This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
The NHL is wasting no time firing up the second round. No first-round series went to seven games, so Dallas and Colorado will kick off the next wave Saturday night while two more series start Sunday. Yahoo is running a two-day fantasy slate, so read on for tips on setting your lineup.
GOALIE
Jaroslav Halak, BOS vs. TB ($29): Halak would be a starter on about half of the teams in the NHL, but he has happily backed up Tuukka Rask in Boston. His time is now though, as he'll be the starter the rest of the playoffs, and he's proved his worth in a commanding way with three straight wins and a .932 save percentage to defeat the Hurricanes. It'll be a tight game against the Bolts, but that likely raises Halak's ceiling more than it hurts his floor.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Anton Khudobin, DAL vs. COL ($29): Not to diminish Khudobin's performance against the Flames, but facing the Avalanche is a different beast. Colorado is far deeper with superstar talent, and defensively, they're better as well. They finished sixth in the regular season with 2.77 GA/GP, making it tougher for Khubdobin to come away with the win.
CENTER
Nazem Kadri, COL vs. DAL ($25): Kadri has been phenomenal this postseason, irking Maple Leafs fans and the Avalanche's opponents alike. He racked up five goals and two helpers in the five-game series win over the Coyotes, and his shot volume runs at 4.8 per game. The veteran gets it done with the man advantage, too, and Dallas' penalty kill (76.7 percent) doesn't look ready to stop him.
CENTER TO AVOID
David Krejci, BOS vs. TB ($19): "The Perfection Line" gets all the hype in Boston, but Krejci has flown under the radar despite finding the scoresheet in six straight games, totaling three goals and six assists. He looks like a sleeper, but beware. Five of his last nine points have come on the power play, and the Lightning won't afford him that many opportunities, as they've posted an 87.1 penalty-kill percentage in August.
WING
Reilly Smith, VGK vs. VAN ($21): We may have forgotten, but many analysts believed the Blackhawks could push the first-round series to six or seven games. Instead, the Golden Knights controlled the series, and Smith steamrolled them with five points in the first two games. He can be a volatile play, but Smith is the best value if you want a piece of the Golden Knights.
Tyler Motte, VAN vs. VGK ($13): I've tipped a few high-salaried players, so check out Motte's upside. He's averaged 15 minutes per game over the team's last two contests, putting up four goals in the process and firing eight shots on net. He looks like the spark plug of this team, so ride the wave while he's hot.
WINGS TO AVOID
Brock Boeser, VAN vs. VGK ($21): Boeser only had one even-strength point against the Blues in the first round, and he never recorded more than two points in a game during the series. It's unclear why he's in this slump, but the Golden Knights could hamper his upside even further, as their penalty-kill rate comes in at 86.4 percent.
Alex Killorn, TB vs. BOS ($13): Killorn looks like an incredible value as a 26-goal scorer in the regular season on Tampa Bay's second line, but that unit loses some of its force without Steven Stamkos bumping one of the top liners down. As a result, he has just 1.48 xGF/60 in the playoffs -- 17th on his own team.
DEFENSE
Torey Krug, BOS vs. TB ($19): Much to the dismay of his future contract, Krug hasn't been lighting up the stat sheet at his normal rate with just two points in five games against the Hurricanes. Nevertheless, he shoots plenty to keep a decent fantasy floor, and his upside is intriguing since he posted five points in five games against Tampa Bay this season.
Alec Martinez, VGK vs. VAN ($18): Martinez is a steady defender that the Golden Knights rely on to play around 23 minutes per night, and he's posted 3.14 xGF/60 in August, per Natural Stat Trick -- just 0.49 short of Shea Theodore ($24). Martinez has more going for him than the analytics too, as he registered four points in five games against Chicago.
DEFENSEMEN TO AVOID
Ryan McDonagh, TB vs. BOS ($16): McDonagh contributes the occasional helper, but he's not the dynamic defenseman he was just one year ago. He's not featured on the power play anymore, and with no shots on net over the last two games, he's not dependable in this salary range.
Jamie Oleksiak, DAL vs. COL ($17): Oleksiak has recorded four straight games without a point, and he has directed just one shot on net over the last two contests. While he's paired up with Miro Heiskanen at even strength, he doesn't get minutes in Heiskanen's danger zone -- the power play.
