This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
The sports world will likely be focused on LSU versus Clemson for the college football championship Monday, but don't forget about the NHL. There are five games on the slate, and here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Jordan Binnington, STL vs. ANA ($34): Binnington isn't going to replicate his rookie season numbers, but he's still impressing with a 2.47 GAA and .917 save percentage. He's also 9-1 in his last 10 games, and that one loss was on the road against Colorado. Being at home against a Ducks team that has only managed 2.47 goals per contest is a much easier matchup than that.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Cam Talbot, CGY at MON ($30): Talbot has been getting more starts over David Rittich recently, and he's earned more looks with his play. On the season, he has a 2.54 GAA and .922 save percentage. However, he posted a GAA over 3.00 in each of his last two campaigns, so this may be a fluky run. Plus, the Canadiens have averaged 34.9 shots on net per contest.
CENTER
Brayden Schenn, STL vs. ANA ($19): Schenn's 18.1 shooting percentage might regress, but he also has 21 assists in 46 games, including four in his last three contests. He's also tallied 14 points with the extra man. The Ducks have the 24th-ranked penalty kill, so Schenn's power-play prowess could be in full effect Monday.
CENTER TO AVOID
Patrice Bergeron, BOS at PHI ($33): This isn't about Bergeron, as he's having his typical kind of season. It's about the Flyers' prowess at home. No team in the NHL has had more extreme home/road splits, but at home Philadelphia has a 1.90 GAA, lowest in the league.
WING
Anders Lee, NYI at NYR ($18): Lee has 13 goals this season, putting his a little past his pace of 28 goals last year, but he's put 108 shots on net. Getting pucks on goal tends to be pretty easy against the Islanders' intra-city rivals. The Rangers have allowed 34.8 shots on net per contest, which is second highest in the NHL.
Mikael Backlund, CGY at MON ($16): Backlund has been playing on a line with Calgary's top-two offensive players, Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. He has four points in his last five games, and his 6.5 shooting percentage seems likely to improve, given his career numbers. Meanwhile, the Canadiens have a 3.20 GAA, which is bottom 10 in the NHL.
WINGS TO AVOID
Claude Giroux, PHI vs. BOS ($22): Giroux has 31 points in 45 games, and 11 of those have come with the extra man. The long-time Flyer has been doing a lot of his damage on the power play the last few years, but the Bruins have the third-ranked penalty kill. On top of that, they have a 2.46 GAA, second best in the NHL.
Chris Kreider, NYR vs. NYI ($18): Kreider probably wishes he could be shooting on his own defense, instead of having to face Barry Trotz's Islanders. Long Island's squad has a 2.56 GAA, and don't be fooled by the fact the Islanders are on the road. They have a 2.52 GAA in away games.
DEFENSE
Vince Dunn, STL vs. ANA ($17): Dunn has started 56.4 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, highest among St. Louis defensemen. He's notched seven goals on the year, including three on the power play. As for the Ducks, they have a 3.55 GAA on the road, which bodes well for Dunn.
Rasmus Andersson, CGY at MON ($10): Andersson has begun 54.1 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, tops among Flames defensemen. He does only have 13 points this year, but he does have three points in his last seven contests. As previously noted, the Canadiens have a 3.20 GAA, and also a bottom-10 penalty kill.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Ivan Provorov, PHI vs. BOS ($17): Provorov has been quite reliant on the power play for his offensive numbers this season. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's a problem in this matchup. The Bruins have the third-ranked penalty kill. Provorov has tallied 13 of his 24 points with the extra man, so clearly this is not the matchup for him.
Hampus Lindholm, ANA at STL ($12): Lindholm has 16 assists this season through 37 games. However, he also has only one goal. On top of that, he doesn't have a point in his last nine contests, and the Blues, with their 2.63 GAA, are not likely to be the team to let him get back on the score sheet.
