This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Usually, Sundays are light for the NHL. However, with the New Year holiday coming up, the schedule has been tweaked a bit. That means there are 10 NHL games Sunday. I could just focus on the evening slate as there are six games that start at 7:00 PM ET, but the earliest game starts at 3:00 PM ET. That should give you enough time to fill in your lineup for a full slate, with some of the players I am recommending to target, and to avoid, from the evening portion.
GOALIE
Curtis McElhinney, TAM vs. DET ($25): McElhinney has barely played this year behind Andrei Vasilevskiy. And when he has played, he hasn't been terribly good. However, this is entirely about taking advantage of a matchup. The Red Wings are by far the worst team in the NHL, both offensively and defensively, and are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back. McElhinney is pretty cheap, and I'm willing to roll the dice given how bad Detroit has been. You can save money for other spots in your lineup.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Robin Lehner, CHI at CLM ($28): The Blue Jackets have struggled to score this year, but they've put 33.3 shots on net per game. So they've been unlucky on the goal-scoring front. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks have given up 37.6 shots on net per contest on the road. Lehner is likely going to be bombarded in this game. That's why he's posted a 2.82 GAA despite a .925 save percentage. Lehner's talented, but he's in a rough situation.
CENTER
Sean Monahan, CGY vs. VAN ($20): There are a lot of teams playing the second leg of a back-to-back Sunday, including the Canucks. The Flames aren't one of them, which puts Monahan in an advantageous position. He's notched 31 points in 40 games, including 13 in his last 14 contests.
CENTER TO AVOID
Sean Couturier, PHI at ANA ($23): Couturier is one of the many players on the road playing on consecutive nights. You may look at John Gibson's 2.88 GAA and .907 save percentage and think this is still a matchup you can take advantage of. However, those numbers improve to 2.57 and .917 at home.
WING
Brady Tkachuk, OTT vs. NJD ($21): Tkachuk has recently been trying to power the Senators' offense. In two of his last three games, he's recorded multiple points. And over his last 11 games, he's fired 45 shots on goal. It's rarely a bad idea to target games featuring the Devils, given their 3.49 GAA.
Mike Hoffman, FLA vs. MON ($16): Hoffman has done most of his damage on the power play this year, as 11 of his 27 points have come with the extra man. That's not a problem here, as the Canadiens own a bottom-five penalty kill. Also, the Habs will be on the road for the second night of a back-to-back.
WINGS TO AVOID
Victor Olofsson, BUF at BOS (21$): Olofsson's numbers are impressive, but he's also only put 97 shots on goal in 39 games. He's produced a 16.5 shooting percentage that seems unlikely to be maintained through the rest of the season. Regardless, the Bruins boast a league-leading 2.44 GAA. Even if Olofsson stays hot for a while longer, this likely won't be one of the games where he can stand out.
Phil Kessel, ARI vs. DAL ($16): Taylor Hall has joined the Coyotes, but that hasn't suddenly lit a fire under Kessel, as he still only has eight goals on the season. Both of these teams are playing the second leg of a back-to-back, but the Stars possess the ability to withstand that more than most teams. Sure, Ben Bishop started Saturday, but that just means Anton Khudobin with his 2.31 GAA and .928 save percentage will be in net.
DEFENSE
Mikhail Sergachev, TAM vs. DET ($16): It would be an oversight to not include any Tampa Bay players other that Curtis McElhinney for Sunday. The Wings own the worst GAA in the NHL by a mile and, unsurprisingly, a bottom-three penalty kill. Sergachev has started 59.8 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone - third highest on the Lightning - and has tallied 19 points in 36 games.
Matt Grzelcyk, BOS vs. BUF ($11): Torey Krug is hurt, which means somebody has to step up on the point of Boston's power play. In Krug's first game out, Grzelcyk played 20:53 - including 3:33 on the power play. The Sabres enter with a bottom-five penalty kill, so this is a fine opportunity for Grzelcyk to pay off on his relatively-cheap price while Krug remains unavailable.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Ivan Provorov, PHI at ANA ($18): Provorov has taken the lead with Shayne Gostisbehere struggling, but that includes a career-high 9.8 shooting percentage. This is about the Flyers being away from home for the second game of a back-to-back. And as previously noted, John Gibson has posted a 2.57 GAA and .917 save percentage at home.
Quinn Hughes, VAN at CGY ($15): Hughes may win the Calder this year, largely because of his power-play ability - where he's notched 15 of his 27 points. But his cause is hurt with the Flames boasting a top-five penalty kill and the Canucks on the road for the back end of consecutive outings.
