This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Sunday doesn't have its usual afternoon games, so you don't have to worry about getting your DFS lineups in before 7 p.m. ET. Here are some players from Sunday's five contests to target and some to avoid for your rosters.
GOALIE
Thatcher Demko, VAN vs. CAR ($27): The Hurricanes rank eighth in averaging scoring, but they're also on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back. Demko, meanwhile, has been hot with a 1.99 GAA and .938 save percentage over his last 10 appearances. At this salary, I think he's worth it.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Darcy Kuemper, COL vs. FLA ($29): The Avalanche lead the league in goals per game, but the Panthers are breathing down their neck with 3.77 a night and a whopping 36.3 shots on net. Kuemper enters with a 2.87 GAA and .904 save percentage, so I have no faith in him here.
CENTER
Bo Horvat, VAN vs. CAR ($17): Horvat has picked up the pace of late with five points in his last six outings. He's still carrying a 9.9 shooting percentage – considerably lower than his 12.5 career mark – so there's clearly more room for improvement. Antti Raanta may have a 2.41 GAA thanks to a stout defense, but he also sports a .904 save percentage.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mika Zibanejad, NYR vs. NAS ($27): Speaking of guys with bad puck luck, Zibanejad only has five goals due largely to a 7.6 shooting percentage. This isn't a great matchup for regressing toward the mean as Juuse Saros has posted a 2.35 GAA and .921 save percentage.
WING
Jonathan Marchessault, VGK vs. MIN ($20): Though Cam Talbot will be in net for the Wild, I still like the Golden Knights at home against a road team on the second of consecutive nights. Marchessault has also been hot since returning with a point in four of six contests along with a robust 23 pucks on net. Facing a tired defense could yield plenty of shot opportunities.
Rickard Rakell, ANA at STL ($19): Rakell is another played who recently came back and immediately started firing on all cylinders with four goals, four assists, and 33 shots on net across 11 games. Meanwhile, the Blues are in a bleak goaltending situation in goal as their starter tonight could likely be fourth-stringer Jon Gillies, a 27-year-old who hasn't played in the NHL since 2017-18.
WINGS TO AVOID
Andrei Svechnikov, CAR at VAN ($23): I'm skeptical about Svechnikov at this salary for the same reason I am in on Demko. The Hurricanes are on the road for the second night of a back-to-back. And Demko has been outstanding of late. In fact, he's recorded a 2.26 GAA and .930 save percentage at home this season.
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL vs. ANA ($21): Tarasenko has slowed down after a hot start with only one goal from his last 13 contests. Both the Blues and Ducks are playing the tail end of back-to-backs, but the Ducks aren't in the same situation as their opponent and will be starting Anthony Stolarz with his 2.32 GAA and .931 save percentage.
DEFENSE
Aaron Ekblad, FLA at COL ($24): Ekblad is racking up points with eight goals and 16 assists on the campaign. He's also managed a whopping 86 shots on net, making his one of the most prolific shooters from the blueline. Shots against Colorado have yielded a fair amount of fruit based on their 3.42 GAA.
Jamie Drysdale, ANA at STL ($16): Who's recently been getting time on the top power play for the Ducks? That would be Drysdale, the 19-year-old taken sixth overall in 2020. He's averaged 2:12 on the man advantage with five of his 13 points coming during that situation. It doesn't really matter where the Blues penalty kill ranks overall, because usually Gillies isn't in net when they're down a man.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Jacob Trouba, NYR vs. NAS ($18): Trouba posted back-to-back games with a goal and an assist, but a 9.4 shooting percentage isn't sustainable. And he's only averaged 1:13 on the power play, so he's not really a factor there. As I mentioned earlier, Saros has starred with a 2.35 GAA and .921 save percentage.
Samuel Girard, COL vs. FLA ($18): Girard is enjoying a good year, but he's behind Cale Makar and Devon Toews on the pecking order and that mutes his upside - especially on the power play. Florida's also starting Sergei Bobrovsky, who enters with a 2.32 GAA and .922 save percentage.
