This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
The NHL barely made a blip Monday with only two games on the slate. Tuesday picks up the pace with 10 games taking place. Here are the players I would target, and also the ones I would avoid, for a daily fantasy hockey lineup.
GOALIE
Corey Crawford, CHI vs. ANA ($29): Crawford posted a 2.56 GAA and .927 save percentage in February, even though nine of his 10 starts came on the road. He finally gets to return home to face the Ducks. While the Blackhawks tend to allow a lot of shots, the Ducks have only averaged 2.51 goals and 29.9 shots on net per contest. This should be an easier night's work than usual for Crawford.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TAM vs. BOS ($38): After turning around his play and looking like the Vezina-winning goalie he was last year, the last few games have been rough for Vasilevskiy. Over his last five starts he has a 4.46 GAA and .854 save percentage. You may think of the Bruins as a defensive team, but they've also scored 3.30 goals per contest.
CENTER
Eric Staal, MIN vs. NAS ($17): With five points in his last six games, Staal has 46 points in 65 contests. He's also tallied 14 of those points with the extra man. The Predators have a bottom-three penalty kill, and on top of that they are going to be on the road for the second game of a back-to-back Tuesday.
CENTER TO AVOID
Leon Draisaitl, EDM at DAL ($33): Why would I recommend avoiding the guy who is going to win the Art Ross? Well, for starters, the Oilers are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. That's not easy, even for elite players. Secondly, the Stars have a 2.23 GAA at home, second lowest in the NHL. Draisaitl is expensive, and rightfully so, but there are 20 teams in action Monday. You have a lot of options, so for at least one day you might want to avoid shelling out for the German.
WING
Timo Meier, SAN vs. TOR ($17): It's been a rough year for the Sharks, but Meier still has 21 goals on 173 shots through 65 games. He's also started 54.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second highest on San Jose. The Maple Leafs are far from home, and they've struggled on the road all year. Toronto has a 3.39 road GAA.
Jason Zucker, PIT vs. OTT ($16): Since joining the Penguins, Zucker has started 63.4 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone and skated on a line with Sidney Crosby. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he's tallied seven points in 10 games since the trade. As for the Senators, they've allowed 33.7 shots on net per contest, which is partially why they have a 3.32 GAA.
WINGS TO AVOID
Nikita Kucherov, TAM vs. BOS ($34): I already recommended avoiding the guy who is going to win the Art Ross this year, so why not double down with last year's Art Ross winner? Kucherov is having a great season, but Steven Stamkos is now out, costing the Russian one of his running mates. Meanwhile, the Bruins have a 2.42 GAA, lowest in the NHL. They also have the third-ranked penalty kill, and Kucherov has done a lot of his damage with the extra man.
Filip Forsberg, NAS at MIN ($20): Forsberg has now gone 15 games without scoring a goal. Now he's on the road for the second night of a back-to-back. Minnesota's overall defensive numbers haven't been great, but at home it has a 2.85 GAA and has only given up 28.4 shots on net per contest.
DEFENSE
Neal Pionk, WPG vs. BUF ($18): Pionk has been a force on the power play this year. In his first season with the Jets, the defenseman has tallied 24 power-play points in 65 games. Now he gets to face a Sabres team that has the worst penalty kill in the NHL.
Adam Boqvist, CHI vs. ANA ($11): Boqvist has started 60.2 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest on the Blackhawks. Due to injuries and trades, Chicago could be primed to give more minutes to the 19-year-old who was the eighth overall pick in 2018. He represents the future of the team's blue line, and Monday he will be facing a Ducks team with a 3.30 GAA on the road.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Shea Weber, MON at NYI ($21): Weber has scored a couple goals since returning from injury, but over the last 22 games he's played he's only notched five points. Additionally, a defenseman once noted for his power-play prowess only has eight points with the extra man in 61 games. As for the Islanders, Barry Trotz's team has a 2.70 GAA.
Rasmus Dahlin, BUF at WPG ($15): Dahlin is having an impressive season for a 19-year-old defenseman, and he has 33 assists in 55 games, but he also only has four goals. The Swede has also disappeared a bit recently, as he's only tallied seven shots on goal in his last nine games. Connor Hellebuyck's recent run of play has been better than Dahlin's, as Winnipeg's goalie had a 2.45 GAA and .924 save percentage in the month of February.
