This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Eight NHL teams will be on the ice for American Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving Day on Monday, and there are plenty of festive matchups from which to build your daily lineups. Here's a look at some of the best options.
Goalie
Carter Hutton, BUF vs. VGK ($29)
After toiling as a backup -- albeit a very solid one -- for many years, Hutton finally gets his chance at the starting job and thus far he has been quite impressive, posting a .942 save percentage and 2.09 GAA to go with a win through his first two games. The 32-year-old is coming off a tremendous 43-save performance and will face a Vegas offense that has scored just three goals through its first two games.
Goalie to Avoid
Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK @ BUF ($37)
At the other end of the ice, Fleury will be looking for his second win of the season and he will have to overcome the previously-mentioned stagnant team in front of him to do so. While his last start was effective, the season opener was an unmitigated disaster for the veteran goalie, as he allowed five goals to Philadelphia before being pulled. From a value perspective, he's not worth the most expensive price tag Monday, especially not against this rejuvenated Sabres squad.
Center
Adam Henrique, ANH vs. DET ($18)
Since being traded to Anaheim last season, Henrique has become more accustomed to this offense and it showed on Opening Night, as he recorded a power-play goal and an assist against the vaunted San Jose blue line corps. The former Devil is in a great position by virtue of his power-play presence, and he could even see first line minutes if Ryan Getzlaf (lower body) is unable to go Monday. Henrique presents nice value against a Detroit team on a back-to-back.
Center to Avoid
William Karlsson, VGK @ BUF ($25)
Like the rest of the Golden Knights' offense, Karlsson has largely struggled to start the campaign, showing no points on just three shots on goal through his first two contests. Regression was inevitable for the 25-year-old after he posted an absurd 23.4 shooting percentage in his breakout 2017-18 season, so we may be starting to see that now. He's not worth the price tag against Hutton and this improved Buffalo team.
Wings
Evander Kane, SJ @ NYI ($22)
Sure, it's nice that Kane has a goal in each of his first two games but what's more appealing from a fantasy perspective is his aggression attacking the net -- the Vancouver native has 10 shots on goal to this point, which ties him for fifth in the league and gives him the most of any player in this daily fantasy slate. Expect him to continue being a focal point for this Sharks offense against a mediocre Islanders defensive front.
Ryan Donato, BOS vs. OTT ($15)
While Donato hasn't had an excess of playing time to this point, he's making the most of the time he's gotten, notching a power-play goal against Buffalo in his last game. The rookie winger is now running on the second line with Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci, so this should present some promising fantasy situations going forward. If you need a cheap flyer Monday, Donato is a nice choice against the middling Senators.
Wings to Avoid
Reilly Smith, VGK @ BUF ($24)
Smith was the "weakest" member of the outstanding Vegas first line last season, finishing the campaign with "only" 60 points, well behind linemates Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. As mentioned, however, this group is due for regression and Smith is seemingly feeling those effects as well, as he has yet to record a point in the campaign. Until we know for sure that the journeyman can produce consistently, you shouldn't take him at this price.
Anders Lee, NYI vs. SJ ($20)
With John Tavares gone and thriving in Toronto, Lee has been left to fend for himself this season without his trusty linemate and has experienced mixed results -- the new Islanders' captain scored a goal in the last game, but didn't even put a shot on net to go with a minus-1 rating in the season opener. In general, the supporting cast around Lee isn't going to do him any favors, and it could get worse with the talented Sharks coming in to town.
Defensemen
Erik Karlsson, SJ @ NYI ($27)
After a disappointing first game in a Sharks uniform, Karlsson began to find his stride in the next contest, notching an assist, four shots on goal, four blocked shots and a plus-1 rating to go with 2:56 of power-play ice time. The two-time Norris Trophy winner may make a huge stride against this lackluster Islanders squad that allowed 3.57 goals per game last season.
Brandon Montour, ANH vs. DET ($15)
The 2-0 Ducks have looked great to start the season and, in the defense, the often unheralded Montour has looked particularly strong, nabbing one goal on three shots on goal to go with three blocked shots. At his extremely low price tag Monday, the 24-year-old presents tremendous value against a talent-thin Red Wings team that is playing its second game in as many nights.
Defensemen to Avoid
Nick Leddy, NYI vs. SJ ($18)
Leddy has put up three consecutive 40-plus point seasons, but his inability to help keep pucks out of his own net makes him a serious liability, as he posted negative plus-minuses in all three of those seasons, including a hideous minus-42 rating in 2017-18. San Jose's proficiency at both ends of the ice should give the Eden Prairie, Minnesota trouble and could even lead to a negative-points outing.
Max Lajoie, OTT @ BOS ($17)
Lajoie caught a lot of people's attention by putting up a goal and an assist against the Blackhawks in his first career NHL game, but he quickly came back down to earth against the rival Maple Leafs, posting no points and a minus-1 rating in that one. This is simply a case of the price tag not catching up with the likely level of production, so wary DFS players should steer clear of the rookie in a road matchup against Boston.
