This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are two games in the NHL on Monday. The Lightning and Blue Jackets are both small home-ice favorites over the Islanders and Red Wings, respectively. It can be more difficult to differentiate your lineups with a small player pool, so finding ways to be creative is encouraged. Here are recommendations and fades for each position.
All statistics from Natural Stat Trick and Hockey Reference.
GOALIE
Alex Nedeljkovic, DET at CLS ($27): The sophomore has rounded into top form of late with three wins, a .937 save percentage and 2.23 GAA through his past four starts. The Blue Jackets have been solid offensively with 3.08 goals per game this season, but Nedeljkovic's position-low salary is extra attractive considering you need to start two goalies and the lack of options.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Ilya Sorokin, NYI at TB ($39): Tampa Bay enters with an impressive 5-0-2 active record and 23 goals during the stretch, and Sorokin carries a contest-high salary. He also allowed four goals on just 34 shots last time out. His hefty cap hit could make him a potential contrarian, though.
CENTER
Brayden Point, TB vs. NYI ($25): The 25-year-old center is in the midst of a solid stretch with three tallies, four assists, 16 shots and a plus-10 rating through his past seven games. Interestingly, though, Point has just two power-play points. There could be positive regression ahead with the man advantage as a result.
CENTER TO AVOID
Brock Nelson, NYI at TB ($18): Since scoring five goals during a two-game stretch, Nelson has registered just a single shot and a minus-4 rating through the past two games. Tampa Bay has also allowed just 11 regulation goals during its noted 5-0-2 active stretch, so this could prove to be a tough matchup for Nelson, especially considering his 23.3 shooting percentage is still eye negative regression.
WING
Oliver Bjorkstrand, CLS vs. DET ($18): Sporting a five-game point streak consisting of two tallies, four helpers and 17 shots, Bjorkstrand's salary is probably a little short. He paces Columbus forwards in shot attempts and is also logging a career-high 19:13 of ice time per game (3:04 with the man advantage).
Zach Parise, NYI at TB ($12): Projected to skate on an intriguing line with Mathew Barzal ($17) a nd Anders Lee ($17), Parise offers upside and cap relief. The veteran registered five shots, seven attempts and three individual high-danger scoring chances last time out, too. As noted, it's not a dream matchup, though.
WINGS TO AVOID
Tyler Bertuzzi, DET at CLS ($21): There's been a lot of hit-and-miss in Bertuzzi's game this season. He's racked up 13 of his 16 points through just four games and missed the scoresheet entirely in six contests. The 26-year-old winger checks out as a high-risk, high-reward option with a position-high salary Monday.
DEFENSE
Victor Hedman, TB vs. NYI ($24): This salary isn't prohibitive enough to look past Hedman. He's a cross-category contributor and also paces the Lightning in shot attempts for the season. The Islanders are a sound defensive club, but their 82.1 penalty-kill percentage ranks 15th in the league, so there could be opportunities with the man advantage.
Moritz Seider, DET at CLS ($17): The rookie has been impressive this season, and his 2.01 points per 60 minutes rank 18th among all blueliners. Seider is quarterbacking the No. 1 power-play unit and averaging 22:21 of ice time per game. This could also prove to be a soft matchup with Columbus allowing a healthy 3.08 goals per game.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
The defense pool doesn't have any glaring fades. Zach Werenski ($17) and Mikhail Sergachev ($17) are tied with Moritz Seider ($17) for second highest salary at the position, so there aren't any crippling cap hits. Noah Dobson ($14) hasn't offered a lot of offense this season with just three assists through 11 games, but it's reflected in his salary, and he's still quarterbacking the No. 1 power-play unit.
