This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There is only one NHL game Monday, but you can still play daily fantasy hockey because the Monday contests bring in the 13 games Tuesday for reinforcement. It makes sense to play Monday, and it's not just to take advantage of the Penguins-Senators game that night. Four of the Tuesday games start before 7:00 PM ET, and this way you can include those in players in your lineup without having to get it in early on Tuesday. Plus, you can play the Tuesday slate without worrying about getting a lineup in on New Year's Eve, when you may have other plans. So let's get to my players to target and to avoid!
GOALIE
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK vs. ANA ($31): Fleury has looked inconsistent since return from injury, but on the year he has a 2.74 GAA and .912 save percentage. This is a good opportunity for the veteran goalie to start righting the ship, though. The Ducks rank in the bottom five in goals per game, and have only averaged 29.3 shots on net per contest.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG at COL ($36): Hellebuyck has had a good year, but he's allowed at least three goals in six of his last seven starts. On top of that, I wouldn't want any goalie on the road against the Avalanche. Colorado averaged 3.72 goals and 35.2 shots on goal per game at home. Good luck facing that.
CENTER
Dylan Larkin, DET vs. SAN ($19): Normally I'm recommending players facing the Red Wings, so this is a rare opportunity for me to actually recommend a player who wears the winged wheel. Larkin isn't performing like last year, but he does have 24 points in 40 games despite a relative lack of offensive support. There's light at the end of the tunnel, though, and it's San Jose's 3.65 GAA on the road with an .887 save percentage.
CENTER TO AVOID
Jonathan Toews, CHI at CGY ($19): Like Larkin, Toews is struggling this year by his standards, as he has 28 points in 40 games. The big issue is on the power play, where he has a mere four points. Well the Flames have a top-five penalty kill, so Toews isn't likely to find his footing with the extra man on the road in Calgary.
WING
Bryan Rust, PIT vs. OTT ($25): Rust has been as hot as any player in the NHL, as he has 13 points in his last eight games. The Penguins are the only team of the 28 you have to choose from with a chance to face a team on the second leg of a back-to-back, as there is only one game Monday. Rust also seems likely to be lucky enough to face Ottawa's third-string quarterback Marcus Hogberg, who has a 3.10 GAA and .903 save percentage.
Tomas Hertl, SAN at DET ($18): Hertl has started 55.8 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Sharks. He's also on the top power-play unit and has averaged 2:58 per game with the extra man. There is no better matchup in the NHL, as the Red Wings rank last in both GAA and penalty kill. Opportunity against Detroit often pays off.
WINGS TO AVOID
Taylor Hall, ARI vs. STL ($26): Hall has four points in six games since joining the Coyotes, which is what the team was hoping for. I just think too highly of the Blues defensively to consider him at this price here. St. Louis is in the top five in GAA and penalty-kill percentage. The Blues are even tougher with Jordan Binnington in net, as he has a 2.39 GAA and .921 save percentage.
Kyle Palmieri, NJD vs. BOS ($18): Palmieri has actually been just fine since Taylor Hall left, though his 17.0 shooting percentage is likely to regress a bit. He's long been primarily a power-play threat, and this year 11 of his 27 points have come with the extra man. Boston has a top-five penalty kill, which is concerning enough as is, but to make matters worse for Palmieri it has the lowest GAA in the NHL.
DEFENSE
Oscar Klefbom, EDM vs. NYR ($20): Klefbom's point production has dropped just a smidge, but he's staying active offensively by putting pucks on net. He's notched 108 shots on goal through 41 games. The Rangers have allowed a whopping 36.1 shots on net per contest, so the Swedish defenseman should get his chances Tuesday.
Zach Werenski, CLM vs. FLA ($18): Since returning from injury, Werenski has tallied four points in six contests. He's also been strong on the power play, notching nine points with the extra man in 32 games. As for the Panthers, they've been porous defensively on the road, posting a 3.69 GAA in away outings.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Shea Weber, MON at CAR ($24): Weber has been active offensively, but the Hurricanes are good at keeping offenses in check. Carolina allows a mere 26.4 shots on net per game at home, so it will be hard for Weber to be as involved as he normally is. He's tied for being the third-most-expensive defenseman for this slate of contests, and with so many other options out there you can do better.
Mark Borowiecki, OTT at PIT ($18): Yes, Borowiecki has been hot, as he has four points in his last five games. Prior to that, though, he had one point in his previous 12 games. The 30-year-old also doesn't play on the power play. This is enough to make me scratch my head at this price, but he is also facing a Penguins team with a 2.33 GAA at home.
