This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There's no time to rest in the NHL on Sunday. Of the six teams in action, five of them played Saturday night. Only the Sharks have gotten some proper rest. I am still looking at stats from last year a bit. This year's stats are still a little murky. For example, Sharks' defenseman Trevor Carrick has started 85.7 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. That's interesting, but probably not indicative of anything substantive. So it's a mix of a dash of this year and a heaping helping of last year. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK at LOS ($38): I am going to go out on a limb and say that Fleury is going to start both games this weekend. His backup, Malcolm Subban, is dealing with an injury. Are the Knights going to start a third-string goalie? Or will they let Fleury, who started 61 games last year, pull off a back-to-back? The Kings ranked 30th in goals scored last season, so the veteran netminder should be able to handle it if called upon.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Martin Jones, SAN vs. CGY ($28): You may be thinking: "Hey, the Sharks are home against a Flames team on the second night of a back-to-back. They are the only team that will be able to start their number-one goalie on full rest." But Jones has allowed four goals in all three of his starts. The Flames ranked second in goals scored last season. I still don't trust Jones.
CENTER
Logan Couture, SAN vs. CGY ($25): That being said on Jones, I am all about the Sharks' offense facing a Flames team on the road for the second game of a back-to-back. Cam Talbot, who posted a 3.50 GAA and .892 save percentage last year, may be in net for Calgary. Couture has notched a point in four of his five games, and he's centering San Jose's top line.
CENTER TO AVOID
Paul Stastny, VGK at LOS ($18): With five teams playing the second leg of a back-to-back, and with the Sharks' issues in net, it's hard to find players to pick for avoiding Sunday. Stastny is off to a slow start to the season, with only one point and seven shots on goal through five games. Also, the Kings own one of the better backup goalies in Jack Campbell and his 2.30 GAA and .928 save percentage last year. He did start last night, so Jonathan Quick could be in goal Sunday.
WING
Kyle Connor, WPG at PIT ($19): Connor has tallied two goals so far after notching over 30 in both of his NHL campaigns. He's also been quite active offensively, with 28 shots on net through six contests. The Penguins allowed 33.3 shots on net per contest last year, and they are also on the road for the second game of a back-to-back.
Patric Hornqvist, PIT at WPG ($18): Hornqvist has racked up three goals and an assist skating on Pittsburgh's second line, but that's not as prime as a role as it has been in the past with Evgeni Malkin hurt. However, he's still on the top power-play unit, which means he gets to skate with Sidney Crosby. The Jets have lost a ton of talent from their defense, which hurts their goal prevention skills. The Penguins might also catch Laurent Brossoit, who has allowed four goals in both of his starts.
WINGS TO AVOID
Timo Meier, SAN vs. CGY ($20): Meier is off to a slow start, with only one point - an assist - through his first five contests. He's also on San Jose's second power-play unit, which will give him less of a chance to see the ice against Calgary's penalty kill that ranked 21st last year. The Flames also allowed only 28.1 shots on net per contest last season, fewest in the NHL. Even on the second night of a back-to-back, they may be able to tamp down on the cold Meier.
Ilya Kovalchuk, LOS vs. VGK ($15): Kovalchuk has gotten off to a solid start to the season, with six points in four games. However, he only had 34 points in 64 games in his return to the NHL, with only nine points coming on the power play. Marc-Andre Fleury recorded a 2.51 GAA last year, and a 2.24 GAA during his first season in Vegas. So if he's in net for this one, he could provide tough competition.
DEFENSE
Shea Theodore, VGK at LOS ($19): Theodore has a point in three of his last four games. More importantly, he's manning the point on Vegas' top power-play unit, which means he's averaged over three minutes per game with the extra man. That bodes well here, as the Kings own the 29th-ranked penalty kill last season.
Josh Morrissey, WPG vs. PIT ($18): The Jets have no choice but to rely on Morrissey, their best defenseman. He's seeing a ton of ice time - especially on the power play - and has registered three assists in his four games. Morrissey may be facing Tristan Jarry in net for the Penguins, and he struggled with a .908 save percentage the last time he saw any real NHL action.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Mark Giordano, CGY at SAN ($27): This is the one place where I am yielding to the fact the Sharks will be at home while the Flames are on the second night of a back-to-back. Giordano comes in as a pricey player. And while he can clearly log a ton of minutes, he's still 36. Plus, the Sharks only allowed 28.3 shots on net per game last year. The issue for them is their goaltending. So if the goaltending is any good at all, it could be a tough night for Giordano.
Drew Doughty, LOS vs. VGK ($19): Doughty has started the year well, despite the relative dearth of talent around him. He's racked up five points through four games, including two with the extra man. But the Golden Knights did have the 14th-ranked penalty kill last season. I'm also betting a bit on Marc-Andre Fleury getting consecutive starts since the season only just begun and he's probably not worn down yet.
