This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Tuesday's NHL slate begins at 7:00 PM Eastern time and features eight games. Read on to see which players are primed to provide the best value in this medium-sized slate and which ones are best avoided at their respective prices.
GOALIE
Mike Smith, CGY vs. NJ ($32): New Jersey has lost six straight games prior to embarking on a trip through Western Canada, and it's hard to blame the team with more than half of its usual impact players currently sidelined by various injuries. To Smith's benefit, the first leg of this trip is unlikely to go any better for a Devils team that owns a league-worst 8-23-3 road record. If David Rittich gets the nod in net over Smith here, he's just as good a play against this feeble opposition.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Braden Holtby, WAS at PIT ($29): Against most opponents, a hot Holtby would be a steal at $29. Even with wins in five straight starts and only eight goals allowed over that span, it's still tough to trust him against a desperate Penguins team that's battling for a playoff spot. Pittsburgh's a dangerous team when in desperation mode, as evidenced by the club's 9-3-2 record over the past 14 games, with three-plus goals scored in all but two of those contests.
CENTER
Tyler Seguin, DAL at BUF ($29): Seguin's been rolling recently despite a lack of puck luck, and what better city for an opposing player to find luck than downtrodden old Buffalo? In classic upstate New York fashion, the Sabres have seen the excitement of early-season success fizzle out in what will almost certainly end up being another non-playoff campaign, and the Sabres will be trying to slow Seguin down while missing their own best player in Jack Eichel (suspension). For his part, Seguin has cracked double-digit fantasy points five times in the past seven games despite lighting the lamp only once on 28 shots.
CENTER TO AVOID
Brad Richardson, ARI at STL ($17): Richardson is still experiencing a price boost from his four-goal outlier on Feb. 28, but the bottom-six forward has predictably failed to mark the scoresheet in five subsequent games. Another scoreless effort is likely to come against $39 Blues netminder Jordan Binnington.
WINGS
Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG vs. SJ ($18): Ehlers will certainly be happy to be home despite posting a respectable three points during Winnipeg's recently concluded four-game road trip. Despite dressing for just 23 home games compared to 25 on the road, Ehlers has scored 21 of his 32 points at Bell MTS Place. He gets a nice opportunity to further widen the gap in his home/road splits in what promises to be a high-scoring affair against a Sharks team that surrenders the seventh-most goals per game on the road and is finishing out a back-to-back.
Craig Smith, NSH at ANH ($17): With injury-related questions swirling around Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson, owners who don't feel comfortable paying up for Nashville's top wingers have an excellent consolation prize available in Smith. Goals in each of his past two games have Smith up to four over his past 10 games, and he's put at least four pucks on net six times over that stretch while throwing in a pair of helpers. Smith should build on his recent momentum against a Ducks team with a minus-53 goal differential.
WINGS TO AVOID
Artemi Panarin, CLS vs. BOS ($27): Panarin has gone cold at the worst time, recording just two assists with no goals and a minus-6 rating over his past six games. Don't expect him to turn things around on the second leg of a back-to-back against a Bruins team that's holding opponents to 2.46 goals per game -- second-fewest in the league.
Jeff Skinner, BUF vs. DAL ($24): Skinner's mired in an 11-game goal drought, having posted an ugly minus-8 rating over that span to go with four assists. Snapping out of that funk will be difficult against a Dallas team that's holding opponents to 2.53 goals per game (third-fewest in the league), especially without Eichel there to set Skinner up.
DEFENSEMEN
Shea Weber, MON vs. DET ($20): Weber's ability to make sizable contributions in every category makes him a tremendous value at $20 -- his average of 7.8 fantasy points leads all healthy defensemen that cost less than $25 in this slate. He should exceed that hefty average against a Red Wings team that's won just once in its past 11 games.
T.J. Brodie, CGY vs. NJ ($12): Owners looking to spend big at other positions should look Brodie's way at $12. The Flames are heavy favorites against the lowly Devils, so the strong two-way blueliner is a high-floor play with upside here considering he carries 31 points and a plus-25 rating into this matchup.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Seth Jones, CLS vs. BOS ($19): Like Panarin, Jones is another Blue Jackets player who has struggled over the past six games, recording a goal, an assist and a minus-6 rating. He'll have a hard time turning things around against a defensively sound Bruins team that's 13-1-1 in its past 15 games.
Cam Fowler, ANH vs. NSH ($17): Fowler's the most expensive member of Anaheim's blue line, but he's going to have a hard time living up to his $17 valuation against a far superior Nashville team. With just one multi-point game this season and one goal since Nov. 4, Fowler brings almost no upside here.
