This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
The National Hockey League is back after a thrilling All-Star weekend, which was mostly met with approval despite a huge change in events and format. The schedule for Tuesday features 14 games, with only two teams getting an extra day of rest, resulting in a nearly full slate of players to choose from for daily fantasy purposes. Don't fret, however, as we're here to help make the selection process less stressful.
GOALIE
Mike Condon, OTT at FLA ($31): Condon kicks off the second half with his 25th consecutive appearance -- and 15th straight start -- in the Ottawa crease. It will be his second appearance against the Panthers this season. In his first, back on Dec. 3, Condon turned aside all 24 shots he faced for the second of his four shutouts this season. He remains a bargain, especially considering the Senators have won 21 of their past 30 trips to Florida, and the Panthers are just 1-8 in their past nine against teams with a winning overall record.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Sergei Bobrovsky, CLS at NYR ($34): Bobrovsky allowed eight total goals in his two appearances leading up to the All-Star break, and he was not able to rest since he played in the All-Star tournament Sunday in Los Angeles. All of that travel is certain to take a toll on him, and facing a top-flight Eastern Conference team doesn't help his outlook, either. Bobrovsky is 4-8-2 with a 2.93 GAA in his career against the Rangers, while the Blue Jackets have dropped eight of their past nine meetings against them, and they're 0-4 in their past four trips to Madison Square Garden.
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CENTER
Ryan Getzlaf, ANA vs. COL ($20): Getzlaf is rested thanks to the lengthy break, and he gets a favorable matchup at home, as the Avalanche have a minus-63 goal differential, worst in the league. Colorado has allowed 60 high-danger goals so far this season, and Getzlaf should add to their total.
CENTER TO AVOID
Auston Matthews, TOR at DAL ($28): The rookie is the fifth most expensive center on the board, and he is likely to have a bit of fatigue after a whirlwind All-Star weekend in Los Angeles. Matthews was scoreless in four of the past six games leading up to the break, and as such he is overpriced.
WING
Vladimir Tarasenko, STL vs. WPG ($30): Tarasenko snapped an eight-game goal drought in the final game before the break. In his first game back, he faces a Winnipeg team struggling with goaltender issues. The Jets have three or more goals in each of their past nine outings, giving up an average of 3.89 goals per game during the span. They also ranks 27th in penalty kill percentage, so there is a good chance Tarasenko will hit the scoresheet on the man advantage.
Mats Zuccarello, NYR vs. CLS ($21): Zuccarello has been red hot over an extended period, posting one goal, 17 assists and a plus-7 rating over his past 16 games. While the Norwegian is scoreless in his two previous games this season against the Blue Jackets, he is a tremendous value at this salary. As mentioned above, Bobrovsky also might be a bit sluggish from his whirlwind weekend of cross-country travel.
WINGS TO AVOID
Cam Atkinson, CLS at NYR ($28): The Blue Jackets come out of the break facing the Blueshirts on the road, and Atkinson will look to improve on his six goals in 14 games against the Rangers. He was a late emergency replacement on the Metropolitan team during All-Star festivities, and he should be bushed after a busy weekend in Los Angeles and then a long flight to New York to join his teammates. As such, it might take a few games for Atkinson to get going again.
Patrick Maroon, EDM vs. MIN ($17): Maroon caught fire in the first two weeks of January, and he was an amazing value with a low price tag and high return. Unfortunately, while his price continued to rise, his production came to an abrupt halt, as in six games before the break he had no goals and just one assist. He's also facing the Wild, a team ranked sixth in scoring-change save percentage. Maroon likely will not come close to meeting salary expectations.
DEFENSE
Erik Karlsson, OTT at FLA ($29): Karlsson's goal numbers and shot totals have been down this season, but he leads the Eastern Conference in blocked shots and is averaging 3.5 blocked shots over his past six outings. Expect him to perform well in Tuesday's road game against the Panthers, a team the Senators have routinely beaten over the years.
Calvin de Haan, NYI vs. WAS ($17): De Haan is going to be busy sacrificing his body Tuesday, as Washington takes plenty of shots. He is the Eastern Conference's co-leader in blocked shots, and de Haan is averaging 3.0 blocks per game over his past five outings. If he manages to extend his point streak to three games, that's a bonus for DFS players.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Kris Letang, PIT vs. NSH ($27): Letang (knee) is a game-time decision for Tuesday's game, and that's not terribly positive considering he had the All-Star break to rest and get his knee right. Even if he is able to play, he is facing a top 10 penalty-kill unit, so scoring chances will be at a premium. Letang might have a little rust to knock off too, and he is too risky of a play at this high a salary.
Victor Hedman, TB vs. BOS ($25): Hedman has a high price tag, but a terrible matchup for his first game out of the break. The Bruins rank No. 2 in the league in penalty kill percentage (86.5) and will be sending out Tuukka Rask, a goaltender with a 11-5-1 record against the Lightning and 24 road wins with a .928 save percentage and three shutouts away from Beantown.
