This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Sunday's Islanders-Lightning battle combines with a pair of Western Conference Game 6 matchups Monday to make up the next three-game slate. All three series have been hotly contested, so players from all six teams are viable options.
GOALIE
Pekka Rinne, NSH vs. SJ ($36): Rinne has been dominant at home in this series, stopping 70 of 74 Sharks shots en route to a pair of wins. He won both of Nashville's elimination games in Round 1, so expect the Finnish netminder to bring his absolute best with the season once again hanging in the balance. The fact that you can get him for a reasonable $36 is an added bonus.
Goalie to Avoid:
Thomas Greiss, NYI at TB ($34): Greiss has dropped three straight against the Lightning, averaging a measly 7.2 fantasy points per game in that span. Chances of a turnaround on the road seem low given that the Islanders needed a five-goal game from the offense to win Game 1 and opposing netminder Ben Bishop seems too locked in to allow that many again.
CENTER
Cody Eakin, DAL at STL ($15): Eakin has done an admirable job filling in as the first-line center in Tyler Seguin's absence, totalling eight points in 11 postseason games. He's playing north of 20 minutes per game alongside Jamie Benn, and has already proven more than capable of being productive himself with the overtime game-winner his last time in St. Louis. At just $15, the bang for the buck on Eakin in his current role is too good to pass up.
Center to Avoid:
John Tavares, NYI at TB ($33): The Lightning have limited Tavares to just 1.0 fantasy points total in the last three games. While the Islanders' captain will likely step things up a notch with his season on the line, living up to his price as the night's most expensive forward option will be an uphill battle.
WING
James Neal, NSH vs. SJ ($24): Neal has been an unstoppable force in his last three games at Bridgestone Arena, lighting the lamp in all three. Throw in his two assists and 15 shots on goal, and it becomes easy to see how he managed to average 18.3 fantasy points per game in that span. Don't let his lackluster play on the road fool you, as Neal is worth every penny at home.
Nikita Kucherov, TB vs. NYI ($30): Kucherov doesn't come cheap, but who would when they've scored eight times in nine playoff games? The postseason goals co-leader could be unavailable for a while should the Lightning clinch an Eastern Conference Finals berth with a win, so take this opportunity to get him in your lineup for possibly the last time in this round. He's brimming with confidence coming off his third-period equalizer last time out, so don't expect the Russian's production to tail off any time soon.
Wings to Avoid:
Jaden Schwartz, STL vs. DAL ($25): While he continues to distribute well, Schwartz hasn't found the back of the net in seven games. That lack of goals is unacceptable for a forward priced this highly.
Jonathan Drouin, TB vs. NYI ($20): Drouin is a hit-or-miss option who has totalled 6.0 fantasy points in three of his last five appearances and 27.0 in the other two. The young winger has played under 15 minutes three times in that span, and is often at risk of missing out on long stretches of ice time due to his defensive deficiencies. There are much more consistent options available in the same price range who bring similar scoring upside with fewer concerns.
DEFENSE
Victor Hedman, TB vs. NYI ($27): Hedman had a five-game point streak against the Islanders dating back to the regular season snapped in Game 4, but the talented blueliner is likely to start another one right away given that he already has two goals and four assists in this series. Islanders netminder Thomas Greiss gave up 0.34 more goals per game on the road than at home in the regular season, so Hedman and the Lightning have a strong chance of breaking through against him following a low-scoring Game 4 at the Barclays Center.
Jay Bouwmeester, STL vs. DAL ($12): Offensive producers hog all the glory, but Bouwmeester has averaged 9.0 fantasy points per game over the last three despite totalling just two assists in that span. The driving force behind that success is his plus-5 rating, which is the result of the two-time All-Star's heady two-way play. He won't blow you away, but Bouwmeester's high ice time gives him a lot more opportunities to accrue value than your typical minimum-price blueliner.
Defensemen to Avoid:
John Klingberg, DAL at STL ($19): Klingberg totalled 58 points in the regular season, but his offensive prowess has been completely neutralized in this series. He has failed to break double digits in fantasy points in a game while picking up just a single assist so far against the Blues, and that doesn't figure to change in Game 6 on the road.
Ryan Ellis, NSH vs. SJ ($17): Ellis has still yet to score a goal this postseason, and continues to be overshadowed by a slew of more productive options on the Nashville blue line. You may as well pony up the extra few dollars to grab one of those alternatives, as their significantly higher ceilings justify doing so.
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