This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
It is a rare Monday in the National Hockey League with eight games scheduled.
A Pacific Division bout between Los Angeles and San Jose better entertain the late-night crowd because the early games are filled with mismatches.
Look for Philadelphia, Washington, Tampa Bay, Nashville and Anaheim to have strong showings, as they aim to improve their post-season seeding, or in the case of the Flyers, to punch their playoff ticket.
Here are your picks, values and fades for the Monday Yahoo slate.
GOALIE
Pekka Rinne, NSH vs. COL ($39) - Nashville improved its active run to 20-6-5 after a home win Saturday, and Pekka Rinne sports an incredible 12-1-2 record with a .936 save percentage and a 1.85 goals-against average through his past 15 starts. Colorado enters without Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon and with just two goals in its last two games.
Goalie to Avoid:
Martin Jones, SJ vs. LA ($40) - This is simply a salary fade because of a tough matchup. Los Angeles sits atop the Pacific Division and is coming off a six-goal showing, while San Jose has lost three straight. There are far cozier matchups at a cheaper price. And while there could be justification for Jones as a contrarian option, you're discount shopping through the rest of your roster with him in net. The win bonus is a must at his 20 percent cap hit, too, and it is far from a sure thing Monday.
CENTER
Evgeny Kuznetsov, WAS vs. CLS ($18) - Take the savings and run with Kuznetsov. He is mired in his longest offensive drought of the season without a point through his last four games, and his minus-6 rating during the span has his salary way down. Columbus allowed five goals at Nashville on Saturday, and the Blue Jackets allow 3.08 per road game for the season. Need more incentive? Kuznetsov has 40 points through 37 home games with a plus-24 rating and 82 shots on net.
Center to Avoid:
Anze Kopitar, LA at SJ ($26) - Line assignments can change, but Kopitar skated primarily with Tanner Pearson and Dustin Brown on Saturday. A multi-point showing could be out of reach with third- to fourth-tier running mates, and Kopitar has just a single goal and four shots on net over his last three games.
WING
Jakub Voracek, PHI vs. WPG ($21) - There are a few things at play with Voracek to help daily players Monday. First, his salary is down because he has just two assists through five games since returning from injury. However, his deployment down the lineup should help his cause at even strength against the depleted Winnipeg lineup. Plus, Voracek still has a significant role on the No. 1 power-play unit. And finally, expect Voracek to be scarcely owned.
Anthony Duclair, ARI vs. CGY ($12) - The freshman has registered an assist in three consecutive games and lands in a perfect matchup Monday. Calgary has allowed the most goals per game this season, in addition to the most goals allowed per game since the All-Star break and the second most goals against per road game for the campaign. Duclair offers nice upside at a contest-minimum salary.
Wing to avoid:
Jakob Silfverberg, ANA at EDM ($24) - With a goal Saturday, Silfverberg is up to seven goals and two assists in his last seven games. The issues are his climbing cap hit, and typical center Ryan Kesler could miss the game while attending to a personal matter. Silfverberg doesn't see enough power-play time, either.
DEFENSE
Shayne Gostisbehere, PHI vs. WPG ($18) - The power-play quarterback has an assist in consecutive games with eight shots on net, and Gostisbehere logs a healthy 4:04 PP minutes per night. The Jets have allowed 3.04 goals per game since the All-Star break, and Winnipeg is riddled with injuries. Gostisbehere's price is down following a four-game point drought, which as noted, he has already snapped out of.
Hampus Lindholm, ANA at EDM ($18) - The third-year rearguard is scorching hot lately with five points, a plus-4 rating, 17 shots and five blocked shots over his last five games. And he has been solid through his past 20 games (14 points, plus-7 rating, 37 shots and 22 blocked shots), too. There is nothing scary about a date in Edmonton, either.
Defenseman to Avoid:
Radko Gudas, PHI vs. WPG ($23) - With a higher salary than teammate Gostisbehere, Gudas is a prime fade candidate. Gudas has three goals over his last six games to drive his price up, but don't forget, he has just five for the season. His recent offense shouldn't be counted on, especially considering he has averaged just 10 seconds of power-play time this year.
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