This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
GOALIE
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB vs. TOR ($34) – He allowed four goals in a one-goal loss against the Leafs in their previous matchup, but at least this time he won't have to deal with Auston Matthews. The Leafs just picked up Tomas Plekanec, but he's unlikely to move the needle on offense, and Mike Babcock doesn't have much time to figure out where to play him. Vasilevskiy has put up MVP-caliber numbers this season and registered 19 wins at home. He's been victorious in his past two starts, both of which have been on the road, so the Lightning will return home carrying some momentum.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Antti Niemi, MON vs. PHI ($28) – The Flyers are the hottest team in the league and Niemi isn't known for his reliability. His numbers as a Hab are surprisingly good, but three other goalies who are significantly better – Sergei Bobrovsky, Braden Holtby and Jonathan Quick – can be had for a cheaper price. Keep in mind that the Habs are sellers at the trade deadline, so their lineup come game time may feature new faces or call-ups.
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CENTER
Brayden Point, TB vs. TOR ($22) – He's scored five goals in his past four games and played 26 minutes against Montreal after Steven Stamkos was assessed a fighting major and a misconduct, and his emergence as a legitimate No. 2 scoring center has been a big reason why Tampa Bay is one of the league's best teams. At home, Jon Cooper will be able to exploit the matchups, perhaps getting a chance to put Point on the ice against the Leafs' third pairing of Roman Polak and Travis Dermott.
Jeff Carter, LA vs. VGK ($18) – When healthy, Carter is one the top No. 2 centers in the league. Vegas will be a tough test in just his second game back from a lengthy injury, but his performance against the Oilers on Saturday was encouraging, as he registered four shots on goal. Marc-Andre Fleury and Vegas' defense-by-committee approach will be tough to beat, but at this price Carter can provide some good value as a high-volume shooter.
CENTERS TO AVOID
Pierre-Luc Dubois, CLS vs. WAS ($18) – John Tortorella praised him for his maturity and has rewarded him with lots of ice time, but with just 31 points on the season PLD isn't producing quite enough to be anointed a legitimate No. 1 center just yet. The Caps have shored up their blue line recently and despite Braden Holtby's struggles this season he's still considered one of the league's best goalies. The Jackets' offense has dried up in the second half of the season, with their 163 goals scored only ahead of the Habs and Sabres.
Erik Haula, VGK at LA ($17) – Haula is having a fantastic season with 22 goals, but his ability to generate scoring chances with his speed may be stifled by one of the Western Conference's best defensive teams. The addition of Dion Phaneuf makes the Kings defense deep enough to counter Vegas' deep offense, and both teams have very good goalies. Haula is a notoriously streaky scorer who has registered just one shot on goal in his past two games even though Vegas has scored 13 goals during that span.
WING
Alex Ovechkin, WAS at CLS ($35) – He's worth the premium because he's having a fantastic season, and with four goals in his past four games he's once again reclaimed the title as the league's most unstoppable scorer. He's fired 25 shots on net in his past three games, and even at his best Sergei Bobrovsky is unlikely to stop all of them. Ovie's 38 goals this season are already five more than last year's total.
Brock Boeser, VAN at COL ($24) – He registered an assist against the Coyotes last night, giving him three assists in three games as he continues to pile on the points in a superb rookie season. The Avs are not particularly strong on defense and expected starter Semyon Varlamov allowed four goals against the Canucks in their previous meeting. Boeser has been joined at the hip with top center Bo Horvat, who's return to the lineup has give the Canucks offense a little more juice.
Mitch Marner, TOR at TB ($20) – With three goals and three assists in his past four games, Marner has been the hottest Leaf, and the offense will go through him much more than usual with Matthews out of the lineup. Marner's been moved up and down the lineup all season but at least the Leafs are now committed to the idea that the best way to use him is to put him on a scoring line, and to no one's surprise the slick playmaker has excelled.
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WINGS TO AVOID
Artemi Panarin, CLS vs. WAS ($23) – He's on a four-game point streak, but the Jackets' offense has dried up in the second half of the season. The Capitals have bolstered their defense in recent days, and with just three shots on goal in his past three games, it's worth considering if Panarin's run out of gas or if he really needs a teammate to take some pressure off him. Panarin is an elite scorer, but it's a bad matchup and there are plenty of other options available.
Max Pacioretty, MON vs. PHI ($19) – The rumor is that Pacioretty isn't interested in staying in Montreal any longer, and the Habs' season is already in the tank with Shea Weber done for the year and Tomas Plekanec dealt for future pieces. The Flyers will be the hungrier team and they've been unstoppable over the past two weeks.
Loui Eriksson, VAN at COL ($16) – Logic dictates that the Swede will get first crack with the Sedin twins if Thomas Vanek is moved, but it was Nic Dowd getting that coveted right wing spot Sunday against Arizona. With just 10 goals this season Eriksson has not been very productive on offense, and he has just four shots on goal in his past two games. Eriksson will likely stick with Brandon Sutter on the team's checking line, which will see plenty of Nathan MacKinnon.
DEFENSE
Shayne Gostisbehere, PHI at MON ($25) – He's got five assists in his past three games and the Flyers have won five straight, and with 50 points in 58 games this season he's quietly bounced back from a disastrous 2016-17 in which he scored just seven times and finished with a minus-21 rating. The Habs are without Weber and dealt top penalty killer Plekanec to the Leafs, so if the Flyers get on the power play their job may be a lot easier.
Tyson Barrie, COL vs. VAN ($17) – He destroyed the Canucks with a five-point night Feb. 20, all of which came on the power play, and the Canucks were heavily outshot in last night's win against the Coyotes. The Canucks lineup could undergo further changes between then and game time, but only for the worse as they're not expected to be buyers at the trade deadline. Barrie's offensive upside is tough to ignore, and the Canucks aren't exactly a tough matchup.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Noah Juulsen, MON vs. PHI ($17) – He's been impressive in his first two NHL games, including a 21-minute performance against the Lightning in which he blocked five shots. He faces another tough test against the soaring Flyers, but at this price it's hard to roll the dice when more dependable veteran defensemen are available. The former WHL star is known more for his two-way player rather than his scoring prowess, which hinders his ability to contribute on offense.
Nate Schmidt, VGK at LA ($17) – He moves up and down the ice with the puck with no problems, but over the past two games Schmidt has not registered a shot on goal even though the Knights went on a 13-goal scoring binge. The Kings are one of the best defensive teams in the conference, which hurts Schmidt's case even more. The Knights' defense-by-committee approach makes it difficult to rely on any one of their blueliners.
