This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Tuesday's playoff slate features a bevy of critical games, including one that could potentially result in a historic sweep. Here are some ideas on where to find the best values.
Goalie
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG @ MIN ($32)
Hellebuyck's disastrous six-goals-allowed performance in Game 3 was definitely disturbing from a fantasy perspective, but on the bright side, it caused his daily price to drop significantly, as he is now four dollars cheaper than he was two days ago. Considering the American keeper was excellent on the road this season -- with a .927 save percentage in away games -- you should take the discounted price to bet on him bouncing back in this important Game 4.
Goalie to Avoid
Sergei Bobrovsky, CLS vs. WAS ($35)
Bobrovsky's beautiful 54-save Game 2 showing was certainly impressive and got him the win, but it's followed a negative trend that could bar him from success Tuesday -- including games from the regular season, the 29-year-old has now allowed 16 goals on an insane 158 shots in his last four contests. If the Columbus blue line corps can't step up to protect its goalie, a hungry Washington squad can and should make them pay in Game 3.
Center
Nicklas Backstrom, WAS @ CLS ($20)
If the Capitals are going to get back into this series, it will be at least partially behind the work of their elite power-play unit against the Blue Jackets' less-than-stellar penalty kill -- the former converted 22.5 percent of its opportunities in the regular season, while the latter killed penalties just 76.2 percent of the time. Backstrom, all of whose points have come with the man advantage this postseason, will have to keep taking center stage.
Center to Avoid
Mark Scheifele, WPG @ MIN ($25)
Scheifele began his second playoff campaign with a goal in Game 1 on Wednesday, but since then he has been very quiet, recording no points, four shots on goal, and a minus-2 rating over the next two contests. The 24-year-old's poor performance in Game 3 could be indicative of a larger trend, as he recorded just a third of his regular season points in away games, and that includes just one assist in Minnesota back in October.
Wings
Cam Atkinson, CLS vs. WAS ($24)
Atkinson is holding one of the hottest sticks in the league right now, as he extended his points streak to 11 consecutive games Sunday. Over that lengthy span, the Connecticut native has notched 16 points with 10 goals, including three on the power play, as well as 50 shots on goal and a plus-12 rating. He doesn't show any signs of stopping, so you should ride him and this Columbus offense that seemingly improves by the day.
David Perron, VGK @ LA ($14)
Following an eight-game absence from game ice, Perron made his 2018 playoff debut Sunday by notching an assist in 17:12 of ice time, including 3:34 with the man advantage, in Vegas' win. Assuming he maintains his place in the lineup, the 29-year-old could prove to be an outstanding bargain at this very low price Tuesday, as he still had 66 points in the regular season and will likely continue to factor into the power play.
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Wings to Avoid
Blake Wheeler, WPG @ MIN ($28)
Wheeler receives third billing Tuesday and the elevated asking price is probably a bit too steep considering the odds stacked against him. During the regular season, the Jets captain was terrible on the road compared to at home, posting just eight of his goals and 31 of his points in away games. Even when he scored a goal in Game 3 in Minnesota, he still finished the night with a minus-3 rating. Don't blow your budget here.
Mikael Granlund, MIN vs. WPG ($22)
It's difficult to recommend Granlund in this spot due to his inconsistency as a scoring presence -- the Finnish national has not been a high-volume shooter by any means recently, recording one shot or fewer in four of his last nine games, while never exceeding three shots in a game over that same span. Additionally, Granlund has not had success against Winnipeg of late, and the team allowed 1.17 points per game to right wings in the regular season.
Defensemen
Shea Theodore, VGK @ LA ($17)
Theodore's stupendous run of offense has just kept rolling into the playoffs, as he now has six points over the last seven contests. Perhaps more impressively, the British Columbia native has fired three shots on goal or more in six of those games, totaling an insane 28 shots over that span. Despite all this, Theodore's daily price has continued to drop, so scoop him up here while you can.
Jared Spurgeon, MIN vs. WPG ($14)
Spurgeon's price is laughably low Tuesday considering his pedigree as a top-four defenseman, so you'd be crazy to not spend a little dough to get him. Admittedly, the 28-year-old's first two games back following a hamstring injury were not great, but he came back the next game with an assist and plus-2 rating, which is very in line with his proficiency on home ice where he recorded 28 points during the regular season.
Defensemen to Avoid
Drew Doughty, LA vs. VGK ($24)
It's almost inconceivable to think of Doughty as a liability in the postseason considering his amazing play during the Kings' Stanley Cup runs years ago, but his recent playoff history has not painted as pretty a picture -- going back to 2016, the Ontario native has recorded just one assist to go with a minus-5 rating in his last seven playoff games. His low volume of shooting does not help his argument for this slate either.
Zach Werenski, CLS vs. WAS ($18)
It would be easy to ride the coattails of Werenski's three-point outburst in Game 2 and try to parlay it into fantasy success Tuesday, but that may not be wise. The young blueliner was not outstanding at home this season, posting just 14 points and a minus-3 rating, and it's also important to note that he only showed 37 points overall. Washington has been adept at stopping defenseman too, allowing just 1.79 points per game to the position.
