This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Tuesday's NHL slate features six games beginning at 7:00 PM Eastern time. A number of teams will be playing their first home games of the season, and plenty of players will be looking to either build off hot starts or break out after cold starts. Read on to see which players to target here and which ones are currently overpriced and should be avoided.
GOALIE
Brian Elliott, PHI vs. SJ ($27): Owners hoping to catch lightning in a bottle at a low price should strongly consider Elliott in Philadelphia's home opener. The San Jose team he's facing here is playing its second East coast road game in as many days and has been outscored by an 11-5 margin in its first three games of the season.
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GOALIE TO AVOID
Frederik Andersen, TOR at DAL ($33): October has been a shaky month for Andersen over the past few years, as he posted a 3.67 GAA and .833 save percentage in 2016-17 and followed that up with a 3.46 GAA and .896 save percentage last season. With a 3.06 GAA and .898 save percentage through two October appearances this year, Andersen's off to another shaky start ahead of a matchup with a hot-starting Stars team.
CENTER
Kyle Turris, NSH vs. CGY ($14): Turris is locked into a top-six role on one of the league's best teams, and he's proven to be no slouch himself with over 50 points in four of the past five seasons. He's off to a good start with an assist and a plus-1 rating in each of his first two games this season, and a similar output is likely in Nashville's home opener here.
CENTER TO AVOID
Mikhail Vorobyov, PHI vs. SJ ($18): Vorobyev's a talented kid, but he's averaging fewer than 14 minutes of ice time per game in his first two NHL contests. While he has a goal and an assist in those two games, continuing to live up to an $18 valuation will be difficult for the Russian rookie given his current role.
WINGS
Warren Foegele, CAR vs. VAN ($16): Foegele now has five NHL appearances under his belt, and he's mustered six points in those five appearances, including four goals. The 22-year-old winger's price will continue to climb if he keeps up this success, so Foegele's a low-risk, high-reward pick at $16 against the rebuilding Canucks.
Blake Wheeler, WPG vs. LA ($29): Wheeler was unstoppable at home last season, posting 60 points in 41 games at Bell MTS Place. That success prorates to a 120-point full-season pace, which nobody has achieved since 2006-07. Even against a stingy Kings team, Wheeler's worth a look in Winnipeg's home opener given his recent achievements in the team's boisterous building
WINGS TO AVOID
Brock Boeser, VAN at CAR ($24): Boeser seems to be playing a little tentatively after having his rookie season ended by a scary back injury. He's too talented not to find his mojo eventually, but Boeser currently stands at minus-6.2 fantasy points through two games. It's hard to justify paying $24 for Boeser given his current form.
Boone Jenner, CLS vs. COL ($18): Jenner's coming off consecutive seasons under 35 points and skating in a bottom-six role, so he's overpriced at $18. You're better off grabbing pretty much anyone else in this price range.
DEFENSEMEN
Dougie Hamilton, CAR vs. VAN ($19): Hamilton has much more offensive potential than he's shown so far, having put 11 pucks on net in three games while generating only one assist without a goal. He's coming off four consecutive seasons with 42-plus points, so it's only a matter of time until we see Hamilton's first signature offensive performance in a Hurricanes uniform. That time could be now against a vulnerable Vancouver club.
Mattias Ekholm, NSH vs. CGY ($18): The least heralded member of Nashville's top-four on the blue line has been as effective as any other member of that group with a goal and two assists through two games. At least $4 cheaper than any of the team's three most expensive blueliners, Ekholm presents a nice value at $18 given that he's skating a healthy 23:50 per contest so far.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Tyson Barrie, COL at CLS ($23): Colorado's scored nine goals in two games, so it's discouraging to see Barrie still without a point on the young season. Ending his early drought will be difficult against a Blue Jackets team that features two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky in net.
Paul LaDue, LA at WPG ($17): LaDue scored a goal Sunday against the Red Wings, but he skated just 8:46 as plenty of questions still exist about his defensive-zone play. Defensive miscues are a recipe for disaster against the high-octane Jets offense, while repeating that offensive output is unlikely given his lack of ice time.
