This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
The Super Bowl, and the football season, are over. So what now? How about playing daily fantasy hockey? If you're just jumping into the action for the year, there are three NHL games Monday. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Brian Elliott, PHI at DET ($27): The Flyers have been bad on the road, but the Red Wings have been bad just about everywhere. Sure, Elliott only has a 2.94 GAA. The Wings have managed a mere 2.08 goals and 28.1 shots on net per contest. Detroit's offense is the worst in the league by a wide margin. It's never a bad idea to grab a goalie going against the Wings.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jonathan Bernier, DET vs. PHI ($35): On the flip side, I can't wrap my head around Bernier being the second-most-expensive goalie. He has a 2.92 GAA, but he'll cost you eight dollars more than Brian Elliott. The Wings are 8-17-2 at home and have lost eight games in a row. I don't expect any magic from Bernier on Monday.
CENTER
Dylan Larkin, DET vs. PHI ($20): I like Brian Elliott in net because Detroit's offense has been terrible on the whole, and because I expect the Flyers to win, but I also like Larkin. He's notched a point in 12 of his last 15 contests, giving him 37 on the season. With the Flyers' road issues, they actually have the second-worst road GAA, and Larkin may be able to manage some success.
CENTER TO AVOID
Ryan Strome, NYR vs. DAL ($20): Strome may cost the same as Dylan Larkin, but he's in an entirely different situation. The Stars have a 2.49 GAA, second best in the NHL. They also have a top-five penalty kill, and Strome has tallied 12 of his 44 points with the extra man, though he only has one power-play goal.
WING
Zach Hyman, TOR vs. FLA ($19): Hyman doesn't get much power-play time, but you don't really need it when you skate on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner in even-strength situations. Playing with those two has helped Hyman tally nine points in his last seven games. Meanwhile, Sergei Bobrovsky's first year in Florida has been a nightmare, as he has a 3.26 GAA and .897 save percentage.
Frank Vatrano, FLA at TOR ($18): Like Zach Hyman, Vatrano doesn't do much with the extra man, but also like Hyman he's been hot recently. The 25-year-old has nine points in his last six games, including a hat trick. As for the Maple Leafs, they've posted a 3.21 GAA and have allowed 32.4 shots on net per contest.
WINGS TO AVOID
Artemi Panarin, NYR vs. DAL ($33): Panarin is having a great year, but that's driven his price up. In a lot of matchups that's not an issue, but this is a tricky one. Ben Bishop has been stellar all season, but over his last nine games he's managed a 2.18 GAA and .930 save percentage.
Joe Pavelski, DAL at NYR ($18): In order to avoid solely recommending avoiding Rangers, let me throw Pavelski into the mix. He's not been the boost to Dallas' offense the Stars were hoping for when they signed him. He only has 20 points in 51 games, and he doesn't have a power-play point in his last 21 contests. The Rangers haven't been good defensively, but at home they have a 3.08 GAA, which is better than their road numbers. Plus, Alexandar Georgiev has a .910 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Keith Yandle, FLA at TOR ($19): Yandle is all about the power play. He's averaged 3:50 per game with the extra man and tallied 20 power-play points. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs have the 25th-ranked penalty kill.
Ivan Provorov, PHI at DET ($15): The Leafs have a bad penalty kill, but the Wings' is even worse. In fact, Detroit has the worst penalty kill in the league. While Provorov has had a dry spell with the extra man, he's notched six goals and seven assists on the power play. This could easily be the game where he ends his drought.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Adam Fox, NYR vs. DAL ($18): Fox's rookie season is going well but, again, this is clearly the toughest matchup any team has Monday. Like I mentioned earlier, the Stars have a top-five penalty kill. That doesn't bode well for Fox, given that 12 of his 28 points have come with the extra man.
Jamie Oleksiak, DAL at NYR ($17): This price just baffles me. Oleksiak has seven points all season, and only one goal. He's only put 60 shots on net in 51 games, and he doesn't play on the power play. Honestly, it almost feels like this price is a mistake. You'd be wise to steer clear.
