This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
The NHL will host an eight-game Sunday slate since their three-day holiday break is approaching. For those setting their lineups early, take into consideration that Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson will have a hearing for his actions during Saturday's game and could be suspended for today's matchup against the Red Wings. With that in mind, here are some players to start and some to sit during this extra-large docket:
GOALIE
Thomas Greiss, NYI at DAL ($30): Greiss has clearly won over the starting job with the Islanders and impressed with a .920 save percentage to show for it. Meanwhile, the Stars are searching for their chemistry and have scored just two goals in three straight games. They rank 26th in the league with 2.74 goals per game this year, setting Greiss up for another appealing opportunity.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Aaron Dell, SJ vs. ARI ($34): Arizona isn't a threatening matchup by any measure, but that's a whopping price tag for inconsistency. Dell has logged 11 appearances this season, and five have landed above a .925 save percentage while the other six have sank below an .890. There's plenty of bang for your buck available elsewhere.
CENTER
Nick Schmaltz, ARI at SJ ($14): Moving to the desert has worked for Schmaltz, with four goals and seven assists in 13 games since being traded to Arizona. The Sharks may also be without star defenseman Erik Karlsson, which would open up the ice for Schmaltz to manage the game flow. The youngster is a top bargain at this price.
CENTER TO AVOID
David Krejci, BOS at CAR ($19): Krejci tore it up when he centered a line with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. However, Patrice Bergeron returned from a rib injury Saturday and broke up that unit. Krejci snapped his eight-game point streak and went minus-1 in Bergeron's return, so he's no longer the steal he was as an interim top-line pivot.
WINGS
Evgenii Dadonov, FLA at CHI ($20): Dadonov has racked up eight goals and 15 points in the last 14 games, and his 14.9 shooting percentage is sustainable in the long term. The Blackhawks will start either a struggling Cam Ward or an inexperienced Collin Delia in goal, giving Dadonov ample opportunities to tack on some more points.
Tomas Hertl, SJ vs. ARI ($18): Hertl has recorded four two-point games in his last seven outings and he boasts an impressive 55.0 Corsi For percentage over the course of the season. His chemistry with Logan Couture and Timo Meier is superb, which should bode well against an inconsistent goaltender in Darcy Kuemper.
WINGS TO AVOID
Josh Anderson, CBJ at NJ ($20): Anderson is scoring at a higher rate than ever before this season, but that has taken a dip lately with just two goals and an assist over the last 11 games. His opportunities are limited with 55.1 percent of his shifts starting in the defensive zone, so this slump should carry on against rising goaltender Keith Kinkaid and a top-notch penalty kill.
Clayton Keller, ARI at SJ ($16): Keller relies heavily on the power play for production, scoring 10 of his 23 points with the man advantage. The Sharks own a suffocating penalty kill, and Keller doesn't shoot enough or block enough shots to make up for his scoring limitations in this outing.
DEFENSEMEN
Erik Gustafsson, CHI vs. FLA ($18): December has been Gustafsson's bread and butter, compiling four goals and three assists in nine games while firing 15 shots and blocking 14. His sizable power-play minutes lift his ceiling even further against a porous Panthers penalty kill, especially with Florida traveling for their second game in as many days.
Neal Pionk, NYR vs. PHI ($16): With Kevin Shattenkirk (shoulder) on injured reserve, Pionk is seeing major time on the top pairing that includes over three minutes per game on the power play. The Flyers penalty kill is a wreck and they'll be starting goaltender Michal Neuvirth, who has appeared just twice this year and was shelled both times.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
John Klingberg, DAL vs. NYI ($22): Klingberg needed overtime in Saturday's game to avoid his third straight pointless outing. The Islanders are allowing just 2.7 goals per game in December, and Klingberg doesn't provide enough extracurricular value if he doesn't notch a point. He's one of the most-expensive options in this slate and isn't worth the risk.
Nick Leddy, NYR at DAL ($18): Leddy has gone minus-5 over his last six road games and only has nine points on the season. This is partly because he starts a majority of his shifts in the defensive zone, which helped him post a brutal 43.0 Corsi For percentage thus far. To top it off, he's posted negative fantasy points in 11 of 34 games this year. Look elsewhere.
