This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Teams are approaching the 70-game mark, so we have a good feeling of where players stand in the fantasy realm. Sunday's slate showcases five games with six teams currently in a playoff position. The first puck drops at 5:00 ET, and here are some players to help set your daily fantasy lineups.
GOALIE
Roberto Luongo, FLA vs. DET ($25): Luongo has struggled of late, but he draws a favorable matchup to shake his woes. The Red Wings rank 28th in the league with just 2.38 goals per game since the beginning of February, and their season-long 16.7 power-play percentage looks just as ugly. Lock in Luongo at the low price with a chance for major upside.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Mike Smith, CGY vs. VGK ($30): After going on a run of five straight wins, Smith has returned to reality with a pair of losses where he posted an unintriguing .875 save percentage. Vegas comes to town on a six-game winning streak while scoring four goals per game during that span. The Flames high-scoring offense has also cooled off lately, making it tougher to cover up Smith's poor performances and secure a win.
CENTER
Aleksander Barkov, FLA vs. DET ($23): An underrated gem, Barkov comes in at a surprising bargain. He's racked up 22 points – 10 goals, 12 assists – over the last 12 games, including nine on the power play. The Red Wings have slumped to a 4.20 team GAA over the last 10 outings, and Barkov has recorded four points in three games against them this season. Fix this unique talent into your lineup.
CENTER TO AVOID
Evgeni Malkin, PIT vs. BOS ($28): Malkin's offense is top-tier as usual, but his defensive game has been lacking with a minus-5 rating over the last five. Those marks could be damaging if Malkin can't find the scoresheet, which will be tough since no team in the NHL has allowed fewer goals than Boston since the All-Star break with a 1.83 team GAA.
WINGS
Troy Terry, ANA vs. LA ($16): Terry's on fire with seven points in the last three games. The Kings' porous defense should provide plenty of chances for the 21-year-old to continue his hot streak, considering Los Angeles owns a 3.90 team GAA over the last 10 outings and the league's third-worst penalty kill at 75.5 percent.
Kyle Connor, WPG at WAS ($19): Winnipeg's offense is rocking and Connor's production has helped in the success. He's racked up four goals and four helpers in eight games with four of those points coming with the man advantage. Although Washington's defense can be stingy, Connor's clearly underpriced in this setting.
WINGS TO AVOID
Elias Lindholm, CGY vs. VGK ($25): Lindholm's on a discouraging slump right now with four straight pointless efforts, and a matchup versus Vegas won't help shake it. He's registered one point in five games against last year's expansion franchise, and the Golden Knights boast an impressive 2.84 team GAA since the All-Star break. Lindholm's a high-risk option at a steep price.
Matthew Tkachuk CGY vs. VGK ($25): Tkachuk's a top talent and logs minutes in the top-six and the power play, but he only has one even-strength point – an assist – over the last nine outings. The young winger also tacked on a minus-3 rating in that stretch. This is a tough recipe for success since Vegas' penalty kill ranks seventh in the league at 82.1 percent.
DEFENSEMEN
Jacob Trouba, WPG at WAS ($18): Trouba continues to work on the top defensive pairing with Dustin Byfuglien (lower body) out. He's thrived in this role with seven points in as many games, and his power-play minutes will come in handy against the league's 22nd-ranked penalty kill at 79.1 percent.
Shea Theodore, VGK at CGY ($18): Theodore has rung up five points – including two on the power play – over the last five games, mainly because he's shooting like a madman with a whopping 23 shots on net. Calgary's having trouble in the blue paint again, opening the door for Theodore to stack the scoresheet while his defensive contributions and shots on goal provide an appealing floor.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Justin Schultz, PIT vs. BOS ($20): Schultz is holding down a spot on the top power play since Kris Letang (upper body) is out. However, Letang could return for this matchup, and Schultz's upside isn't anything to call home about with just 6.4 fantasy points per outing – with no other defenseman over $20 producing less than 7.8. Consider the risk even higher against Boston's second-ranked 2.44 team GAA.
Alec Martinez, LA at ANA ($17): Martinez has been quiet with no points since returning from an upper-body injury, with just a goal and three assists in 16 games since the calendar flipped to 2019. Martinez doesn't shoot enough to solidify a floor either with just 23 shots on net during that span, and a recently strong Anaheim defense further hurts his prospects.
