This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
Sunday's two-game NHL slate features the four remaining Western Conference contenders. The Blues and Predators will break their 1-1 series tie at 3 PM Eastern in Nashville, while the Oilers will look to take a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Ducks in Edmonton at 7 PM. Regardless of which teams come out on top, the recommended players below are primed to return strong value relative to their respective prices.
GOALIE
Cam Talbot, EDM vs. ANH ($33): Talbot allowed just six goals with a .933 save percentage in three home games against the Sharks, and is in position to best those numbers against a Ducks team that scored four goals on 76 shots in two meetings in Anaheim. Anaheim's offense ranked last out of the four teams in action with just 2.68 goals per contest in the regular season, so it's no wonder Talbot has already found so much success in this series.
Goalie to Avoid
Pekka Rinne, NSH vs. STL ($39): Rinne's 2.42 regular season GAA was tied for worst among the four goalies in action, so it's surprising to see him priced at $6 above the next-most expensive option. Given how closely bunched up these netminders are, it's tough to justify paying that much more for Rinne.
[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey contest now]
CENTER
Leon Draisaitl, EDM vs. ANH ($24): Draisaitl has had Anaheim's number all season, with seven goals and five assists in seven meetings between the regular season and playoffs. The Ducks' choice to shadow Connor McDavid has resulted in a lot more open ice for his linemates, and Draisaitl's 77-point regular season shows that he has the skill to take advantage of that open ice. With his slow start to the playoffs behind him, the young forward has as much scoring potential as anyone else in this slate despite costing $10 less than the most expensive option at his position.
Center to Avoid
Mark Letestu, EDM vs. ANH ($16): Letestu has been seeing a lot of ice time thanks to his proficiency in the faceoff circle, but he doesn't possess as much skill as most of Edmonton's talented forward corps. He had eight fewer regular season points than teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, so it doesn't make sense to pay more Letestu against the desperate Ducks.
WING
James Neal, NSH vs. STL ($15): Neal will be brimming with confidence after potting his first goal of the postseason in Game 2, and the nine-time 20-goal scorer has the chops to repeat that effort at home in Game 3. Thirteen of the veteran's 23 regular season goals came at Bridgestone Arena, yet he remains priced below seven teammates heading into this pivotal contest. This value is just too good to pass up, especially with Nashville's clicking offense having mustered 3.6 goals per game over their past five contests.
Patrick Maroon, EDM vs. ANH ($18): Maroon has also benefited from Anaheim over-committing to McDavid with a goal and two assists already in this series. The first line winger potted 27 goals in the regular season, so he's clearly capable of producing regardless of the opposing team's strategy. Keep rolling Maroon out until the Ducks show the ability to stop him.
Wings to Avoid
Vladimir Sobotka, STL at NSH ($18): Sobotka's $18 price is much too high for a player that has never reached double-digit goals or cracked 35 points in a season. Don't let his two goals and two assists this postseason trick you into thinking the Czech forward is something he's not.
Viktor Arvidsson, NSH vs. STL ($23): Nashville's most expensive winger hasn't played like it in this series, as Arvidsson has put up just 2.0 fantasy points in each of the first two games. While coming home could change that, it's too risky to pay $23 for him when his team contains plenty of cheaper, skilled alternatives.
DEFENSE
Cam Fowler, ANH at EDM ($15): Fowler has put up power-play points in four of his past five games, and the offensively gifted blueliner has a golden opportunity to keep that momentum going against an Oilers penalty kill that ranked 17th at 80.7 percent in the regular season. Fifteen of his 39 regular season points came with the extra man, showing that this recent production has been no fluke. No other defenseman priced this cheap offers this level of scoring upside.
Ryan Ellis, NSH vs. STL ($29): Ellis is the least expensive option out of Nashville's three star defensemen, but he's playing as well as anyone. He enters this contest on a five-game point streak, and is averaging a robust 12.2 fantasy points per game this postseason. Ellis is showing no signs of slowing down, so he should continue to be the top value on the Predators blue line moving forward.
Defensemen to Avoid
Adam Larsson, EDM vs. ANH ($17): Don't let Larsson's two-goal Game 1 performance trick you into thinking he's something he's not. The stay-at-home defenseman had just four goals and 19 points in the regular season, so he's unlikely to be much of a factor on offense for the rest of the series.
Joel Edmundson, STL at NSH ($18): The same logic as for Larsson can be applied to Edmundson. His five points this postseason have put the blueliner on an unsustainable pace following a 15-point regular season. You're significantly overpaying at $18.
