This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are eight games on the National Hockey League docket Tuesday with the Sabres, Lightning, Bruins and Sharks each playing their second game in consecutive nights.
Two divisional battles in the Eastern Conference are the marquee matchups but could disappoint fantasy owners. Beware of too much exposure to the Penguins-Islanders and Bruins-Lightning bouts.
There are two significant mismatches to pivot to, though. Dallas grabs the banged-up and shallow Canadiens, and the Rangers have beat Buffalo eight consecutive times and play them on the second leg of back-to-back games.
Here is your daily stock report with targets, values and fades.
GOALIE
Kari Lehtonen, DAL at MON ($29) - The Canadiens are dealing with a slew of injuries and have played poorly for an extended stretch, going 12-26-3 since the beginning of December. Dallas, meanwhile, has won consecutive games and should easily provide the goal support for Lehtonen to return the win bonus and a solid fantasy line. Should Antti Niemi ($20) receive the start, he is a slam-dunk start at his cap hit.
Player to avoid:
Marc-Andre Fleury, PIT at NYI ($37) - The Penguins netminder has been inconsistent through his past 20 games, allowing at least three goals in 10 outings with 10 games of two or fewer. The numbers have been strong overall (13-4-3 with a .919 save percentage and three shutouts), but this is by no means a cushy matchup with the Islanders averaging a third-best 3.31 goals per game since the All-Star break.
CENTER
Jason Spezza, DAL at MON ($21) - Spezza has abandoned his pass-first act of late and scored six goals through his past seven games, including an active three-game goal stretch. He benefits from his role with the No. 1 power play unit, while also avoiding the opposition's top defenders by centering the second line with blossoming wingers Valeri Nichushkin and Mattias Janmark. Plus, Montreal is extremely vulnerable, as mentioned.
Player to avoid:
Pavel Datsyuk, DET at CLS ($25) - The veteran projects to play after being a late scratch due to an illness Sunday, but even in an A+ matchup, Datsyuk is an ill-advised fantasy option. He has a single goal and no assists with a minus-4 rating through his past six games, and there are three much more attractive pivots (Tyler Seguin, Tyler Johnson and Connor McDavid) right below him on the price chart.
WING
Kyle Okposo, NYI vs. PIT ($22) - Brooklyn has been kind to Okposo. He has 29 points including 10 goals through 30 home games and is currently sporting a three-game point streak with multiple scoresheet appearances in each outing. Additionally, through his past six games against Pittsburgh, Okposo has four goals and three helpers.
Jamie Benn, DAL at MON ($22) - This is a discounted salary for the reigning Art Ross winner who has already posted his third consecutive 30-goal, 70-point season through just 67 games. He is an option alongside Spezza because of their mutual roles on the No. 1 power play unit, or as an alternative. At this cap hit, though, expect Benn to be highly owned Tuesday.
Lee Stempniak, BOS at TB ($12) - At minimum price, Stempniak is a lineup lock Tuesday. It doesn't come up straight aces given the daunting matchup in the second road game in as many nights for the Bruins, but the journeyman has a goal and five assists through the past three games skating with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. As far as cap relief goes, it is difficult to find a better fit.
Player to avoid:
Evander Kane, BUF vs. NYR ($25) - A true boom-or-bust play, Kane often undermines his high shot volume with a minus rating, and thus relies on tallies in the goal and assist columns to return fantasy value. The offense has been inconsistent, too. Kane has five points with three goals through his past eight games with 26 shots and a minus-2 rating. Buffalo has also lost eight straight games to New York by a combined 32-11 score, so it isn't a great matchup for Kane, either.
DEFENSEMEN
Ryan McDonagh, NYR at BUF ($21) - A high-floor rearguard who is one game removed from a four-game point streak, McDonagh grabs Buffalo on the wrong end of back-to-back games and stands to continue his recent run. He has five points through his past six games with eight shots, 10 blocked shots and an average of 23:12 minutes of ice.
Kris Russell, DAL at MON ($19) - With John Klingberg out Sunday, Russell handled the point on the No. 1 power-play unit Sunday and registered an assist with the man advantage to go along with a shot and three blocked shots. Russell's fantasy value is much greater with Klingberg out, but it isn't a deal breaker. This is a great matchup, and Russell's expanded role with Dallas provides a high fantasy floor.
Player to avoid:
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, SJ at EDM ($21) - After a scorching fantasy stretch, Vlasic is finally slowing down and has just a single assist, three shots and six blocked shots through his past four games. San Jose is on the wrong end of back-to-back road games Tuesday, and Vlasic projects to be tasked with slowing down Connor McDavid. Vlasic was killed in the possession counts chasing Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan around all night Monday, so keep expectations in check for No. 44 in teal.
