This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Monday features six games in the National Hockey League with just the Avalanche playing the wrong end of back-to-back games.
Two preseason contenders in the Eastern Conference are in action and headed in opposite directions. Washington has rolled off seven consecutive win, whereas Montreal has now lost six consecutive.
GOALIE
Ben Bishop, TB vs. MON ($34) - Montreal has lost seven consecutive road games and 10 of its last 11 outings with just 16 goals. It is an Gade A matchup for Bishop, and the Lightning tendy has been exceptional at home this season. He boasts a .928 save percentage and a 1.93 goals-against average through 16 home games. Additionally, Tampa Bay has been finding its form offensively with an average of 3.8 goals per game over its last five outings.
Goalie to Avoid:
Petr Mrazek, DET at MIN ($35) - While the Wild dropped their last home game, they're still 13-5-1 at home and average 3.0 goals per game. Mrazek has been exceptional all season with a .924 save percentage and 2.29 goals-against average, though. So in this case, the concern is the matchup, and Mrazek being the third-most expensive goalie in the player pool. There are better values to be plucked.
CENTER
Steven Stamkos, TB vs. MON ($22) - With five goals, an assist and 20 shots in his last four games, Stamkos appears to be finding his elite offensive form ... finally. He has been rolling along a nice stretch with 11 goals and 10 helpers in his last 24 games. Plus, Montreal is allowing 3.67 goals per outing in its six-game losing streak.
Anze Kopitar, LA at VAN ($19) - The slow start has Kopitar's salary in profit territory, and the pivot has five goals and 10 helpers over his last 15 games. Vancouver has won two straight, allowing just one goal in each game, but it's not a daunting matchup -- 14-14-7 while allowing 2.76 goals against. Kopitar is a nice value Monday.
Center to avoid:
Jeff Carter, MIN, LA at VAN ($23) - The script is flipped with Carter compared to Kopitar, and Carter is dealing with an upper body injury and reeling along a seven-game stretch with just two helpers. Most telling, though, is Carter has failed to register a shot in three of his last four games. At his cap hit, target players in better current form.
WING
Filip Forsberg, NSH vs. NYR ($22) - During his four-game point streak, Forsberg has three goals and two helpers with 15 shots on net. He is the focal point of the Nashville offense and owns elite and opportunistic offensive vision. The Rangers have allowed 4.2 goals per game over their last five and 2.94 per road tilt for the season. Additionally, the Rangers have morphed into one of the worst possession teams in the league this season with a 46.9 CorsiFor percentage.
Matt Nieto, SJ vs. COL ($12) - A true dice roll. Nieto has been flanking Patrick Marleau lately, and while the results haven't been there, the 23-year-old winger has flashed offensive upside in each of his three seasons in the league. At a contest-minimum price, Nieto is a viable source of cap relief with potential to easily exceed value.
Wing to avoid:
T.J. Oshie, WAS at BUF ($26) - A deeper look into the statistics highlights a true boom-or-bust winger. Oshie has failed to find the scoresheet in 10 of his last 15 games, but he has eight goals and three helpers during the stretch on the heels of three multi-point showings. Buffalo has averaged only 1.6 goals over its last five contests, too. Stepping back even further, Oshie has never topped 51 points in his career, and he is scoring at a lower rate than each of the last two seasons. Sure, the upside is there, but more times than not, he hasn't lived up to his hefty cap hit, which is also the second highest among his peers.
DEFENSE
Drew Doughty, LA at Vancouver ($18) - Few rearguards cover the peripheral categories as well as Doughty, and at his current cap hit, it shouldn't be difficult for him to return value. While his high floor is attractive, Doughty also has nine points -- four goals -- in his last 11 games, so the ceiling is equally high.
Nikita Nesterov, TB vs. MON ($12) - As mentioned, the matchup is ripe, and recently, Nesterov is also showing well in limited minutes. While the blue liner is extremely raw, he owns the offensive skillset to be a difference maker in the virtual game. He has two goals in his last three games with eight shots, which is big production for a minimum-priced defenseman.
Defenseman to Avoid:
Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF vs. WAS ($20) - There is a huge plus/minus risk with Ristolainen with Washington winners of seven consecutive games and averaging 3.12 goals per game for the season. Ristolainen will also have trouble finding the scoresheet with the Capitals allowing just 2.12 goals per game on the road and boasting a 12-3-1 record.
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