This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Tuesday brings us eight NHL games. A few teams are on back-to-backs, but because of the holiday a lot of those contests yesterday were matinee affairs. That gives those teams a few extra hours to rest, at least. I doubt that makes a ton of difference, but everything goes into consideration when I am recommending who to target, and to who avoid, for your daily fantasy lineups.
GOALIE
Jake Oettinger, DAL vs. MON ($32): Oettinger's last start didn't go so great, but he still has a 2.47 GAA and .915 save percentage. I expect this start to be a nice return to form for him, as the Canadiens are last in goals per game and also on the second leg of a back-to-back. That being said, Braden Holtby ($31) is out of the COVID-19 protocols and could start this game. If he does, I'd love him in this matchup as well.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. FLA ($27): Markstrom still has a 2.23 GAA and .924 save percentage, but his play has slipped recently. Over his last five starts he has a 3.82 GAA and .881 save percentage. It'll be hard for him to find his footing in this matchup. The Panthers have averaged a robust 4.13 goals and 37.1 shots on net per contest.
CENTER
Bo Horvat, VAN at NAS ($18): Horvat has a point in each of his last two games. Plus, over his last 10 contests he has six goals and 37 shots on net. The Predators are on the second leg of a back-to-back. That likely means David Rittich in net, and he has a 3.04 GAA and .884 save percentage.
CENTER TO AVOID
Anze Kopitar, LOS vs. TAM ($21): Kopitar is having another fine season, but after playing in San Jose on Monday the Slovenian is playing his second game in as many days. On top of that, he'll be facing Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has a 2.14 GAA and .924 save percentage.
WING
Brady Tkachuk, OTT vs. BUF ($20): Tkachuk has been a prolific shooter ever since he first set foot on NHL ice. He's notched over 200 shots on goal in each of his first three seasons, and has 87 shots on net in 28 games this year. Matthew's brother also has 12 goals this season off all those shots. The Sabres are in the bottom five in shots on net allowed per game, and they also just played Monday afternoon.
Tom Wilson, WAS vs. WPG ($15): Wilson has a goal in back-to-back games, including a power-play goal in his last outing. If T.J. Oshie remains out, Wilson will likely see more power-play time, and he's already averaged 2:32 with the extra man. That would be good in this matchup, because in addition to allowing 32.2 shots on net per game, the Jets have a bottom-three penalty kill.
WINGS TO AVOID
David Pastrnak, BOS vs. CAR ($31): Pastrnak has been a little less prolific than usual, shooting at a 10.4 percent clip. However, he still has 31 points in 35 games, including 10 on the power play. This matchup is tough for everybody, though. The Hurricanes rank first in GAA, shots on net allowed per game, and penalty-kill percentage.
Andrei Svechnikov, CAR at BOS ($24): It makes sense to fade both sides of this matchup, especially since the Hurricanes are on the road. Boston has a 2.54 GAA, and it also has a top-10 penalty kill. Svechnikov has nine power-play points, but he's slowed down on that front. Over his last 18 games he has only two points with the extra man.
DEFENSE
Miro Heiskanen, DAL vs. MON ($17): Heiskanen recently had a five-game point streak, giving him 22 points in 34 games. Meanwhile, the Canadiens rank in the bottom five in GAA, shots on net allowed per contest, and penalty-kill percentage. Oh, and they are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back as well.
Thomas Chabot, OTT vs. BUF ($17): Chabot has been unlucky on the goal front, as he's only lit the lamp once. However, he's tallied 82 shots on goal in 31 games, and his 1.2 percent shooting is bound to improve. Plus, he has 17 assists. Due to absences among goalies, it's possible Michael Houser will be starting this game. He is, ostensibly, the sixth-string goalie for the Sabres.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Drew Doughty, LOS vs. TAM ($21): Doughty is in the same situation as Kopitar. He's a quality player playing his second game in as many nights against a team that is rested. That team, the Lightning, also has Vasilevskiy, who has a 2.14 GAA and .924 save percentage. None of these is a point in Doughty's favor.
Ivan Provorov, PHI vs. NYI ($17): The Islanders and Flyers are playing the second game of a home-and-home, so both teams are in a similar situation. A key difference, though, is that the Islanders have two quality goalies. Semyon Varlamov will presumably be in net for New York, and he has an 1.80 GAA and .946 save percentage over his last five starts.
