This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Unless you are dying to see Eli Manning, in the winter of his career, take the field again, you may need something as a sports fan to watch Monday night. Well, there are four NHL games taking place, so maybe you can check those out. Whether or not you watch a game, you can still play daily fantasy hockey. Here are some players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Braden Holtby, WAS vs. CLM ($35): We're used to the Capitals being good, but it's still a little surprising to see Holtby with a 15-2-4 record on the year, especially with a 2.78 GAA and .910 save percentage. However, those numbers are vestiges of a bad start to the season. In fact over his last 17 games he has a 2.42 GAA and .924 save percentage, and a 1.96 GAA at home in that time.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Semyon Varlamov, NYI at TAM ($31): Yes, Varlamov, like seemingly every goalie who plays under Barry Trotz and Mitch Korn, is having a great year. That being said, this is about a tough of a challenge as a goalie can face. The Lightning have scored 3.74 goals per game, highest in the NHL. At home, Tampa actually has averaged a whopping 4.31 goals and 36.5 shots on net per contest, both tops in the league.
CENTER
David Krejci, BOS at OTT ($23): With Patrice Bergeron injured, Krejci is now centering Boston's top line. That means he's between the dynamic duo of Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. There isn't a better place for a center to be. It also helps that the Czech pivot will be facing a Senators team with a 3.13 GAA.
CENTER TO AVOID
Brayden Point, TAM vs. NYI ($27): I had a hard time finding a center I actively wanted to avoid. As such, I'm dipping into this game, even though I recommended avoiding Varlamov. That's because of the overall excellent of Tampa's offense. It's still possible a single player, especially an expensive one, will disappoint against the Islanders' tough defense. That's especially because Point isn't producing like he did last year, and he weirdly only has 51 shots in 24 games.
WING
Jakub Vrana, WAS vs. CLM ($20): Vrana had a breakout season last year in notching 24 goals. Well this season he's looking to make that breakout feel like it was only the beginning. The 23-year-old already has 15 goals on 93 shots through 31 games, including five goals in his last seven contests. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets have struggled quite a bit on the road, as they have a 3.67 GAA in away games.
Anders Lee, NYI at TAM ($18): After a rough stretch, Lee has four points in his last five games. It's been a tough campaign at times, but he has a 10.6 shooting percentage, which is well below his career average. If luck returns to his side he should start paying off for fantasy owners. As for the Lightning, their defense isn't nearly as good as their defense, as they have a 3.22 GAA.
WINGS TO AVOID
Johnny Gaudreau, CGY at COL ($25): Gaudreau is usually as reliable as anybody, but this year he only has six goals in 31 games. Sure, that's with a 6.7 shooting percentage that's bound to improve, but things have gotten so bad at times Johnny Hockey has been dropped to the third line to try and shake him out of his funk. The Avalanche have a 2.72 GAA, which this season is good enough to be around the top 10, but with Philipp Grubauer banged up Pavel Francouz may be in net, and he has a 2.24 GAA and .931 save percentage.
Brady Tkachuk, OTT vs. BOS ($17): The roster for Ottawa is so bleak, Tkachuk may be the only active forward you can name. He's having a fine sophomore season with 10 goals in 30 contests. However, he now has to face a Bruins team with a 2.30 GAA. That's not likely to end well for him.
DEFENSE
Ryan Pulock, NYI at TAM ($18): Pulock has really picked up his offensive pace recently. He's got four points over his last four games, and seven over his last 10. Pulock has also been made a key part of the power play, as he's averaged 3:56 per game with the extra man over his last 13 contests. Tampa Bay has the 18th-ranked penalty kill, but it also has a 3.22 GAA overall.
Dmitry Orlov, WAS vs. CLM ($14): John Carlson is great, but if he's too rich for your blood you might want to consider Orlov instead. After all, the Blue Jackets have a 3.67 GAA on the road, so this is still a matchup to try and get a piece of. Orlov is much cheaper than his defensive teammate, and he's looked pretty good recently. The Russian have four points in his last five games.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Seth Jones, CLM at WAS ($19): I mentioned earlier that Holtby has a 2.42 GAA and .924 save percentage over his last 17 games. While I haven't recommended avoiding any other Blue Jackets, that's mostly because they don't have many players you are likely to be considering to begin with. You might consider Jones, though, but this is a matchup where I would avoid him, especially with Zach Werenski hurt.
Thomas Chabot, OTT vs. BOS ($18): Chabot is taking on a bigger role this year, but he doesn't have much offensive support around him. This is particularly noticeable on the power play, where he only has four points, all assists. The Bruins have a top-10 penalty kill, so no help there, and let's not forget their 2.30 GAA either.
