Fantasy Hockey 2024-25: Weekly Strength of Schedule and Streaming Targets — Week 1

Oct 8, 2024, 10:57 EDT

Fantasy Hockey 2024-25: Weekly Strength of Schedule and Streaming Targets — Week 1

Identifying the players with four games each week and filling your roster with those players can increase your chances of winning your fantasy hockey matchup. That’s why our Weekly Schedule tool is so helpful!

I combined that weekly schedule with a Team Defense Score I created using key defensive metrics to find which teams/skaters have the best schedule this week.

How it Works:

Team Defensive Ratings are given on a scale of 0-100, with 0 being the best possible defensive team and 100 being the worst.
SCORE: The sum of all the Defensive Ratings the team will face this week.
AVG Opponent: The Average Defensive Ratings that the team will face this week.
The strength of the Schedule is determined by the sum of defensive ratings because we want players who play the most games but also have the easiest matchups.
Light Nights: A night in the NHL with eight or fewer games.

Week 1 – Strength of Schedule

Week 1 Opponent Ratings

Team Ratings are based solely on defensive metrics and goaltending quality in order to identify the best matchups for skaters. They are in no way a reflection of overall team quality. The lower the rating, the better the team is defensively = worse skater matchup.

Week 1 Streaming Targets

Toronto Maple Leafs

Matthew Knies (LW – 29% Rostered)

Knies should be a viable Fantasy commodity all season long, so you might as well stream him on the first week of the season as a tryout. Available in 71 percent of leagues, Knies had 15 goals and 20 assists (35 points) in his first full NHL season and will start this year on the top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. He will need a boost in ice time (13:41 ATOI) if he’s going to breakout, but he’s in the best spot in this lineup to produce at 5v5 this week.

Max Domi (C/LW – 14% Rostered)

Domi finds himself one spot below Knies on the depth chart, skating on the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander. His first season in Toronto wasn’t great from a fantasy perspective, but he will be looking to build on a solid finish to the regular season. Domi closed out the 2023-24 season with 22 points (4G / 18A) in his final 28 games. He isn’t going to score you many goals, but he should chip in offensively while skating in the top-6.

Nick Robertson (LW – 7% Rostered) / Max Pacioretty (LW – 7% Rostered)

If you’re in deeper leagues, you might have to go to the Maple Leafs third line to find some options. Both Robertson and Pacioretty find themselves there, flanking Pontus Holmberg. Both players had strong preseasons, tying for the team lead with five points. With just one ‘Light Day’ game, ensure you can get Robertson and Pacioretty in your lineup on Thursday and Saturday before wasting a pick-up on them.

Vegas Golden Knights

Mark Stone (RW – 64% Rostered)

Stone is only available in 36 percent of leagues, but the fact that he’s available at all is notable. The only knock on Stone has been durability, but he produces when he’s in the lineup. Over the last three seasons, he’s only played in 136 games but scored 42 goals and 79 assists (121 points). Over an 82-game season, that is a 73-point pace (25G / 48A). Is he going to play 82 games this season? Unlikely. But he’s healthy right now and should be rostered while he is. Starting the year on the top line with Jack Eichel should help him get off to a hot start in week one.

Ivan Barbashev (RW – 17% Rostered)

On the other side of Eichel, you will find Barbashev, who has quietly averaged 50 points (20G / 30A), 120 SOG, and 175 Hits per 82 games over the last three seasons. He’s an excellent stream in banger leagues who can contribute in various categories.

Alexander Holtz (RW – 1% Rostered)

Holtz is worth taking a dart throw on in the deepest of leagues this week. He’s a former top-10 pick (No.7 in 2020) who had a pretty solid 2023-24 season while averaging just 11:38 TOI/gm. The 22-year-old is currently skating on the second line (with Tomas Hertl) and the second power-play unit in Vegas, so it’s safe to assume his ice time will go up this week. You’ll be able to get him in your lineup for all three games, and if he pops, he could be a season-long asset in deep formats.

St. Louis Blues

Jake Neighbours (LW/RW – 32% Rostered)

Neighbours had 27 goals in 77 games last season, but 12 of them came in his final 28 games (35-goal pace) when he started to see more consistent top-6 and top power-play usage. That’s where he will begin this season, skating with Robert Thomas and Dylan Holloway on the top line and as the net front on the top PP. He was a favourite late-round target of mine in the draft process, so the fact that he’s still available in 68 percent of leagues and has a juicy week-one schedule makes him a must-add.

Dylan Holloway (LW – 3% Rostered)

If you’re in a deeper format and Neighbours isn’t available, his linemate makes for a decent consolation prize. Holloway had a strong preseason and moved his way up from the third line to the top line to open the season. He showed glimpses of high upside in Edmonton, but his ice time was capped by their superstars’ heavy usage. Holloway will see more ice time in St. Louis and should be a deep-league option this season.

While using the strength of schedule is an excellent tool throughout the season to identify the best streaming targets, I wouldn’t focus on it too much in Week 1. You should be trying to pick up players with high-upside/breakout potential and give them an early-season tryout. You can’t wait for them to break out because they’ll already be on someone else’s roster. Here are some potentially high-upside players that I like and would add and see how they look in week 1:

Macklin Celebrini (SJS – C – 60% Rostered)
Logan Cooley (UTA – C – 49% Rostered)
JJ Peterka (BUF – RW 47% Rostered)
Lane Hutson (MTL – D – 46% Rostered)
Gabe Vilardi (WPG – C/RW – 44% Rostered)
Dylan Guenther (UTA – RW – 39% Rostered)
Logan Stankoven (DAL – C – 39% Rostered)
Brandt Clarke (LAK – D – 27% Rostered)
Cutter Gauthier (ANA – LW – 26% Rostered)
Matty Beniers (SEA – C – 25% Rostered)
Leo Carlsson (ANA – C – 20% Rostered)
Will Smith (SJS – C – 19% Rostered)
Jack Quinn (BUF – RW – 16% Rostered)
Josh Norris (OTT – C – 15% Rostered)
Marco Rossi (MIN – C – 8% Rostered)