This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are more games than usual this Monday, so you'll have plenty of options to choose from in this packed nine-game slate. Here's a look at some of the best values to look out for.
Goalie
David Rittich, CGY vs. VGK ($35)
The Flames have been very hot of late and it is in no small part because of amazing performances by Rittich. The 26-year-old breakout goalie shows an inspired .933 save percentage and 1.92 GAA on his way to six wins in nine starts this season. The Golden Knights will be playing their second game in as many nights and will most likely start Malcolm Subban, giving Rittich another clear shot at a win.
Goalie to Avoid
Pekka Rinne, NSH vs. TB ($37)
Rinne receives the top billing for price Monday, so he would really have to make the start worth it if drafted for a squad. While the reigning Vezina Trophy winner has looked great to begin the year, the fact that he will be facing the league's top offense -- one that averages 3.65 goals per game -- does not make him a lock here. After all, Rinne is coming off a shaky win where he allowed three goals to the offensively inept Kings.
Center
Matt Duchene, OTT vs. FLA ($18)
Duchene's play has been a bright spot in an otherwise dismal season for Ottawa so far -- the Ontario native shows 12 points and a plus-9 rating in his last six contests. The Panthers can be shaky on defense and even more so on the road, as they have allowed 11 total goals in their last two games, both of which were losses. Duchene represents a good bargain given his potential for getting on the scoresheet.
Center to Avoid
Vincent Trocheck, FLA @ OTT ($23)
After a highly productive 2017-18 campaign, many had high expectations for Trocheck and he hasn't been living up to them recently. In the ten games since his last goal, the Pittsburgh native has just five assists and a minus-4 rating to go with 16 penalty minutes, which keeps him off the ice in key moments. The matchup with Ottawa looks tempting, but it's tough to test this value in an away game.
Wings
Jeff Skinner, BUF @ PIT ($24)
Skinner is the the current league leader in plus-minus, quite the achievement for a member of the Sabres, which had a penchant for allowing lots of goals last season. Of course, it hasn't all been defense -- the line consisting of Skinner, Jack Eichel and Jason Pominville has scored the third-highest total goals of any line in the league. Monday's likely starter for Pittsburgh, Matt Murray, has been bad to say the least, so take advantage here.
Jonathan Drouin, MON vs. WAS ($17)
Could the Drouin breakout finally be upon us? The 23-year-old has accumulated three goals and seven points in his last five games, racking up 15 shots on goal and averaging 3:37 on the power play during that stretch. The line of Drouin, Max Domi and Andrew Shaw has seemingly clicked, so feel free to ride them against a Washington squad that allows a lot of goals and ranks 28th in the league in penalty killing.
Wings to Avoid
Patrik Laine, WPG @ VAN ($25)
Laine put on a show for his home country of Finland when he and the Jets played two games there at the beginning of the month, but in the games before and since, he has done very little -- the 20-year-old has recorded just two points in the five games before and four games since playing abroad. The Canucks have proven formidable in the early stages and Laine has not been spectacular in away games besides Finland.
Jake Guentzel, PIT vs. BUF ($21)
Much of Guentzel's effectiveness hinges on the health of Sidney Crosby (upper body). While there's a chance Crosby could return to action in this contest, it's not sure enough to happen, nor is Guentzel a sure enough play even when Crosby is healthy. A solid attack from the Sabres could also give the Nebraska native fits in his own end, where he has struggled at times this season.
Defensemen
Alex Pietrangelo, STL vs. LA ($19)
How times have changed for Pietrangelo. The veteran defenseman began the season as one of the highest valued defensemen, sporting a $26 price tag on opening night. He's now under $20, but things seem to be looking up -- the Blues captain had points in three consecutive games at the beginning of November and he's racked up 18 shots on goal in his last five games. He's a good play against a bad Kings team.
Neal Pionk, NYR vs. DAL ($17)
Considering Pionk's ability to be in scoring situations both at even strength and on the power play, it's a bit confusing as to why he is seeing this level of pricing. The 23-year-old is on a point-per-game pace in his last seven contests and is getting top defenseman minutes, averaging 22:45 of ice time over that span. It's also very much worth noting that five of Pionk's points in that time came with the man advantage.
Defensemen to Avoid
Kris Letang, PIT vs. BUF ($25)
Letang trails only Morgan Rielly on the defenseman pricing chart Monday and the Pens blueliner lacks the upside of his Eastern Conference colleague. Prior to his recent two-game scoring streak, Letang has not found the scoresheet in five straight games, accumulating a minus-4 rating in that time. The Sabres are very solid up front, so that could cause Letang and the rest of his leaky defense issues.
Ryan McDonagh, TB @ NSH ($20)
It's true that McDonagh has 12 points this season, but remember that only one of those tallies was in the goal column. The fact that McDonagh is not a scoring threat is only compounded by the fact that he is no longer seeing ice time with the man advantage -- he has not played significant power-play minutes in the last four games, over which time he has no points and a minus-1 rating.
