This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Monday's slate is not providing daily fantasy players with a lot to work with. There are only two games, which means you have a mere four teams to select from. It makes your task a bit tougher, but we're here to help.
GOALIE
Jake Allen, STL vs. DAL ($30): Considering the fact the other three goalies projected to start Monday are Brian Elliott, Antti Niemi, and Jaroslav Halak, Allen wins almost by default. He's been merely OK with a .913 save percentage, but he's the best of the bunch. The Blues also have a good shot at beating the Stars, which goes a long way.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Brian Elliott, CGY at NYI ($28): Sure, the Islanders are 2-4-4 in their last 10 games. Yes, they've only scored 49 goals in 20 contests. Elliott has a 3.43 GAA and a .882 save percentage. How can you trust him under any circumstances?
[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey contest now]
CENTER
Mikael Backlund, CGY at NYI ($13): Neither the Flames nor the Islanders are particularly adept at goal prevention, so this is primed to be a high-scoring affair. If Halak and his .904 save percentage is in net, that makes Backlund an even more intriguing option. While he only has three goals, he has taken 58 shots on goal, and he plays more than two minute a night on the power play.
CENTER TO AVOID
Jason Spezza, DAL at STL ($18): The Blues are the best defensive team playing Monday, which means the Stars have the closest thing to a bad matchup. While Tyler Seguin is too good to completely set aside with so few players in action, Spezza is a bit more debatable. He has been banged up this season, which is part of the reason why he only has eight points, but he's the third-most expensive center and you can probably do better even given the paltry options available.
WING
Brock Nelson, NYI vs. CGY ($16): Nelson gets to go up against a Calgary team playing on the second night of a back-to-back, and he may be in line to go against Elliott in net. It's about as good of a matchup as you are going to find. Nelson has scored at least 20 goals in each of his last two seasons, and he's got five this year to go with eight assists. The Islanders have had a lot of offensive woes, but Nelson has managed to avoid them.
David Perron, STL vs. DAL ($16): The Dallas Stars are 29th in goals allowed, and 24th on the penalty kill. Perron, who has six goals and 15 points in total, is playing 2:31 a night on the power play and he's notched five power-play points in that time. The Blues definitely have the special teams advantage here, and Perron could take advantage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Patrick Sharp, DAL at STL ($16): Again, Dallas has the closest thing to a tough matchup tonight, so it's easier to find Stars to avoid Monday. Sharp has missed several games with injury, but when he's played he's tallied only two points. He did score his first goal of the season recently, but it would be nice to see him round into form before using him in daily fantasy.
Anders Lee, NYI vs. CGY ($14): Sure, this matchup is quite favorable and the price isn't high, but Lee has been fairly lackluster this season. He only has five points in 20 games, and his minutes are down. That includes his ice time with the man advantage, as he's seeing just 1:26 per game.
DEFENSE
Colton Parayko, STL vs. DAL ($15): Parayko isn't the biggest name on St. Louis' blue line, but he's doing his best to get himself noticed. He's notched 11 points, all assists, but he's also taken 60 shots on goal. He's bound to find the back of the net eventually, especially considering that he's playing 21 minutes a night and 2:12 on the power play. Perhaps this will be the night he finally lights the lamp.
Nick Leddy, NYI vs. CGY ($14): Only the Blackhawks are keeping the Flames from being at the very bottom of the league in penalty killing. Leddy only has three power-play points, but he's been in double digits the last three seasons, and he's playing 3:13 per game this year. He's getting opportunities, and opportunities against the Flames tend to turn into results at an unusually high rate.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
John Klingberg, DAL at STL ($19): Klingberg has 11 points, but he's also only taken 26 shots in 21 games. Additionally, five of those points have come on the power play, and the Blues have the second-best penalty kill in the league. That's a combination that doesn't bode well for Klingberg, or for you if you opt to pay the price for him.
Jordie Benn, DAL at STL ($15): We'll round it out with yet another Star. Benn has one goal this year on 25 shots in 20 games, and one-third of his points have come on the power play. He's also never had more than three goals in a season. There's not a lot of upside here.
