This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Sunday evening's NHL slate features just two games. While the Blackhawks and Wild will both be favored at home, there are still solid fantasy options to be found on the visiting Canucks and Predators. Read on to find out the night's top value plays and fades.
GOALIE
Corey Crawford, CHI vs. VAN ($34): The 26th-ranked Canucks offense is clearly the least dangerous of the bunch Sunday, considering each of the other three rank among the top 14. Matchup alone should allow Crawford to live up to his $34 price despite his recent struggles. Expect the veteran All-Star to get back on track here.
Goalie to Avoid
Ryan Miller, VAN at CHI ($32): Miller has been awful on the road this season, with a 2-6-2 record, 3.30 GAA and .901 save percentage. He has cracked double-digit fantasy points just twice away from Rogers Arena, and is unlikely to do so here against a Chicago team that has won six of its past eight games.
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CENTER
Henrik Sedin, VAN at CHI ($14): Sedin's four-game point streak allowed him to finally reach the 1,000-point milestone Friday, while simultaneously pushing his season totals to 11 goals and 19 assists. He continues to produce while leading all Canucks forwards with 19:27 of ice time per game, yet is priced below two teammates at his position. With Crawford struggling a bit of late, Sedin's chances of extending his point streak are too good to overlook him at just $14.
Center to Avoid
Jonathan Toews, CHI vs. VAN ($20): Toews continues to be priced in the upper echelon at his position despite scoring at a rate well below his lofty standards. He has just three goals in 26 games since Nov. 6, while teammate Artem Anisimov ($21) has lit the lamp 10 times over that same time frame. Blackhawks players in general should do well here, but not Toews in particular.
WING
Nino Niederreiter, MIN vs. NSH ($16): Niederreiter continues to make the most of his opportunities on the first line and second power-play unit, having potted five goals on 18 shots while contributing four points with the extra man over the past five games. The 24-year-old forward is well on his way to a third consecutive season over 20 goals, yet remains very affordable at just $16. His combination of role and ability make Niederreiter the best value on the Wild.
Richard Panik, CHI vs. VAN ($12): Panik is worth a flier at the minimum price given Miller's road struggles. He's the only Blackhawks forward receiving power-play time priced under $20, and could leverage those opportunities into points against the 22nd-ranked Canucks penalty kill. Home-road splits generally don't mean much, but it's worth noting that eight of Panik's 10 goals have come at the United Center.
Wings to Avoid
Austin Watson, NSH at MIN ($15): It's unclear why Watson is priced above the minimum. He's a bottom-six forward who is averaging just 12:27 of ice time per game and has a mere 11 points in 42 games. Watson has only scored 5.0 fantasy points or more in a game 12 times this season, and he's unlikely to reach that threshold against the best team in the Western Conference.
Ryan Hartman, CHI vs. VAN ($18): Hartman is also significantly overpriced given his role. He receives zero power-play time, and has skated under 15 minutes in eight consecutive games. Even with a very limited number of teams to choose from on this slate, there are plenty of cheaper options in much more prominent roles available.
DEFENSE
Ryan Ellis, NSH at MIN ($17): Ellis has been tremendous in an increased role with P.K. Subban (upper body) and Roman Josi (upper body) out of the lineup. While Subban finally returned Friday, Ellis stayed hot by skating over 27 minutes and scoring his third goal in two games. The sixth-year blueliner has been contributing offensively with 15 shots in the past four games, and gives you all the advantages of a bona fide top pairing defenseman without the hefty price tag. Ellis could also see an additional bump in value if the Wild choose to dress backup goalie Darcy Kuemper after using elite No. 1 Devan Dubnyk for the front end of a back-to-back Saturday.
Jared Spurgeon, MIN vs. NSH ($20): Those who hitched themselves onto the Spurgeon bandwagon early have been reaping the benefits all season, but it's not too late to hop on now. He leads all available defensemen with 7.7 fantasy points per game, yet is priced below four others at his position. Spurgeon's league-leading plus-26 rating is unlikely to take a hit with the Wild favored in this one, so he should once again provide good bang for the buck as he has on most occasions.
Defensemen to Avoid
P.K. Subban, NSH at MIN ($22): Subban failed to find the scoresheet against the Oilers in his return to the lineup, and has now gone without a point in his past five appearances. His minus-10 rating shows that the talented blueliner has some serious downside when he's not scoring, and getting back on track will be difficult against an even stronger road foe in Minnesota.
Alexander Edler, VAN at CHI ($15): As Vancouver's ice time leader on the first defensive pairing, Edler will be subjected to all of the plus-minus downside that comes with facing Chicago's top offensive weapons, without offering much offensive potential in return. The veteran has compiled just nine points so far, and thus has the unappealing combination of both a low floor and a low ceiling.
