This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
The two-game Sunday-Monday NHL slate locks at the beginning of Sunday's 3:00 PM Senators-Penguins Game 5 and also contains Game 6 between the Ducks and Predators.
GOALIE
Craig Anderson, OTT at PIT ($34): It would be foolish to overlook Anderson just because he surrendered three goals in Game 5. He had allowed a combined five goals in his previous four outings prior to that appearance, and is 4-1 coming off a loss this postseason. With Pittsburgh's goaltending situation up in the air, the safety of Anderson is well worth paying $34 for.
Goalie to Avoid
John Gibson, ANH at NSH ($29): As if contending with a Predators team that has won 10 of its past 11 playoff games at Bridgestone Arena wasn't hard enough, Gibson also has a lower body injury to deal with. Backup Jonathan Bernier posted just 4.0 fantasy points in two periods after replacing Gibson in Game 5, so he's unlikely to be the answer, either.
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CENTER
Calle Jornkrok, NSH vs. ANH ($12): Jarnkrok has received at least 19 minutes of ice time in consecutive contests, and should continue to see a bigger role with Ryan Johansen (hip) sidelined. The Swede's 31-point regular season shows he has the skills to contribute on the offensive end, while his $12 price doesn't reflect his recent increase in role. This is the perfect opportunity to buy low, as Jarnkrok's valuation can only go up from here.
Center to Avoid
Ryan Getzlaf, ANH at NSH ($27): The surprise scratch of Rickard Rakell (lower body) prior to Game 5 clearly threw off linemates Getzlaf and Jakob Silfverberg, who each managed just 4.0 fantasy points in the home loss. With Rakell's status for Game 6 up in the air, it's tough to expect a $27 performance out of Getzlaf on the road given his mediocre home effort.
WING
Bobby Ryan, OTT at PIT ($16): Ryan's 14 points this postseason are tops among Senators forwards, yet he's priced below three other wingers. As long as that remains the case, he should be the first Ottawa player you plug into your lineup. Six of those points have come in the past five games, so Ryan's slowing no signs of slowing down.
James Neal, NSH vs. ANH ($15): Neal has turned it on after a slow start to the playoffs with five goals and six points in the past 10 games. Coach Peter Laviolette has picked up on the veteran sniper's improvement, entrusting Neal with over 18 minutes of ice time in six of the past seven games after giving him at least that much run in only one of this postseason's first eight. The winger's recent uptick in both playing time and performance coupled with Gibson's injury concerns in net for Anaheim make Neal a no-brainer at just $15.
Wings to Avoid
Mike Hoffman, OTT at PIT ($22): Hoffman has done little to deserve being priced $4 above the nearest Senators forward considering he's four points back of Bobby Ryan and three goals back of Jean-Gabriel Pageau for the team leads at the position. This offense is too balanced to pay top dollar for anyone but superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson.
Conor Sheary, PIT vs. OTT ($17): Sheary has been a trainwreck in the postseason, with no goals, three assists and a team-worst minus-8 rating in 15 appearances. With no points and a minus-2 rating over the past five games, recent trends suggest he's unlikely to show much improvement any time soon.
DEFENSE
Ryan Ellis, NSH vs. ANH ($20): It's a testament to Ellis' all-around ability that he's averaging 6.4 fantasy points per game in this series despite chipping in just a single assist without a goal. The scoring aspect of his game will likely return soon, as Ellis is still tied for third on the Predators in points (10) and ranks fourth in goals (four) despite the recent offensive drought. His elite combination of floor and ceiling is superior to that of the equally priced P.K. Subban, while the $3 savings make Ellis a better value than Roman Josi.
Cam Fowler, ANH at NSH ($19): Coach Randy Carlyle trusts Fowler's two-way ability more than anyone else on the Ducks blue line, which is why he deploys the 2010 first rounder more than any of the team's other defensemen when playing without the luxury of last change on the road. Fowler skated 26:11 and 28:10 in Games 3 and 4 at Bridgestone Arena, and should once again see a heavy workload with the season on the line. That high ice time total should lead to more opportunities to rack up value on both ends, and Fowler has more than enough skill to capitalize on those chances coming off a 39-point regular season.
Defensemen to Avoid
Kevin Bieksa, ANH vs. NSH ($15): Bieksa has been underwhelming since returning from a lower body injury, totaling just 2.0 fantasy point in two games. Any of the four Ducks defensemen priced no more than $4 above him offer superior bang for the buck given their combinations of skill and playing time relative to Bieksa's.
Mattias Ekholm, NSH at ANH ($17): Ekholm's six assists in the past six games should be viewed as a flash in the pan considering he produced just four in the previous 29 and has gone 37 contests without a goal. It's worth paying the extra $3 for the much more offensively gifted Ellis or Subban.
