This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
A healthy seven-game slate Tuesday should afford you a wealth of choices across the league but will also give you the opportunity to hit a few marquee names. Here are some ideas...
Goalie
Alex Stalock, MIN vs. CGY ($25)
Backups are usually a risky endeavor, but Stalock is in a great position here. The Flames enter Tuesday's game having scored two goals or fewer in four of their last six away games, while the Wild have recorded 19 total goals in their last four home contests, suggesting ample goal support. It's also nice that the Minnesota native has allowed just two goals or fewer in his last four appearances.
Goalie to Avoid
Cam Talbot, EDM @ NSH ($30)
Talbot has allowed four goals or more in six of his last seven appearances, so he's already working at a disadvantage fantasy-wise coming into Tuesday's slate. A trip to Nashville, where the home team is averaging 3.56 goals per game, doesn't make his outlook too much better. At this middle-of-the-road price, you shouldn't count on the 30-year-old turning it around.
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Center
Jonathan Toews, CHI @ OTT ($19)
Toews has been scorching hot lately, putting up three goals and seven points to go with a plus-5 rating over his last four contests. Tuesday, the Blackhawks captain and his team roll into Ottawa where the opposing squad has allowed 3.43 goals per game. Despite all that, Toews still boasts a very reasonable price, meaning savvy fantasy players should take advantage while the cost remains low.
Center to Avoid
Jack Eichel, BUF vs. WPG ($22)
The season of struggle continues for the Sabres and Eichel, who has recorded just one assist and a horrific minus-6 rating over the last four games, with one of the scoreless, negative performances coming Friday in Winnipeg. The Jets run a stout 9th-ranked defense in terms of goals allowed, which could limit the 2015 second overall draft pick's ability to get a positive game Tuesday.
Wing
Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG @ BUF ($21)
Speaking of the Jets, they're soaring offensively right now too, scoring four or more goals in four of their last five contests, so having any cog in that machine is great now, especially as they prepare to face the hapless Sabres. Ehlers fits the bill even at his lofty-ish Tuesday price and is helped by a good floor due to his very positive plus-minus play lately. The Danish winger's nice power-play splits also ups his value.
Craig Smith, NSH vs. EDM ($17)
You gotta love the fact that Smith likes to shoot the puck often -- as his 4.33 average shots on goal in the last 12 games will attest -- but perhaps what you have to love more is his involvement in the team's high-powered offense. The Madison, Wisconsin native regularly runs on the power-play unit with some of the team's best offensive weapons, which has given him a third of his points this year.
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Wings to Avoid
Brock Boeser, VAN @ WAS ($23)
It can be easy to get caught up in Brockomania with the run that Boeser has been on of late, but keep in mind that he's currently scoring at an unsustainable 19.6 shooting percentage, which is bound to level out eventually. A meeting in America's capital with a Washington team that prides itself on defense could be unkind to the rookie, who sports two assists and a minus-3 rating in the last four games.
Jeff Skinner, CAR @ TB ($20)
Similarly to Boeser, Skinner gets a very undesirable matchup Tuesday against a Tampa Bay squad that has proven nearly as formidable on the defensive end as they are in the offensive. The 25-year-old has looked vulnerable when playing good defenses, accumulated just two points in his last six games, and managed none and a minus-2 rating in his last game against the Lightning on Oct 24.
Defense
Ryan Ellis, NSH vs. EDM ($20)
Ellis apparently hasn't missed a beat since returning to the fold following offseason knee surgery and is beginning to see more looks in key spots, as Saturday's win over the Kings represented his first time with the power-play unit this season. Edmonton, as previously outlined, is struggling on both ends of the ice, leaving the veteran d-man to potentially extend his points streak to three games.
Tyler Myers, WPG @ BUF ($17)
Three assists over the last two games is great, but what really gives Myers his appeal, especially at this lower price point, is the fact that he has stable blocked shot and shots on goal numbers. The 27-year-old also has increased looks with the power play unit, where he has averaged 2:57 of ice time over the last six contests. Look for him to get involved offensively and maintain his solid defense against a bottom-dweller Tuesday.
Defensemen to Avoid
Alex Pietrangelo, STL vs. FLA ($25)
Pietrangelo has been a firm presence on the St. Louis blue line all season, but his inconsistency since the start of 2018 anda bit before makes him a somewhat unworthy and, possibly risky, play considering the lofty Tuesday price tag. The Panthers have some dangerous scorers among their ranks and could cause headaches for a Blues team that has lost two straight.
Duncan Keith, CHI @ OTT ($19)
It's right around the halfway mark of the season and we're still waiting for the first goal to be credited to Keith. The venerated defenseman sports a poor minus-3 rating so far through the campaign and is blocking well under two shots per game, so it's not as if you're going to want him for his stable defensive stats either. Ottawa is bad, but still good enough to frustrate Keith on both ends.
