This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Welcome to December! The NHL is beginning the month with three games on the Sunday slate. One of those is in the afternoon, but it's at 3:00 PM ET. As such, you should be able to get your lineup in before that. With that in mind, here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Alex Stalock, MIN vs. DAL ($26): Devan Dubnyk may be back for this game, but he has been out with a personal issue which means he can come back at his own leisure. Even if Dubnyk is ready to return, the Wild may want to go with Stalock. Over his last five starts, the 32-year-old has posted a 2.58 GAA and .920 save percentage. The Stars' offense has been lacking a bit of a punch, as they've only averaged 2.67 goals per game.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Mikko Koskinen, EDM at VAN ($34): The Oilers and Canucks will be finishing a home-and-home Sunday night. Of the four goalies involved in this matchup, Koskinen has been the best of the bunch with a 2.55 GAA and .920 save percentage. However, the Canucks are at home, they've scored 3.15 goals per game, and they've also put 32.0 shots on net per contest. And in his one full NHL season, Koskinen only managed a .906 save percentage.
CENTER
David Krejci, BOS vs. MON ($21): Krejci started the season off slow, and then he got hurt. Since returning to action, the 33-year-old has been on fire with 18 points in 15 games. The Bruins are the one team who didn't play Saturday matched up with a team on the second night of a back-to-back Sunday, which is another point in Krejci's favor.
CENTER TO AVOID
Eric Staal, MIN vs. DAL ($18): Staal has cooled down after a hot streak, but he still has recorded five points in his last 10 games. What's concerning is the fact he only has 16 shots on goal during that stretch. Even if Staal shoots the puck more, he'll likely have trouble against the Stars and their NHL third-best 2.37 GAA.
WING
Jake DeBrusk, BOS vs. MON ($18): DeBrusk broke out with 27 goals in 68 games last year, but that involved a big increase in his shooting percentage to 17.3. This year, his shooting percentage has fallen to 10.4, but he does have four points in his last five games. The Canadiens have been playing Carey Price as much as possible - and we can understand why - but finally gave him a night off Saturday. He really needed it, because he's struggled with a 5.34 GAA and .822 save percentage over his last five appearances.
Zack Kassian, EDM at VAN ($13): Kassian doesn't play on Edmonton's potent power play, but he skates on its top line with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl - AKA the two highest-scoring players in the NHL. That's a great place to be, which is why the journeyman forward already has 19 points in 28 games. Jacob Markstrom has been dealing with an illness for the Canucks, but Thatcher Demko has also probably been feeling sick about his performance recently. In two of his last three outings, he's endured nights allowing five and seven goals.
WINGS TO AVOID
Brock Boeser, VAN vs. EDM ($23): Boeser has been all over the power play this year. He's averaged over 4:30 per game with the extra man, and 11 of his 24 points have come during that situation. That being said, the Oilers own a top-five penalty kill, so they are the set up to thwart Boeser's power-play opportunities. It'll be hard for him to live up to his price if he can't do any damage with the extra man.
Brendan Gallagher, MON at BOS ($23): Gallagher has been a prolific shooter over his career, and this year has been no different. That's helped him notch 10 goals in 26 games this season. However, he'll be on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back Sunday. That's tricky enough as is, but then you have to throw in the fact the Bruins come in with a 2.31 GAA.
DEFENSE
Torey Krug, BOS vs. MON ($22): I talked about how Boeser's power-play acumen may go to waste in this matchup. This is the exact opposite of that. Krug has been a power-play machine in his career, and already has registered 12 points with the extra man in 21 games. Meanwhile, the Canadiens - who are on the road for the second night of a back-to-back - maintain a bottom-five penalty kill.
Oscar Klefbom, EDM at VAN ($20): Klefbom has tallied 18 points over 27 games, even though he only has one goal on 64 shots. That's a shooting percentage bound to improve, especially on Edmonton's elite power-play unit. Both the Oilers and Canucks will be on the second game of a back-to-back and they share the same travel plans, but the Canucks are the ones who own a middling penalty kill.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Shea Weber, MON at BOS ($24): This has nothing to do with Weber's level of play. He's been really good, but he also will be on the road for the second game of a back-to-back. Of course, as previously noted, the Bruins have a 2.31 GAA. In fact, Tuukka Rask has posted a 2.10 GAA to go with a .931 save percentage.
Ryan Suter, MIN vs. DAL ($21): Suter has recorded 16 points in 26 games, but with a 7.9 shooting percentage that is his highest since his second season in the league. Also, eight of his 16 points have come on the power play. The Stars boast a top-10 penalty kill, not to mention a 2.37 team GAA.
