This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Tuesday's eight-game NHL slate begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time. Certain players in this slate are primed to provide strong value relative to price while others should be avoided. Read on to see which guys fall into which category.
GOALIE
Juuse Saros, NSH vs. SJ ($31): Considered one of the league's best young goaltenders over the past couple years, Saros is getting a chance to shine in a starting role with Pekka Rinne sidelined by a concussion. He's been up to the task and then some with a 4-0-0 record, 1.54 GAA and .945 save percentage. The Sharks have plenty of talent, but they rank in the middle of the pack offensively, so use Saros with confidence at $31.
GOALIE TO AVOID
John Gibson, ANH at CHI ($36): Gibson's a great goalie, but this road match with the Blackhawks isn't the time to use him. Chicago's off to a 4-2-2 start thanks to a robust attack that's netting 3.75 goals per game.
CENTER
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. FLA ($19): Zibanejad's aggressiveness is starting to pay off. He's flung 35 pucks on net through eight games, and has three goals to show for his efforts in the past four contests after opening the season with a four-game point drought. The visiting Panthers are letting in 3.83 goals per game, so Zibanejad has a good chance of getting on the scoresheet here while continuing to direct rubber at the twine.
CENTER TO AVOID
Anze Kopitar, LA at DAL ($25): Kopitar's season got off to a promising start with a goal in each of the first two games, but he's cooled down with a five-game point drought since then. His secondary contributions have dried up as well, which is why Kopitar has totaled a mere 3.2 fantasy points over those last five games. Getting back on track won't be easy against Stars netminder Ben Bishop, who has a 2.46 GAA and .920 save percentage.
WINGS
Kailer Yamamoto, EDM vs. PIT ($11): Yamamoto potted his first NHL goal Thursday, then got promoted to play on Edmonton's top line alongside Connor McDavid on Saturday with Ty Rattie sidelined by an abdominal injury. He's a risky pick against the high-scoring Penguins, but Yamamoto's upside is massive at $11 considering he'll be sharing the ice with the best player in the world against a team that's allowing 3.17 goals per game.
Tomas Tatar, MON vs. CGY ($19): Tatar has been Montreal's best player in the early going, with eight points (three goals) and a plus-5 rating through seven games. The Slovakian winger has scored 20-plus goals in each of the past four seasons, topping out at 29, so he's not performing at an unsustainable pace. Flames netminder Mike Smith has a 3.38 GAA and .885 save percentage, so Tatar should keep the good times rolling here.
WINGS TO AVOID
Patric Hornqvist, PIT at EDM ($23): Hornqvist's off to an incredibly slow start, having failed to rack up a point over the past five games after logging an assist in the season opener. Now operating in a third-line role, Hornqvist is going to have an even tougher time living up to his lofty $23 valuation.
Jake DeBrusk, BOS at OTT ($17): DeBrusk has a two-goal game under his belt, but he's scored no more than 3.8 fantasy points in any of his seven other appearances this season. If you're going to invest in Boston's forwards, either pay up for their elite guys or pinch pennies with one of their extremely affordable yet highly skilled guys priced well below DeBrusk.
DEFENSEMEN
Keith Yandle, FLA at NYR ($20): Yandle takes a five-game, seven-point streak into this matchup with one of his former teams. The Rangers are giving up 3.5 goals per game, so Yandle's offensive upside from the blue line rivals that of the most expensive defensemen in this slate.
Thomas Chabot, OTT vs. BOS ($17):Erik Karlsson who? The points just keep coming for Chabot, who has two goals and seven assists through seven games. That production puts him on a 105-point pace, blowing Karlsson's career high of 82 out of the water. Chabot probably won't keep this pace up, but defensemen with his scoring prowess can rarely be found in the $17 price range.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Seth Jones, CLS vs. ARI ($24): Jones will finally make his season debut here after battling a knee injury, but living up to his $24 price range will be difficult. Not only is rust likely to be a factor, but getting on the scoresheet will be difficult against Coyotes netminder Antti Raanta, who has a 2.32 GAA and .911 save percentage after posting 2.24 and .930 marks last season.
Darnell Nurse, EDM vs. PIT ($18): Just six games into the season, Nurse's rating is already minus-5. It wouldn't be surprising to see that mark keep dropping against a Penguins team that's scoring 3.33 goals per game, and Nurse's career high of 26 points suggests he doesn't have the offensive capabilities to make up for his defensive deficiencies.
