This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
GOALIE
Devan Dubnyk, MIN vs. EDM ($33): Dubnyk has alternated wins and losses in his past six appearances, but two things work in his favor against the Oilers – two of Dubnyk's most recent wins have come at home, where the Wild are 26-6-8, and in 10 career games against his former team he's 8-2-0 with a .942 save percentage and 1.47 GAA. Those numbers are going to be tough to maintain facing Connor McDavid, especially with Ryan Suter (broken fibula) out of the lineup, but the Wild should be able to come out on top.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Curtis McElhinney, TOR vs. BUF ($40): McElhinney gets his second straight start with Frederik Andersen struggling, and even though McElhinney has been excellent this season and the Sabres mostly awful, keep in mind Buffalo has a new weapon in Casey Mittelstadt and scored four goals against the Predators on Saturday. McElhinney is the most expensive goalie on Monday's list, but Connor Hellebucyk ($37) and Roberto Luongo ($36) are equally likely to win their matchups and come at a cheaper price.
[Join the free NHL Yahoo Cup. $10K in total prizes with weekly winners]
CENTER
Connor McDavid, EDM at MIN ($33): You can't go wrong with the league's most dangerous scorer, who is equally good at home or on the road. McDavid has scored 28 (!) points in his past 16 games and already has four points in two games against the Wild this season. The Wild defense will be missing the steady Suter, which means if they turn the puck over McDavid will be gone in a flash and there will be no safety blanket on the blue line. McDavid was held without a point Saturday against the Flames, but that's an anomaly.
Anze Kopitar, LA vs. COL ($25): Kopitar has two goals and two assists in his past three games and observers on the West Coast will know that the Kings captain belongs in the MVP conversation with Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. Kopitar scored 20 points in 15 games in March, including a four-goal effort against the Avs on March 22 in a 7-1 win. With no Erik Johnson (knee) on the blue line for Colorado, containing the hulking Kopitar will be a very difficult task.
CENTERS TO AVOID
Brayden Schenn, STL vs. WAS ($21): After a hot start that included 30 points in the first two months of the season, Schenn's monthly point production has dipped, and over the past three months he's scored just 24 points. He has one goal in his past seven games and the Blues have scored just three times in their past two games. The team is coming off a 6-0 loss to the Coyotes on Saturday and while they may rebound with a better effort, the Caps have some momentum after clinching the Metro on Sunday.
Leon Draisaitl, EDM at MIN ($19): It's not smart to put all your eggs in one basket. Despite playing alongside McDavid, Draisaitl has scored just one goal and one assist with a minus-6 rating in his past six games, four of which have been losses. The obvious temptation is to pick linemates in case the superstar explodes on offense, but Draisaitl's 11 points and minus-9 rating through 16 games in March was his worst month of the season, and now he has to face a Minnesota team that has been very good at home.
WING
Alex Ovechkin, WAS at STL ($35): He doesn't get to face the Blues very often, but when he does he's almost automatic. In 16 career games against St. Louis he's scored 14 goals and 13 assists, which is easily his highest goal-per-game average against any NHL team. The Blues have been historically quite talented on the blue line but will be without Jay Bouwmeester (hip) or Carl Gunnarsson (ACL). Ovechkin's scored 15 goals in his past 28 games and he has a chance to extend his lead in the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy.
Mitch Marner, TOR vs. BUF ($23): He's an elite playmaker who's finally nailed down a spot in the top six after skating on the fourth line during a low point this season, and over the past two months no Leaf has been better. His 34 points over that stretch gives him 69 on the season – a career high – and he's dominated the Sabres since entering the league with four goals and eight points in eight games. Mobility has been a problem for the Sabres defense this season, which makes it unlikely they'l keep Marner off the scoresheet.
Zach Parise, MIN vs. EDM ($18): He's on a tear with a six-game point streak that includes goals against the Stars in a home-and-home series, and now he gets to face an Oilers team that has lost four straight and allowed 15 goals in that span. Parise is no longer an elite scoring winger but he can still provide 20 goals a season with relative ease, and on home ice the Wild can get the matchups they want. Parise and linemate Mikael Granlund have been very good lately.
[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey contest or league today]
WINGS TO AVOID
Patrik Laine, WPG at OTT ($29): With both Ovechkin and Vladimir Tarasenko playing Monday, there are other snipers out there who have been more productive than Laine lately, whose goal drought reached six games Saturday. The Sens look like an easy opponent but Laine's line with Nikolaj Ehlers just haven't been able to light the lamp, and it's always difficult to say when they'll snap out of it. Laine is an elite sniper, but his recent performances don't justify current his price tag.
Mikko Rantanen, COL at LA ($25): The Avs will be playing the second half of a back-to-back on the road, where they haven't been particularly good this season. Rantanen is an elite winger but only 28 of his 82 points have come on the road, and the Kings are league's stingiest team with just 194 goals allowed. Jared Bednar won't be able to exploit his matchups without having last change, which means Rantanen's line will be seeing plenty of Norris Trophy candidate Drew Doughty.
Valentin Zykov, CAR at FLA ($18): Since getting called up he's scored six points in seven games, but the sample size is small. The Panthers look vulnerable, losing 5-1 to the Bruins on Saturday and having cooled off considerably since their hot streak, but Zykov played just 11:38 in a close game against the Rangers and has registered just one shot in each of his past three games.
DEFENSE
John Carlson, WAS at STL ($26): Neither of the preseason Norris favorites, Erik Karlsson or Brent Burns, have a chance at winning it this season. Meanwhile, Carlson is putting together a fantastic campaign with a career-high 65 points, including a goal and five assists in his past six games. He's been a stalwart on a blue line that has been short on depth, and if he can just get to the puck to Ovechkin – who has terrorized the Blues in his career – Carlson should be able to pick up a few apples easily.
Jacob Trouba, WPG at OTT ($18): He skated almost 23 minutes and finished with an assist, two shots and two blocked shots Saturday against the Leafs, showing no ill effects from his concussion. Even though he's missed chunks of the season he remains an integral part of the Jets defense, and quite amazingly has never finished a campaign with a negative plus-minus rating. The Senators won't be a tough opponent as the Jets buried them 5-0 during their previous meeting in December.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Tyson Barrie, COL at LA ($24): The Avs will be playing the second half of a back-to-back against the Kings after losing to the Ducks in overtime Sunday, and Barrie will have to face either Kopitar or Jeff Carter, both of whom are much stronger and experienced than he is. Barrie played 25:31 last night, so fatigue could be a factor. He's scored 27 points over the past two months but has not been good against the Kings this season with a minus-4 rating and zero points in two games.
Justin Faulk, CAR at FLA ($17): He has just one goal and one assist in his past six games and 31 points and a minus-26 rating in a disappointing season, and now has to face a Panthers lineup that has one of the best first lines in the league. For the third straight season Faulk's average ice time has dipped as the Hurricanes hand the reins to their younger defensemen, and in 24 career games against the Panthers he's scored just two goals and seven points. It's not the type of production you'd want from an offensively inclined blueliner, especially when Jaccob Slavin ($18) is available at around the same price.
