This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Sunday's slate features five games of inter-conference play. Goal scoring should be at a premium with seven of the 10 teams ranking in the bottom half of the league in goals per game. With that in mind, choosing offensive threats is even tougher, so here are some options to help guide your quest:
GOALIE
Frederik Andersen, TOR vs. ARI ($32): Andersen has won seven of his last eight starts in the home barn, recording an impressive .941 save percentage and 2.13 GAA in that span while averaging 35.8 shots against per game. The Coyotes rank 28th in the league with 2.60 goals per contest, and Andersen has a career 7-1-0 record with a .936 save percentage against the club. Consider him a top pick against a stagnant offense.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Collin Delia, CHI vs. WAS ($31): The magic of Delia's hot start is wearing off and he's returning to reality. The 24-year-old has lost each of his last four starts with an unappealing .903 save percentage in the process. Washington has a strong power play and ranks eighth in the league at 3.28 goals per game, putting Delia in a tough position as he tries to right the ship.
CENTER
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM vs. CAR ($20): Nugent-Hopkins benefits greatly from the second-line role as opponents key in on superstar Connor McDavid, allowing the former to do plenty of damage himself with nine points and a plus-11 rating over the last seven games. Nugent-Hopkins still gets power-play time with McDavid, which should prove useful since the Hurricanes' penalty kill has been in a rut lately at 69.6 percent over the last six games.
CENTER TO AVOID
Bo Horvat, VAN vs. DET ($17): Horvat accrued zero goals and five assists over the last 11 games, averaging just 5.8 fantasy points in that span with four of those outings falling below 3.0. His puck possession metrics aren't encouraging, either, with a three-year low 47.3 Corsi For percentage this season. Breaking the recent trend will be difficult, so fantasy players shouldn't assume the risk.
WINGS
Alex DeBrincat, CHI vs. WAS ($19): DeBrincat has finally figured out the power play, as he has six goals with the man advantage and eight total over the last 13 games. For comparison, he had just six power-play goals over the 2017-18 campaign. Washington ranks 23rd in the league on the penalty kill at 78.4 percent, so DeBrincat should have plenty of chances continue piling on man-advantage tallies.
Kasperi Kapanen, TOR vs. ARI ($18): Riding a four-game point streak into Sunday's game, Kapanen is in line to transcend a tough Arizona defense and penalty kill, especially since just one of his 30 points (15 goals, 15 assists) this season came on the power play. He's averaging nearly three shots on net per game over the last seven, providing decent consolation if he can't secure a point.
WINGS TO AVOID
Conor Garland, ARI at TOR ($18): Garland made a statement in the league with eight goals in his first 17 NHL games, but he's dropped off with no tallies and just one assist in the last three outings. He wavers on fourth-line minutes as well with 12:56 TOI thus far, and his power-play time won't provide much solace with the Maple Leafs' penalty kill ranking 12th at 81.1 percent.
Andreas Athanasiou, DET at VAN ($16): Athanasiou's recent stretch looks respectable with two goals and an assist in six outings, but both the scores came in one game and he's finished with 2.7 fantasy points or less in four of those contests. He was even bumped off the power play once in that span. Look for a sturdier floor elsewhere.
DEFENSE
John Carlson, WAS at CHI ($26): Carlson's the highest-priced blueliner in this slate for good reason. His 18 power-play assists are tied with Torey Krug for most among defensemen, and the Caps are facing off against Chicago's last-ranked penalty kill at 73.4 percent. That unit has been even worse since the calendar flip, too, with a 69.6 percent mark in eight games. Carlson's due for production on Alex Ovechkin's power play.
Erik Gustafsson, CHI vs. WAS ($18): Gustafsson has 30 points this season, matching his total for the previous two years combined. That accomplishment is a product of his recent success, as the 26-year-old has 12 points in the last 10 games, with eight of those coming with the man advantage.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Morgan Rielly, TOR vs. ARI ($25): Rielly is priced like a goal scorer, but he hasn't lit the lamp in 10 outings while averaging just 4.3 fantasy points per game in that span. The Coyotes' offense may be passive but their defense ranks 10th in the league with 2.87 goals against per game, so Rielly's prospects of breaking his slump appear less-than ideal.
Ryan Pulock, NYI vs. ANH ($18):
After an impressive December where Pulock racked up 11 points in 14 games, he's been cursed by the new year with just one assist in nine outings. Only two defensemen have been able to notch a point against the Ducks in the last three contests, so the tough sledding looks likely to continue.
