Yahoo DFS Hockey: Monday Picks

A Monday without football? It's that time of the year! The NHL is here for you, though, with four games on the docket. That means DFS opportunities, and these are the players I'd target, and avoid, for your lineup.

GOALIE

Jacob Markstrom, CGY vs. CLM ($31): The play of Markstrom has been erratic, but he has a 2.62 GAA over his last 11 outings. A lot of that is thanks to Calgary's defense, which has allowed a mere 27.8 shots on net per contest. The Blue Jackets are in the bottom five in goals scored, so I don't expect a happy homecoming for Johnny Gaudreau on Monday.

GOALIE TO AVOID

Igor Shesterkin, NYR vs. FLA ($33): After putting up otherworldly numbers last season, Shesterkin has been quite good but more human this year with a 2.45 GAA and .917 save percentage. After a hot, Vezina-level stretch, over his last 10 games the Russian goalie has a .911 save percentage. Florida is eighth in goals per game, but tied for first in shots on net per contest, so Shesterkin may be very busy in this one.

CENTER

Vincent Trocheck, NYR vs. FLA ($18): Trocheck has had some bad luck recently. He doesn't have a goal over his last eight games, but he's put 25 shots on net in that time. All in all he has 141 shots on goal through 46 contests, and his 9.2 shooting percentage on the year, slightly low for the former Panther. Maybe facing his old squad will help, as currently journeyman goalie Alex Lyon is serving as the top netminder for the Panthers with Sergei Bobrovsky out and Spencer Knight still on a conditioning assignment in the AHL for now.

CENTER TO AVOID

Mathew Barzal, NYI at TOR ($19): Barzal was hot before he missed one game, and one has to wonder if whatever caused him to miss that outing is lingering. Since that day off, Barzal has zero points in seven games. It's not easy to find your footing on the road against Toronto, a team with a 2.64 GAA that has only given up 28.6 shots on net per contest.

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WING

Tyler Toffoli, CGY vs. CLM ($20): Toffoli is on fire for the Flames with seven goals and 12 assists over his last 16 contests. Not only that, but he has a 15.6 shooting percentage over those 16 games, which is a little high but not unreasonably show. That speaks to production being as important as luck during this stretch. The Blue Jackets are an easy target Monday, given that they have a 3.89 GAA and have allowed 34.8 shots on net per contest.

Jamie Benn, DAL vs. BUF ($19): Benn comes into this one on a five-game point streak. While the Sabres play elite offense, they are spottier on the defensive end of the ice. Buffalo has a 3.44 GAA and has allowed 33.0 shots on goal per game, both bottom 10 in the NHL.

WINGS TO AVOID

William Nylander, TOR vs. NYI ($29): The Maple Leafs are a formidable opponent for Barzal, but the Islanders won't make it easy on Nylander either. That is, assuming Ilya Sorokin is in net as expected. The Russian netminder has a 2.37 GAA and .924 save percentage, numbers in line with what he did last season. New York also has a top-five penalty kill, considering for a guy like Nylander who has averaged 3:53 per game on the power play.

Alex Tuch, BUF at DAL ($28): A lot of dudes in Buffalo are having big years, but Tuch's shooting percentage has leaped from 8.6 last season to 16.5 this year. There are sustainability questions to be asked to be sure. Maybe you could ask the same things about Jake Oettinger, but he has a 2.20 GAA and .926 save percentage so I'd be wary of rostering Tuch even if I fully believed in his increase in accuracy.

DEFENSE

Rasmus Andersson, CGY vs. CLM ($18): Andersson turned heads with 46 assists last season, and this year in addition to 26 assists he has seven goals through 47 games. The Swede has 14 power-play points, all helpers, as well. Columbus may rank 18th on the penalty kill, but it is in the bottom three in GAA and shots on net allowed per contest.

Jacob Trouba, NYR vs. FLA ($18): K'Andre Miller has been the spotlighted Rangers defenseman recently, but with his point streak ending, I am turning my attention to a guy who has had rough luck all season. Trouba has put 126 shots on net but has only three goals to show for it. That 2.4 shooting percentage is low for a defenseman with a career 4.6 shooting percentage. Maybe the Panthers and their 3.38 GAA as a team will help. Plus, Trouba has blocked 111 shots in 46 games, and Florida has averaged 35.3 shots on net per contest, so clearly it tends to be active in the offensive zone.

DEFENSE TO AVOID

Rasmus Dahlin, BUF at DAL ($28): Dahlin has had a great season, but his high salary is reason for trepidation in this matchup. Oettinger has a 2.20 GAA and .926 save percentage, and the Stars have a top-five penalty kill. A whopping 23 of Dahlin's 52 points have come on the power play, so a tough penalty kill can tamp down the defenseman's upside.

Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. NYI ($19): Rielly doesn't have a single goal this year on 60 shots on net, and if I am going to speak to Trouba's puck luck, I have to acknowledge that Rielly is going to likely see a few pucks go in soon enough. That being said, this matchup does not bode well on that front. Sorokin has a 2.37 GAA and .924 save percentage, and the Islanders have a top-five penalty kill. Rielly has tallied eight of his 20 points with the extra man.