at CHI ($19): The 23-year-old winger appears set for a breakout campaign and has collected three tallies and three helpers over the past two games. With Chicago allowing the second most goals per game in the league so far, this is also a soft matchup for Batherson to continue his heater. His salary is manageable, too.
Alex Killorn, TB vs. WAS ($17): Currently clicking in a top-line role alongside Brayden Point ($25) and Steven Stamkos ($31), Killorn offers value at this cap hit. Killorn's 37.5 shooting percentage is unsustainable, but he's also skating on the No. 1 power-play unit and ranks second in individual high-danger scoring chances on the team. It's also worth noting that Killorn hasn't registered a power-play point despite averaging a career-high 3:10 of ice time per game with the man advantage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Alex Ovechkin, WAS at TB ($34): It's been a monster start for Ovechkin, and he's definitely in play for a myriad of reasons. One reason to cause pause is the potentially tough matchup against Tampa Bay, though. The Lightning are off to an inconsistent start, but there are also players in Ovechkin's salary range with cushier matchups.
Ondrej Palat, TB vs. WAS ($19): Often overlooked in the loaded Lightning lineup, Palat hasn't impressed to start the campaign. He's only found the scoresheet in three of of eight games thus far, and Palat is skating on the second line and No. 2 power-play unit -- a notable hit to his fantasy value.
DEFENSE
Tyson Barrie, EDM vs. SEA ($21): After finishing second in points per 60 minutes among all regular defensemen last season with 2.4 points per 60 minutes, there's positive regression ahead of Barrie's current 1.81 mark. With the likely favorable matchup against Seattle, and his role as the quarterback on the No. 1 power-play unit, look for Barrie to have a solid showing Monday.
Thomas Chabot, OTT at CHI ($19): With three assists through seven games to start the campaign, Chabot hasn't exploded out of the gates. However, he's sporting a plus-7 rating and logging a career-high 27:10 of ice time per game. Add his ability to move the needle across the peripheral categories to the potential soft matchup against Chicago, and Chabot's a cost-effective target.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
John Carlson, WAS at TB ($22): The veteran is coming off his first multi-point showing of the campaign Friday, so there's reason for optimism moving forward after Carlson's slow start. Still, the matchup could prove to be tough, and Carlson's only reached double-digit fantasy points twice this season.
Mark Giordano, SEA at EDM ($18): Expect Giordano to spend most of his night matched up against Connor McDavid ($38) and/or Leon Draisaitl ($34) Monday. Add that Seattle is playing for the second consecutive night, and it makes the plus-minus risk even greater for Giordano. For what it's worth, he's a minus-4 for the campaign and has only reached double-digit fantasy points once through nine games.
