This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Take a break from stressing out over your Thanksgiving preparations by playing a little daily fantasy hockey Tuesday. There's still time before you have to get that turkey in the oven. With only three games on the NHL slate, your choices are limited, but I've got some players I think you should target. Also, of course, some players to avoid.
GOALIE
Robin Lehner, CHI vs. DAL ($31): Apparently it wasn't all about Barry Trotz and Mitch Korn when it comes to Lehner's play. He's in Chicago now, but he still has a 2.37 GAA and .938 save percentage. The Stars' offense has been on an upswing after a slow start, but they are still on the road for the second game of a back-to-back.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jaroslav Halak, BOS at MON ($30): Halak has looked good in limited action, but he's been decidedly worse on the road. Away from home, he's posted a 2.73 GAA and .914 save percentage. Meanwhile, the Canadiens have been strong offensively, as they've averaged 3.39 goals and 34.3 shots on net per game.
CENTER
Nico Hischier, NJD vs. MIN ($17): Hischier has gotten rolling a bit recently. The first overall pick from 2017 has five points in his last four games, and his 7.5 percent shooting is likely to improve. Devan Dubnyk is away from the Wild dealing with a family matter, and his team will be on the road for the second game of a back-to-back. That means rather than having Alex Stalock pull double duty, Kaapo Kahkonen will be making his first NHL start.
CENTER TO AVOID
Joe Pavelski, DAL at CHI ($18): The Stars have been shaking up their lineup recently, which has left Pavelski centering Dallas' third line. He's getting a lot of power-play time, but if he's losing even-strength minutes that still hurts his ceiling. Of course, the real issue is that the Stars are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back, and Robin Lehner has a .938 save percentage.
WING
Mats Zuccarello, MIN at NJD ($18): There's still a reason to like some Minnesota players despite the team being on the road for the second game of a back-to-back. Zuccarello, for example, has four points in his last four games. Just as importantly, the Devils have a 3.45 GAA, bottom five in the NHL.
Kyle Palmieri, NJD vs. MIN ($18): The Devils make things pretty easy on Palmieri. He's started 58.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, second highest on the team, and has averaged 3:26 per game with the extra man. He has seven points on the power play in 22 games, and he's had at least 18 power-play points in each of his last four seasons. The Wild have a middling penalty kill, but goaltending questions and being on a back-to-back won't help matters there.
WINGS TO AVOID
Alexander Radulov, DAL at CHI ($19): Radulov was having a mediocre start to the season prior to breaking out with three points Monday night. However, that was in a game at home with Malcolm Subban in net for the Golden Knights. Radulov's role has also shrunk, as he's averaged 17:18 in ice time, more than two minutes fewer than last year. On top of that, as I have noted before the Stars are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, and Lehner has been stellar in net.
Tomas Tatar, MON vs. BOS ($18): Yes I recommended avoiding Halak, because he's pricey and this isn't a great matchup. However, Halak is still good, and specific Canadiens players may still face issues. For example, the Bruins may have the 16th-ranked penalty kill, but Tatar doesn't have a power-play point in his last 14 games. As such, I would steer clear of him.
DEFENSE
Torey Krug, BOS at MON ($22): Krug rejoined the lineup with a bang after an injury absence, as he had three points in his return to action. He's also a power-play machine, as he already has 12 points with the extra man. The Canadiens have the 25th-ranked penalty kill, so this matchup is up the Michigan State alum's alley.
Sami Vatanen, NJD vs. MIN ($15): Vatanen has notched nine points in 18 games this year, including three with the extra man. He's also averaged 2:51 per game on the power play. The Wild are in the bottom 10 in GAA, and of course are playing their second game in as many nights.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Jeff Petry, MON vs. BOS ($19): While teammate Shea Weber has been hot, Petry has been struggling a bit after a couple breakout campaigns. He doesn't have a goal in his last 17 games, and he only has one power-play point in that time. Given that, and given Rask's level of play, I don't think this will be the game where Petry turns it around.
Erik Gustafsson, CHI vs. DAL ($15): Gustafsson has seen a little uptick recently, as he has three points in his last six games. However, even with that he only has seven points on the season, and only two points with the extra man. Yes, the Stars are on the second leg of a back-to-back, but Anton Khudobin has a 2.15 GAA and .929 save percentage, so this still isn't going to be easy for Gustafsson.
