American Thanksgiving is throwing the NHL schedule out of whack this week. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday will be the league’s busiest nights this week, while Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday are unusually quiet. In daily fantasy leagues, the best way to maximize your potential production is to target teams playing on those slower nights. Below I’ve gone over the teams with the most streamer-friendly schedules this week and highlighted the best available options. Good luck!
Montreal (4 games) – Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
With games on all three of the league’s quietest nights, the Canadiens are by far the best team to target on the wire this week. There are just three games on Tuesday and Sunday and one on Thursday, so having a Hab or two on your roster can really elevate your chances of winning this week. There are a few decent streaming options on Montreal that are widely available in standard Yahoo! leagues. Your first option should be Phillip Danault. One of the more underrated two-way players in the NHL, Danault sees a ton of minutes as Montreal’s first-line centre. He’s averaging over 18 minutes a game on the season, playing in all situations.
Danault’s puck dominance at 5v5 has turned him into a consistent point-producer. He hasn’t gone more than two games without a point all season long, tallying six goals and 11 assists in 23 games. The one, usual knock on his fantasy value is his straight-centre eligibility, but that won’t matter this week with how empty your lineup will be for three of Montreal’s four games. Danault is currently owned in 19% of Yahoo! leagues. On the off chance he’s unavailable, Nick Suzuki (10% owned) and Joel Armia (26% owned) are your next best bets. Suzuki is skating with Max Domi on the second line right now, while Armia is being used on the top power-play unit. Suzuki is particularly hot right now, recording three goals and three assists in his last six games.
Minnesota (4 games) – Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Sunday
If you’re on a tight acquisitions limit and are looking to get an extra game into your lineup for tonight’s nine-game slate, Minnesota is the team for you. One of the most under-owned teams in fantasy hockey, the Wild’s entire top-six is widely available in Yahoo! leagues. Naturally, my recommendations start with the top line. Jason Zucker (27% owned), Eric Staal (26% owned), and Mats Zuccarello (14% owned) are all viable streaming targets this week. Zucker’s dual-wing eligibility means there’s a great chance you can fit him into your lineup tonight and then hold onto him for two more games later in the week. If we’re putting positional bias aside, Staal would be my top pick.
Finally, Zach Parise is worth a look in shots leagues. He’s already racked up 53 shots on goal through 23 games, scoring eight times. He doesn’t offer a lot in terms of assists, but he might be the best bet to make if you’re just trying to get an extra goal or two out of your streamers.
Boston – Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
Boston’s schedule isn’t as streamer-friendly as Montreal or Minnesota’s, but Patrice Bergeron’s absence makes David Krejci an excellent spot start on Tuesday. The team announced Bergeron (lower-body) will not accompany the team on their upcoming two-game road trip. The injury is a massive boost to Krejci’s short-term value. He is expected to take Bergeron’s spot on the top line with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. We’ve seen Krejci do well in this spot before, specifically last year when he filled in seamlessly for Bergeron. Boston averaged over 35 scoring and 17 high-danger chances per 60 at 5v5 with Krejci, Pastrnak, and Marchand on the ice. Available in just under 70% of leagues, you can grab Krejci for tomorrow night’s game and then part ways with him once Bergeron returns.