This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
This Sunday slate features seven games with just three teams on the second half of back-to-back games. Scoring will be at a premium for fantasy owners, as 10 of the 14 teams suiting up rank in the bottom half of the league in goals per game. Precision will be necessary to get your money back, and here are some players to steer you in the right direction:
GOALIE
Martin Jones, SJ at CHI ($27): Jones started the season shaky, which is part of the reason the Sharks aren't at their desired place in the standings. He's turned it around considerably, and has put together a stellar stretch of four wins in the last five games topped off by a .943 save percentage and 1.81 GAA during that span. The Blackhawks have won just once in the last 10 games and rank 22nd in the league with 2.82 goals per game, which should keep Jones's momentum moving smoothly.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Andrei Vasilevskiy, TB at WPG ($32): Vasilevskiy is coming off an electric 48-save performance where he allowed just one goal to the Maple Leafs. He's easily a front-runner for the Vezina Trophy, but draws another intimidating matchup on the road. The Jets have won eight of the last nine outings and averaged 4.33 goals per game in that stretch. He's a risky option for a steep price.
CENTER
Elias Pettersson, VAN vs. EDM ($23): The 20-year-old phenom has notched 12 points over the last six games and his price tag continues to drag its feet. Pettersson is hot enough to transcend matchups too, as he scored three points in two games against Nashville – the top defensive team in the league – during his six-game stretch. Now is the time to harvest while the cost is still reasonable.
CENTER TO AVOID
Paul Stastny, VGK at NYR ($19): Stastny returned Friday from a 30-game absence due to an upper-body injury and recorded 16:53 without a point. He only has four games under his belt wearing the Vegas armor, so it's still not clear how well the 32-year-old fits in with the bunch. His place on a middling power-play unit at 20.5 percent won't benefit his ranking either, so he can be left out of lineups for now.
WINGS
Alex Chiasson, EDM at VAN ($19): Chiasson's this week's left wing to Connor McDavid and has also earned a spot on Edmonton's power play. He's proven his worth on the top unit with three goals – including one on the power play – and two helpers in the last five games. His opportunities will flourish against Vancouver's 24th-ranked penalty kill at 76.5 percent and its backup goalie Anders Nilsson.
Joonas Donskoi, SJ at CHI ($11): Donskoi continues to float in the Sharks' top six and has tallied two points and a plus-4 rating over the last four games. The Finnish forward comes in at a hefty discount and should be able to strike a chord against the Blackhawks, who have yielded at least three goals in 11 straight games.
WINGS TO AVOID
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL vs. CGY ($26): Tarasenko is one of the league's premier goal scorers, but it has been a tough December with zero points and a minus-8 rating through six games. He'll be going against a stingy Flames defense and should be considered a tough bid as the only winger over $22 to be averaging under 7.0 fantasy points per game.
Chris Kreider, NYR vs. VGK ($18): Following a promising start of 20 points in 22 games, Kreider has fallen back to reality with just two tallies in the last nine contests. The Golden Knights rank fourth in the league with a 54.26 Corsi For percentage, so his opportunities will be few and far between in this outing.
DEFENSEMEN
Darnell Nurse, EDM vs. VAN ($18): Nurse's stat line didn't look promising through the first two months, with just six points in 27 games. Since then, the 23-year-old has racked up three goals and five helpers in the last six contests. He's recently been bumped up to the top pairing with Oscar Klefbom (finger) out long-term and is averaging nearly 30 minutes over the past three outings. Start him with confidence.
Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF at BOS ($18): Sometimes overshadowed by the younger Rasmus on the roster, Ristolainen continues to bring plenty to the table. He has piled up six assists in the last five games and provides an appealing floor with 14 blocked shots and 18 shots on goal over that stretch.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Victor Hedman, TB at WPG ($24): Hedman has compiled 11 of his 18 points on the power play, and his reliance on the man advantage will be his fault. The Jets rank ninth in the league with an 82.3 penalty-kill percentage and have allowed just one power-play goal in their last seven outings.
Shea Theodore, VGK at NYR ($17): Theodore is near the same pace as last season, but has just one helper in the last four games. The 23-year-old doesn't offer a safety net with only 33 blocked shots and 77 shots on goal this year in 35 games, and he'll be squaring off the legendary Henrik Lundqivst in this outing. There's more bang for your buck elsewhere.
