This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
February is almost over, which means the NHL regular season is nearing its end as well. Monday has three games on the docket, although one of those games, the Kings versus the Wild, doesn't seem likely to provide much fantasy value, given how good those teams have been at goal prevention. With that in mind, here are some players to target and to avoid.
GOALIE
Carey Price, MON at NJD ($31): Price as the cheapest goalie on the market? What a world! However, that provides you with a rare opportunity to buy low on the one-time Hart-winning netminder. While he has had some struggles recently, over his last four games he has a 1.96 GAA and a .933 save percentage. Additionally, the Devils have only averaged a mere 2.28 goals per game and 27.5 shots on net per contest. They've also lost three in a row. If Price plays like the Price of old, he would be a steal.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jonathan Quick, LOS at MIN ($33): Quick looked impressive in his return to action, but he has played in exactly two games this season. There's still reason to be wary of him, especially against Minnesota. The Wild are tied for second in goals per game average (3.31), and they are 21-8-1 at home. Meanwhile, the Kings are only 14-16-3 on the road, and they've only scored 2.44 goals per game. That's not much goal support for Quick.
[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey contest now]
CENTER
Kyle Turris, OTT at TAM ($16): Ben Bishop has been dealt, which means Andrei Vasilevskiy (2.81 GAA, .909 save percentage) will be tending goal for Tampa. Turris has averaged a hearty 6.5 fantasy points per game, and he's started 34.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. He's also tallied 11 power-play points, and the Lightning rank 19th on the penalty kill.
CENTER TO AVOID
Eric Staal, MIN vs. LOS ($21): While there is some reason to be skeptical about Quick, the fact remains that the Kings have allowed a league-low 25.8 shots on net per game. Los Angeles also has the sixth-ranked penalty kill. As such, you can't trust Staal to have much success with the man advantage, and his scoring has also slowed down a bit recently. In his last 18 games, he only has six points. At this price, it's hard to trust him in this matchup.
WING
Taylor Hall, NJD vs. MON ($24): Hall has been prolific at putting pucks on net, as he's tallied 167 shots on goal in 51 games. However, he only has an 8.4 shooting percentage, which is the lowest of his career. A little more luck could go a long way for him, especially since Hall starts 31.4 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. Additionally, Hall has 12 power-play points, and the Canadiens rank 21st on the penalty kill.
Ondrej Palat, TAM vs. OTT ($15): The Senators will be on the second night of a back-to-back, which means that Mike Condon, who has a .913 save percentage, should be in net. Beyond that, Ottawa has allowed 3.13 goals per game when playing on zero days of rest. Palat has started 34.1 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, which is higher than your average player, and he's also averaged 2:39 per game on the power play. On top of that, Palat has been playing well recently, as he's tallied five points and 13 shots on goal in his last five games.
WINGS TO AVOID
Alexander Radulov, MON at NJD ($20): Radulov has only averaged 5.9 fantasy points per game. It's not a bad average, but to find a player who has averaged fewer points per game you have to get down to Mike Cammalleri, who will cost you only $15. Beyond that, Radulov has zero points in his last six games, and only one in his last nine contests. Meanwhile, in his last eight games Schneider has a 2.13 GAA and a .935 save percentage, so he's on the rise while Radulov has had struggles.
Tanner Pearson, LOS at MIN ($17): Devan Dubnyk will be tending goal for the Wild, and he leads the league in save percentage (.933) and is second in GAA (2.01). That makes Minnesota a tough matchup for any team. Pearson is having a good season, he's averaged 6.3 fantasy points per game, but it's hard to trust most players, Pearson included, in a matchup against the Wild.
DEFENSE
Jared Spurgeon, MIN vs. LOS ($20): Spurgeon has been a solid contributor offensively, tallying 28 points in 55 games, but he's also blocked 106 shots on top of that. The Kings have averaged 60.4 shots attempts per 60 minutes, third most in the NHL, which means Spurgeon should have plenty of opportunities to get in front of the puck. He has averaged a whopping 24:18 per game, which gives him a lot of minutes to rack up fantasy points, even against a team like the Kings.
Andrei Markov, MON at NJD ($15): While Schneider has played better recently, the Devils have allowed 31.5 shots on goal per game, which is eighth most in the NHL. New Jersey also has the 18th-ranked penalty kill as well. Markov has tallied 10 power-play points in 43 games, and he has five overall points in his last seven contests. At a reasonable price, he offers some upside, especially with the extra man.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Drew Doughty, LOS at MIN ($22): While Doughty does have nine points in his last 15 games, none of them are goals. Considering that Dubnyk has only allowed 2.01 goals per game, and the Wild have only allowed 2.31 goals per contest as a team, it seems unlikely Doughty will be able to finally light the lamp here. There are instances where his hefty price is worth paying, but not against Minnesota.
Ryan Suter, MIN vs. LOS ($22): So why is Spurgeon worth targeting while Suter is one to avoid? Well, for starters, Suter costs $2 more but has averaged fewer fantasy points per game (7.0 to Spurgeon's 7.3). Additionally, Suter only has 78 blocked shots in 59 games, so he's not as likely to generate fantasy points on that end of the ice. Since the Kings have only allowed 25.8 shots on net per game, this matchup doesn't line up as well for him as it does for his teammate, and there are also non-Wild defensemen who are better options Monday.
