This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
This season is going to be a year of back-to-backs. It's a condensed schedule, and to avoid travel we're clearly going to get a lot of instances of teams playing on back-to-back nights in the same arena. For fantasy players, this obviously matters. You can't really avoid using players on the second leg of a back-to-back for your DFS lineups. It also remains to be seen how this affects players, especially in empty (or almost empty) arenas. There are eight games Tuesday. Seven teams are on the second leg of a back-to-back, though only six of them are finishing off a doubleheader. Here are the players to target, and to avoid, for your daily fantasy lineup.
GOALIE
Alexandar Georgiev, NYR vs. NJD ($29): Georgiev faced a ton of shots last year, but he still posted a .910 save percentage. He opened this season by posting a shutout against the Islanders. The Bulgarian will be hosting a Devils team that only scored 2.68 goals per game last season, and that was with Taylor Hall on the team when the season began. Plus, Nico Hischier has been out, and may not be ready to return.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Tristan Jarry, PIT vs. WAS ($26): The Penguins decided they could move away from Matt Murray and turn to Jarry as their No. 1 goalie. So far, he has a 7.61 GAA and .727 save percentage. Oops. I'm joking to a degree, because it's only two games, but they've been two awful games against the Flyers. Philly ranked seventh in goals per game last season, but Washington ranked second, so this matchup could be even tougher.
CENTER
Max Domi, CLM at DET ($10): Pierre-Luc Dubois was better than Domi last season, but he also wants a trade away from Columbus so who knows if his heart is into it. Domi, meanwhile, is looking for redemption, and to remind us of the fact he tallied 28 goals and 72 points just two seasons ago. The Red Wings had a league-high 3.73 GAA last season. Thomas Greiss started Monday, so Jonathan Bernier will likely be in net Tuesday, and he had a .904 save percentage last year with the Wings.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mark Scheifele, WPG at OTT ($25): Why avoid Scheifele? In addition to his high salary, the Jets are the only team playing the second night of a back-to-back Tuesday that is playing a team that has had a chance to rest. Winnipeg is making the trip from Toronto to Ottawa to face the Senators. Matt Murray is the new netminder for the Sens, and while he struggled last year, two seasons ago he had a .919 save percentage. He just turned aside 37 of the 40 shots the Leafs put on him in Ottawa's last game. He has the skills to keep Scheifele in check.
WING
Claude Giroux, PHI vs. BUF ($19): Maybe Giroux has lost a step, but he still had 21 goals and 32 assists last season. He also had at least 20 power-play points for the ninth straight season. The Sabres ranked 30th on the penalty kill last year, and they are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back Tuesday.
Anthony Duclair, FLA vs. CHI ($18): Last year, Duclair scored 23 goals in 66 games for the Senators, landing himself a potentially meaty role with the Panthers this season. Before the year, the indication was that Duclair would be on Florida's top line, and indeed in the first game the team was able to play, the winger played 16:34, with 1:54 coming on the power play. The Blackhawks allowed 35.1 shots on net per game last season, highest in the NHL, and relied on goaltending to save them. Robin Lehner isn't walking through that door, but two goalies who have allowed five goals in every start this season are.
WINGS TO AVOID
Taylor Hall, BUF at PHI ($21): People are excited about what Hall might do in Buffalo, especially since he managed 6.9 percent shooting last season, which is bound to improve. So far, he's lived up to the hype. It's hard to get excited about a player, even one as talented as Hall, on the road against Philly, though. Yes, the lineup is a little different, but the Flyers allowed a mere 28.7 shots on net per contest last season. That was lowest in the NHL.
Anthony Mantha, DET vs. CLM ($17): Mantha got hot to end last season, finishing with 38 points in 43 games. Sometimes on the second day of a back-to-back, you can catch an advantage because a backup goalie is in net. That's not the case with the Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo may have started Monday, but that leaves Elvis Merzlikins to patrol the crease Tuesday. He had a 2.35 GAA and .923 save percentage as a rookie last year.
DEFENSE
Zach Werenski, CLM at DET ($17): I can't avoid going to this well again. After all, the Red Wings had the worst GAA and penalty kill in the NHL last year, and it's not like they added a ton of talent in the offseason. Werenski hasn't gotten on the score sheet yet, but he has nine shots on net through three games. He put 187 shots on goal in 63 games last year en route to his first 20-goal campaign. Pucks on net against Detroit often bear fruit.
Adam Boqvist, CHI at FLA ($10): Last year, the eighth overall pick in the 2018 draft saw his first NHL action, picking up 13 points in 41 games. This year he has two points through three games, but more notably he's averaged 4:06 per contest with the extra man. Sergei Bobrovsky will be making his first start of the season Tuesday. As you likely remember, the Russian signed a big contract last offseason and then posted a 3.00 GAA and .900 save percentage.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Roman Josi, NAS vs. CAR ($27): I'm hesitant to plug Josi into a lineup at this salary given this matchup. Josi is one of the best defensemen in the NHL – with the salary to match – but the Hurricanes had the fourth-ranked penalty kill last season. They also only allowed 29.3 shots on net per contest, which was second lowest in the league. The Hurricanes know how to stifle an offense, and that could mean keeping Josi in check.
Drew Doughty, LOS vs. COL ($17): Did Doughty lose a step last season? He only had 35 points in 67 games, including only seven goals. The 31-year-old has one assist and one shot on goal this season, but with nine blocked shots. However, he hasn't had more than 128 blocks in any of his last five seasons, so that's not a rate that's likely to continue. The Avalanche had a 2.71 GAA last year, and Philipp Grubauer has never had a save percentage lower than .916 in a season.
