This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
You may be resting Sunday and so is a lot of the NHL, but some teams are going to feel like they could use a day off. Of the eight teams playing Sunday, six of them played on Saturday. That's a lot of back-to-backs. With that in mind, here are players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy hockey lineup.
GOALIE
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG vs. PHI ($38): Hellebuyck is making a run at a Vezina with his play so far, as he's posted a 2.31 GAA and .931 save percentage. At home, those numbers improve to a 1.95 GAA and .938 save percentage. The Flyers are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, and their offense is decidedly worse on the road than at home - which is the case for almost every team.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Robin Lehner, CHI vs. MIN ($28): Lehner comes in with a .926 save percentage, but he still hasn't impressed with a 2.86 GAA because he's playing behind a defense best compared to a sieve. The Blackhawks have given up 36.2 shots on net per game, highest in the NHL. While they are at home against the Wild, the fact the Blackhawks are playing the second leg of a back-to-back could make the defense even more porous.
CENTER
Anze Kopitar, LOS at DET ($20): Kopitar's scoring has cooled down, but he still has racked up 29 points in 34 games - including 10 on the power play. Plus, this is the exact kind of matchup that can help a player snap a cold streak. The Red Wings rank last in both GAA and penalty-kill percentage, so the Slovenian center could easily show that old form again in this one.
CENTER TO AVOID
Elias Pettersson, VAN at VGK ($28): There's no arguing with Pettersson's numbers this year. However, you can argue about whether or not you want to use him on the road for the second game of a back-to-back against a team that didn't play Saturday. He's a pricey player and Marc-Andre Fleury enters with a 2.54 GAA, so it won't be easy for Pettersson.
WING
Alex DeBrincat, CHI vs. MIN ($21): DeBrincat has been snakebit for almost half a season now, but his 8.7 shooting percentage is bound to improve. He's also picked up his play recently, with three goals and two assists over his last six games. On top of that, he's started 61.6 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Blackhawks. Now he'll be facing a Wild team in the bottom five in GAA.
Reilly Smith, VGK vs. VAN ($17): Smith has tallied eight points in his last nine games, including two on the power play. He's only got four points with the extra man, but he's had at least 14 power-play points in each of his last two campaigns. The Canucks are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, and Thatcher Demko is injured. That means Jacob Markstrom will have to either take the ice twice, or Michael DiPietro will be making his second NHL appearance.
WINGS TO AVOID
Brock Boeser, VAN at VGK ($24): Boeser has done most of his damage on the power play this year, as 13 of his 30 points have come with the extra man. The Golden Knights own a top-10 penalty kill, and that includes several games featuring Malcolm Subban while Marc-Andre Fleury was out. Fleury is healthy again, which should make the Vegas penalty kill even better.
Jakub Voracek, PHI at WPG ($17): Voracek hasn't had a terrible season, but it has been a down year by his standards. What particularly strikes me is that he's only recorded six goals on 56 shots through 32 games. As previously noted, Connor Hellebuyck boasts a 2.31 GAA and .931 save percentage and the Flyers are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back.
DEFENSE
Drew Doughty, LOS at DET ($17): Doughty is the last man standing for the Kings on defense, and he's doing his best to shoulder the load. He's been particularly impressive on the power play, where he is playing more than 3:30 per contest and notched nine points across 34 games. As I mentioned earlier, the Red Wings possess the worst penalty kill in the NHL, which bodes well for Doughty.
Shea Theodore, VGK vs. VAN ($17): Theodore has started 58.0 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, third most on the Golden Knights. He also recently snapped a pointless streak with two assists in his last outing. There's a decent chance he can put that poor run further behind him against a Canucks' team playing away from home for the second time in as many nights.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Quinn Hughes, VAN at VGK ($19): Hughes is impressive as a rookie, but he's basically just a power-play weapon at this point. Fourteen of his 25 points have come with the extra man. And he's only managed two goals on 55 shots through 32 games, so clearly he's more playmaker than goal scorer. Either way, Marc-Andre Fleury enters with a 2.54 GAA and .919 save percentage, and Vegas is at home and well-rested.
Josh Morrissey, WPG vs. PHI ($17): The Jets are one of only two teams playing Sunday that didn't play Saturday, but I also don't consider this necessarily great matchup. The Flyers rank in the top-10 in GAA, shots allowed per game, and penalty-kill percentage. Both Carter Hart and Brian Elliott have played well, so there is no clear favorable goalie to face. Morrissey has also slowed down considerably on the power play, as he only has one point with the extra man over his last 17 games.
