Fantasy Hockey 2024-25: Weekly Strength of Schedule and Streaming Targets — Week 10
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 10 – Strength of Schedule
Week 10 Streaming Targets
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks have the No.1 ranked schedule this week, and two of their four games are on light nights. Unfortunately, there’s almost no chance you’ll be able to fit them into your lineup on Thursday and Saturday, so maybe pick them up for their Monday and Wednesday games and then dump them for someone from Carolina, the only team that plays Friday and Sunday this week.
Anaheim’s offence has perked up a bit recently, averaging 2.9 goals per game over their last 12 games after averaging just 2.1 goals in their first 13 games.
Troy Terry (C/RW) – 20% Rostered
The trio of Terry, Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano has emerged as the Ducks’ best offensive line by a wide margin. Unfortunately, Terry hasn’t scored in nine games but has seven assists and 21 SOG (3.5 per game) in his last six games, averaging 20:08 TOI/gm. Terry will continue to be leaned on to play massive minutes this week and enters play with 19 points (6G / 13A) and 63 SOG (2.5 per game) in 25 games this season.
Ryan Strome (C/LW) – 2% Rostered
If Terry isn’t available, Strome is your next best option. Strome’s lack of shot volume makes him a low-floor play, but playing on a line that averages 3.4 xGF/60 and 33.8 ScoringChancesFor/60 gives him a chance to pick up points regularly. If you take away the first two games of the season, Strome has 12 points (5G / 7A) and 39 SOG (1.7 per game) in his last 23 games. Those numbers don’t hold season-long value, but he should have some streamer upside on Monday and Wednesday with matchups vs. the Canadiens and Senators.
Cutter Gauthier (LW) – 8% Rostered
Gauthier’s rookie season has been mostly disappointing, having registered just three goals and 11 points in 25 games. But with Trevor Zegras out, Gauthier has moved back into the top-6 and has enough upside in his game to consider him early this week. The intriguing part about Gauthier early in the season was his strong shot volume. He averaged 2.6 SOG/gm in his first 12 games but has just 19 SOG in his last 13 games (1.5 per game). That makes it challenging to trust Gauthier this week, but he’s among the best of your limited options on Monday and Wednesday.
New York Rangers
The Rangers have the sixth-ranked schedule this week and are one of only two teams with three light-night games.
Reilly Smith (RW) – 5% Rostered
After being held without a goal in 10 straight games from Nov.12 to Dec.2, Smith scored in back-to-back games while firing a combined nine SOG. The Rangers need a spark, and Smith, Mika Zibanejad, and Chris Kreider can help. That line has had a decent amount of success this year but could be better moving forward. They’ve averaged 3.0 xGF/60, 31.9 SCF/60 and 13.8 HDCF/60 this season but have been limited by an 8.2 SH%.
Filip Chytil (C) – 2% Rostered
I liked Chytil as a streamer at the start of last week because he opened the week on the Rangers’ top line with Artemi Panarin. That was short-lived and Chytil found himself back in his usual third-line role by the end of the week. Still, the trio of Chytil, Kaapo Kakko and Will Cuylle have been terrific together this season, averaging 3.5 xGF/60, 30.8 SCF/60 and 13.7 HDCF/60, so he’s a reasonable streamer again this week.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres have the seventh-ranked schedule this week and are the only other team with three light night games.
JJ Peterka (LW/RW) – 31% Rostered
Peterka has gone ice-cold recently, and his Roster% has plummeted as a result. Peterka has enough offensive upside to go back from streamer to season-long asset this week. He’s scored just one goal with no assists and a minus-10 rating in his last nine games. But let’s remember that he had 16 points (7G / 9A) in his first 16 games–a 36-goal, 46-assist pace. The Sabres entire offence has struggled to score recently, averaging just 1.8 goals per game in their last six. However, they have excellent matchups on Monday (vs. DET) and Wednesday (vs. NYR), giving them plenty of bounce-back potential to begin the week.
Dylan Cozens (C) – 26% Rostered
Cozens had an extremely sluggish start to the season, posting just seven points (3G / 4A) in his first 20 games. He’s nearly matched that total in his last seven games, with three goals and two assists (five points). Cozens has been generating high-quality looks all season, so it’s not surprising to see him start to convert, but Fantasy owners need to see him maintain it. Some power-play production would go a long way for Cozens, who has just one PPG and two PPP in 27 games.
Jason Zucker (LW) – 8% Rostered
Zucker has been one of the limited bright spots in Buffalo this season, posting five goals and 12 assists (17 points) in 27 games. His 51-point pace would be the second-highest of his career, and he’s done it while bouncing around the Sabres’ top-9 all year. Zucker has had consistent PP1 usage this season and enters Week 10 with six points (2G / 4A) and 24 SOG (2.4 per game) in his last 10 games.
Jiri Kulich (C) – 1% Rostered
Kulich is an interesting keeper/dynasty league streaming option that could carve out a long-term role on your team moving forward. The 2022 first-round pick has shown everything he needs to at the AHL level and has been solid in his short time with the Sabres. His counting stats won’t jump off the page at you, but he’s second on the team in SOG/60 (9.8) and first on the team in ixG/60 (1.2), so more productive days are likely coming for the 20-year-old.