This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Alright, the college football season is over. That's one less thing to distract you from the NHL. Fortunately, there's plenty to entice you Tuesday from the land of hockey. We've got 11 games on the slate. Here are my players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Thomas Greiss, NYI vs. DET ($27): The Islanders are on the second night of a back-to-back, and they just allowed six goals to the Rangers, so you might be a little hesitant here. Don't be. The Red Wings have only averaged 2.15 goals per game. That is worst in the NHL by a wide margin. You never want to bet against a goalie at home against the Wings, especially one who plays for a team coached by Barry Trotz.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Ben Bishop, DAL at COL ($34): Once again, Bishop has been standing on his head for the Stars. Some challenges are too daunting for even him, though. The Avalanche have averaged 3.60 goals per contest, even though they have been without some of their best offensive players for chunks of the season.
CENTER
Mathew Barzal, NYI vs. DET ($23): Speaking of not being worried about the Islanders at home against the Red Wings, that extends to the offense as well. In addition to scoring fewer goals per game than any team, Detroit also allows the most, as it has a 3.78 GAA. Also, if you are concerned about the fact Barzal has been struggling on the power play, the Wings also have the league's worst penalty kill.
CENTER TO AVOID
Anze Kopitar, LOS at TAM ($20): Like Barzal, Kopitar has had issues on the power play, as he has tallied only three points with the extra man in his last 16 games. Unlike the Red Wings, though, the Lightning have a top-five penalty kill. They also have Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has been looking like his Vezina-winning self recently (.933 save percentage over his last 14 games).
WING
Brady Tkachuk, OTT vs. CHI ($17): It feels like Tkachuk's performance has dropped off a bit in his sophomore season, but that hasn't been the case when it's come to shooting. He's put 161 shots on goal in 45 games. The Blackhawks have allowed a whopping 37.6 shots on net per contest on the road, so Tkachuk should have his opportunities Tuesday.
Dominik Kahun, PIT vs. MIN ($15): With Jake Guentzel out, Kahun has been moved up to Pittsburgh's top line. Whether he's alongside Evgeni Malkin, or the potentially returning Sidney Crosby, that's a good place to be. It's also good to be lining up against the Wild when they are on the road, as they have a 3.60 GAA in away games.
WINGS TO AVOID
Brad Marchand, BOS at CLM ($31): There's nothing wrong with Marchand's performance this year, embarrassing shootout gaffe Monday aside, but that's also why he's so pricey. However, he's on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. Also, you may not have noticed, but the Blue Jackets have a 2.65 GAA and have only allowed 29.9 shots on net per contest. On top of that, since Elvis Merzlikins has taken over for the injured Joonas Korpisalo he has a 1.88 GAA and .943 save percentage.
Timo Meier, SAN at ARI ($18): With Logan Couture out, the centers for the Sharks have been shifted, which has left Meier playing alongside Antti Suomela instead of Tomas Hertl. That doesn't help. It's also not helpful for the Swiss forward to be facing a Coyotes team with a 2.54 GAA.
DEFENSE
Tyson Barrie, TOR vs. NJD ($19): It took Barrie a little time to get going with his new team, but over his last nine games he has nine points. Meanwhile, the Devils have a 3.38 GAA, second highest in the NHL. They've also already fired their head coach and GM this year, which is not typically a good sign for a franchise.
Quinn Hughes, VAN at WPG ($16): The math is pretty simple here. Hughes has averaged 3:59 per game with the extra man and tallied 17 power-play points in 45 games. Now he's facing a Jets team with the 30th-ranked penalty kill. Like I said, simple math on this one.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Ryan Suter, MIN at PIT ($23): Suter has 30 points in 45 games, but he's also shooting at an 8.1 percent clip that is well above his career number. That shooting percentage could take a dip in this matchup. Pittsburgh's Tristan Jarry has a 2.08 GAA and .932 save percentage. Both are tops in the NHL.
Cale Makar, COL vs. DAL ($22): I recommended avoiding Ben Bishop because of the overall talent of the Avalanche, but this is still a tough matchup for Makar and company as well. After all, the Stars have the league's lowest GAA as a team, and also a top-five penalty kill. Makar is perhaps a little more prone to be hurt by that, as 14 of his 33 points have come with the extra man.
