This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
It's tricky here early in the NHL season. We've got games going on, and playing are registering stats. It's enticing to want to pay attention to them, but by now we're all well-versed in the idea of small sample sizes. So we have to be sure not to get too excited about hot starts… or too disappointed in cold ones, either. That'll be kept in mind as we look at Monday's slate.
GOALIE
Craig Anderson, OTT at DET ($30): The key to selecting a goalie is trying to pick up a win. Those can be hard to predict, of course. However, the Detroit Red Wings have not looked good at all so far, albeit in two games. Anderson hasn't looked great, either, but he's been at least a league average goalie the last two seasons. He's also the third-cheapest netminder on the slate, making him a worthwhile gamble.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Martin Jones, SAN at NYR ($38): Jones is on the flip side of things. He's been great to start the year, and he helped lead the Sharks to the Cup Final last season. However, the Rangers are not an easy matchup, this game is on the road and Jones is the most expensive goalie available.
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CENTER
Evgeni Malkin, PIT vs COL ($24): The Avalanche gave up five goals in their season opener, and Calvin Pickard is the expected starter for them Monday. Malkin has been one of the NHL's best forwards for years. His price is not cheap, but since there aren't a ton of games on the docket, you might as well splurge on at least one player, especially when his matchup is so good.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mark Scheifele, WPG vs. BOS ($26): Scheifele is a good young player on the rise. He scored 29 goals in 71 games last season, and he's primed for an even bigger role this season. That being said, can you really justify paying $26 for him when Malkin ($24), Joe Thornton ($22) and Matt Duchene ($21) are all available? This price is a bit too optimistic on Scheifele.
WING
David Pastrnak, BOS at WPG ($18): Pastrnak is perhaps the poster boy for people warning you about sample sizes and hot starts. Through two games, he already has five points. However, there are reasons to believe in the 20-year-old, including the fact this is his third NHL season despite his age. So far he's taking more shots than before, and seeing a lot more power play time. For the price of $18, and with a matchup against the Jets, it's worth taking a chance his hot streak will continue.
Chris Kunitz, PIT vs. COL ($17): With Sidney Crosby out, you might be less enthused about the idea of picking Kunitz. However, he's looked fine so far, and once again this is a great matchup. His lack of power play time so far is a little concerning, but his track record speaks for itself at this point.
WINGERS TO AVOID
Rick Nash, NYR vs. SAN ($20): Nash struggled last year, only netting 15 goals in 60 games. However, his shooting percentage was a mere 8.2, which made it seem like he might be primed for a rebound season. That hasn't happened yet, as he has zero points through two games. Given that the Sharks aren't a good matchup, this is not the game in which to expect him to finally break through.
Jarome Iginla, COL at PIT ($18): Iginla is 39 years old now. While he still has a little left in the tank, he isn't the player he used to be. He also entered the year a little banged up. Given all this, and a matchup with the Penguins, $18 doesn't seem like a good price to pay for the grizzled veteran, especially given the other players listed at a similar price.
DEFENSEMEN
Torey Krug, BOS at WPG ($22): Krug is a power play maven, even last year when he struggled to a four-goal season. He's been playing more than four minutes a night with the extra man so far this year. Players like Krug who take a lot of shots and see a lot of power play time are usually a reliable bet. He's on the higher side price wise, but Monday is not a good day for bargain defensemen.
Tyson Barrie, COL at PIT ($17): Barrie was really busy last season, taking 172 shots, notching 21 power play points, and blocking 84 shots. He was also a bright spot in Colorado's opener. Barrie is probably Colorado's most offensively talented defenseman, and $17 is a good price for a player of his caliber.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, SAN at NYR ($19): Vlasic is a defensively sound player, and he's picked up his offensive play in recent years. However, he's not one of the league's elite scoring defensemen. Additionally, Henrik Lundqvist is a great goalie, making Vlasic, and the Sharks', task harder. There are too many blueliners with better matchups Monday.
Cody Ceci, OTT at DET ($18): The 22-year-old is an up-and-coming defensemen, but he's not quite reached the peak of his potential yet. It could happen this season, but so far he has zero points, and it's possible his performance last year was a bit of a fluke, given how much he improved his shooting percentage. This price feels like a result of the lack of middle-of-the-road defensemen available Monday. It's probably better to take a more established name or go with a lower-priced roll of the dice.
