Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey: Monday picks

By Chris Morgan

The weekend may be over, much to the longstanding chagrin of a certain comic strip cat, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy yourself. For example, you could play daily fantasy for Monday’s four NHL games. You’ll likely have more fun if you do well, though, and that’s why we’re here.

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GOALIE

Sergei Bobrovsky, CLM vs. ARI ($37): The Coyotes have been one of the worst teams in the NHL this season. They rank in the bottom 10 in goals for, goals allowed, power play, and penalty kill. Columbus, on the other hand, are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games, and Bobrovsky has a 2.08 GAA and a .929 save percentage. That looks like a winning combination.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Craig Anderson, OTT at PIT ($36): Anderson is rejoining the Senators after taking some time off to be with his wife who is battling cancer. That makes it seem like there’s a good chance he’ll get the start, but it’s not a given. If he does play, he’ll be going up against the defending Stanley Cup champions, who are third in the NHL in goals scored. This isn’t to knock Anderson, but with Tuukka Rask, Braden Holtby, and Bobrovsky all facing easy matchups, it’s hard to make the argument for taking Anderson.

CENTER

Kyle Turris, OTT at PIT ($16): Marc-Andre Fleury is listed as the projected starter for the Penguins, and he brings into this game a 3.27 GAA and a .904 save percentage. The Penguins are also 26th on the penalty kill. Turris hasn’t been super productive on the power play, but he’s averaging 2:22 a night with the extra man. Plus, he’s got 10 goals and 16 points in 25 games, which is plenty of production.

CENTER TO AVOID

Aleksander Barkov, FLA at BOS ($19): Barkov is one of several Panthers who have lacked luster, as he’s only tallied three goals in 25 games. While his shooting percentage will rise eventually, don’t bet on it happening against the Bruins. Boston is fourth in goals allowed and third on the penalty kill. Tuukka Rask has the best GAA in the league, and the third-best save percentage. This is not the time to start believing in Barkov and the Panthers.

WING

Nick Foligno, CLM vs. ARI ($20): Mike Smith may be sporting a .930 save percentage, but he has a 2.64 GAA owing to the Coyotes’ defensive issues. Plus, Smith hasn’t had a save percentage greater than .916 in any of his last four years. Let’s not forget that Arizona is 20th on the penalty kill, and Columbus has been great on the power play. Foligno has 10 power-play points, and he’s averaging 2:46 a game with the man advantage, making this a rather favorable matchup.

Mark Stone, OTT at PIT ($17): Stone has the same matchup as Turris, but Stone is averaging 2:51 a game with the extra man and has five power-play points. While Stone’s minutes are a little down this year, he’s got 16 points, and he’s still a 24-year-old in his prime who has never had fewer than 61 points in a full NHL season. Several teams have particularly bad matchups Monday, but Stone doesn’t, and that raises his stock.

WINGS TO AVOID

David Backes, BOS vs. FLA ($19): Backes has been solid, if unspectacular, this season, with six goals and 11 points in 20 games. His power-play numbers are down, as he only has three PP points, but this is mostly about the matchup. The Panthers are ninth in goals allowed and 11th on the penalty kill. Those numbers would be even higher if not for the struggles of backup goalie James Reimer, as Roberto Luongo has a 2.04 GAA and a .929 save percentage. Backes is not matchup proof, and this is a foreboding matchup.

Kyle Okposo, BUF at WAS ($19): Okposo is the one Sabre who has really excelled offensively, although a healthy Jack Eichel is looking to join him. He’s notched seven goals on 66 shots in 23 games. However, Washington is fifth in goals allowed, and Braden Holtby has a .922 save percentage. Okposo should be fine, but he’s going to have to work to earn this salary, and it’s highly unlikely he ends up looking like a good value.

DEFENSE

John Carlson, WAS vs. BUF ($21): The Sabres have really struggled at stopping opponents on the power play, as they are 29th in terms of penalty-kill percentage. Carlson plays 3:23 on the power play, and while he only has three points, all assists, he has been particularly snakebit when it comes to scoring. He’s got zero goals on 57 shots, but in his last two full seasons he’s had double-digit goals. Eventually, Carlson will light the lamp. Tonight could very well be the night.

Anthony DeAngelo, ARI at CLM ($13): Columbus has been very good at goal prevention, but their penalty kill has been middle of the road. DeAngelo, a 21-year-old rookie, is already averaging 2:58 a game with the extra man, and he has three power-play points despite only playing 11 games. He’s taken 17 shots, and he’s also blocked 13. He is a promising young defenseman, but just as importantly he’s very cheap. By choosing DeAngelo, you can save a few bucks while still getting somebody who can really help your team.

DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID

Torey Krug, BOS vs. FLA ($19): Krug has notched a few assists recently, but he still only has one goal this season after only having four last year. Four of his 11 points have come on the power play, and Florida has been fairly stout on the penalty kill. This is looking likely to be a low-scoring affair, not the kind of game that pays off for fantasy players.

Aaron Ekblad, FLA at BOS ($17): As was just stated above, this figures to be a low-scoring game. Ekblad has an even tougher matchup than Krug does, all things considered. He’s also having the opposite kind of season from Krug, as he has six goals but only one assist. Neither Krug nor Ekblad is a particularly prolific shot blocker either, although there very well may not be many shots to block in this game anyway.