This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Sunday's NHL slate is a small one, with just three games on tap beginning at 12:30 PM Eastern time. Owners undeterred by the lack of selection can find the players to target and players to avoid below.
GOALIE
Cam Ward, CAR vs. SJ ($27): Ward's turned back the clock recently, coming up victorious in three consecutive starts, including Thursday's 27-save shutout of the Canadiens last time out. The 33-year-old netminder gets a great opportunity to maintain his momentum at home against a middling Sharks offense that's scoring 2.86 goals per game.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK at WAS ($38): Fleury's priced $8 above any other projected starting goaltender in this slate, but that gap is hard to justify given his tough opposition. The Capitals rank eighth with 3.06 goals per game and boast a dominant 19-7-1 home record.
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CENTER
Derick Brassard, OTT at MON ($13): Brassard's too talented to pass up at $13. His average of 5.9 fantasy points per game is tops among all sub-$17 centers, and the two-time 58-point scorer should be confident after ending an eight-game goal drought Saturday.
CENTER TO AVOID
Lars Eller, WAS vs. VGK ($18): Eller's been in good form with five goals and nine points in his past 10 games, but that success is unlikely to last against a dominant Vegas club that's outscoring opponents 3.35 to 2.65 in the average game this season. The 28-year-old center's never scored more than 30 points in eight NHL seasons, so $18 is a lot to pay given Eller's high likelihood of regression.
WINGS
Alex Galchenyuk, MON vs. OTT ($15): Galchenyuk leads the Canadiens with 14 power-play points and ranks second to $20 teammate Max Pacioretty with 30 points overall. Both numbers have a great chance of rising for the affordable forward against a Senators team that's killing penalties at the fourth-lowest rate (75.5 percent) while allowing the third-most goals overall (3.34).
Kevin Labanc, SJ at CAR ($16): Labanc's loving life on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit, as he's accrued three goals and nine points in his past eight games. The Brooklyn native's price doesn't accurately reflect his strong recent play and increased role in the absence of Joe Thornton (knee). Labanc's price figures to keep rising, so grab him at just $16 while you still can, especially against a Hurricanes team that kills penalties at just 78.2 percent -- the sixth-lowest rate in the league.
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WINGS TO AVOID
Justin Williams, CAR vs. SJ ($17): Williams saw his playing time dip below 15 minutes in consecutive games for the the first time all season Thursday and Friday, so the second-lowest scoring winger priced at $17 or more isn't getting many opportunities to improve his average of 5.8 fantasy points per game. Teammates Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho are both in the midst of significantly stronger campaigns, and each of those wingers can be had for just $2 more than Williams at $19.
Charles Hudon, MON vs. OTT ($18): Hudon's the only $17-plus winger scoring fewer fantasy points per game than Williams, and he isn't particularly close at just 5.1. Even in this favorable matchup, the bang for the buck just isn't there with Hudon.
DEFENSEMEN
Jeff Petry, MON vs. OTT ($17): Petry's done his best Shea Weber (foot) impression from the Montreal blue line, as he's already just one goal and four points shy of his career bests (eight and 28, respectively) with 30 games left to play. Weber's absence has paved the way for Petry to showcase his offensive skills, which he's done beautifully with three goals and three assists in the last five games. Ottawa's defensive deficiencies have already been documented, and Petry's primed to take advantage given his role on the top power-play unit and top defensive pairing.
Colin Miller, VGK at WAS ($16): Miller's catapulted himself into a tie for second on the Golden Knights in power-play points, as he now has 12 on the year. Five of those have come in the past six games, and he's racked up seven points and 16 shots over that stretch as well. Look for his recent extra-man success to continue against a Capitals penalty kill that's been worse than league average at 79.1 percent.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Erik Karlsson, OTT at MON ($26): Karlsson's rarely lived up to his extravagant price, as his average of 6.7 fantasy points per game is outclassed by every single defenseman in this slate priced at over $18. The Swede's poor defense has led to an awful minus-24 rating, which in turn has led to Karlsson finishing with fewer than zero fantasy points six times in his last 16 games. There's just too much risk with this pick to trust Karlsson, especially with Carey Price in net for the Canadiens here.
Justin Braun, SJ at CAR ($15): Braun doesn't carry enough offensive upside to justify much daily consideration, even in a slate as light as this one. Don't let his occasional contributions in the assist column fool you into thinking Braun can be trusted to chip in offensively at a consistent rate, as he's averaged just .25 points per contest in his 499-game career.
