This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are six games in the NHL on Sunday, but the 12 p.m. EDT game between Washington and Boston isn't included in Yahoo's featured contests. It's also worth noting the Rangers, Devils, Penguins, Sabres and Flyers are all playing for the second time in consecutive days, whereas Vancouver is hitting the ice for the first time since Mar. 24. Here are my picks and pans at each position for today's contests.
All statistics from Natural Stat Trick and Hockey Reference.
GOALIE
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK at ANH ($33): The veteran's salary is a gift for the plus-matchup against Anaheim. Fleury has also kicked a recent cold stretch stopping 34 of 36 shots in consecutive wins, so expect him to be a popular DFS target with Anaheim scoring the fewest goals per game in the league. And don't forget Vegas shut out Anaheim 4-0 on Friday.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jack Campbell, TOR at VAN ($41): The wheels are beginning to come off for Campbell of late. He's allowed 11 goals on just 62 shots through his past three appearances and only came away with a single win. It's expected Vancouver will struggle after nearly a month layoff due to COVID-19 protocols, but Campbell also carries a contest-high salary so there's no room for error.
CENTER
Sidney Crosby, PIT at BUF ($34): This is a cushy matchup and No. 87 has marked the scoresheet in 12 of his past 14 games for six tallies, 15 helpers and 10 power-play points. The Sabres are also expected to start Michael Houser ($20) in goal, and he's never previously played an NHL game.
CENTER TO AVOID
Sean Couturier, PHI vs. NYI ($21): The Islanders have surrendered the third fewest goals per game in the league and Couturier has cooled off of late with just five points - including three goals - through his past 10 contests. More concerning is a low fantasy floor in these settings because he's also posted a minus-9 rating during the noted stretch.
WING
Anthony Beauvillier, NYI at PHI ($14): A streaky scorer, Beauvillier has gone six games without a goal, but registered five shots and eight attempts last time out. The uptick in shot volume is encouraging heading into a favorable matchup against the Flyers who have surrendered the second most goals per game in the league.
Nick Robertson, TOR at VAN ($10): The 19-year old winger is projected to skate with John Tavares ($25) and William Nylander ($21) on Sunday after receiving a boost in ice time during Thursday's loss to the Jets. Robertson collected an assist in that outing and offers nice upside for a winger at minimum salary. As noted, Vancouver is in a tough spot and has surrendered 3.22 goals per game this season, ranking them seventh-worst in the league.
WINGS TO AVOID
Zach Hyman, TOR at VAN ($23): Toronto's lines often go in the blender and Hyman typically climbs up and down the depth chart. While he's projected to skate with Alex Kerfoot ($10) and Ilya Mikheyev ($15), there's potential for him to still see time with a scoring line Sunday. However, when spending up for a player, it's typically better to have them locked into an offensive role before puck drop.
Jared McCann, PIT at BUF ($20): While this is definitely a plus-matchup, McCann's salary is climbing and he probably can't maintain his current goal-scoring pace. The 24-year-old forward has scored seven times with a 17.9 shooting percentage through his past 11 games, so there's definite risk counting on him considering he posted 9.5 shooting percentage the previous three seasons.
DEFENSE
Kris Letang, PIT at BUF ($23): This sets up as a bounce-back spot for the veteran. As noted, the Sabres have struggled defensively and Letang has only managed a single assist through the past three after 12 points over his previous nine outings. For the campaign, his 1.99 points per 60 minutes rank ninth among blueliners.
Quinn Hughes, VAN vs. TOR ($15): If you're looking for a high-risk, high-reward candidate, Hughes' reasonable salary helps mitigate his plus-minus risk. The upside is legit as he ranks sixth in points per 60 minutes among regular defensemen over the past two years.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Ivan Provorov, PHI vs. NYI ($19): With just a single goal and assist through the past seven games, Provorov's current form isn't encouraging heading into the noted tough matchup. He's also only registered 12 shots and sports a minus-3 rating during the stretch, so the peripheral statistics aren't encouraging either.
Ryan Lindgren, NYR at NJ ($16): The 23-year-old defenseman has a goal and two assists through the past two matchups against New Jersey and his salary has climbed considerably as a result. The cap hit is now probably too high. Lindgren doesn't receive power-play time and his 1.03 points per 60 minutes rank 63rd in the league among regular defensemen.
