Fantasy Hockey: Weekend Streaming Targets – Week 16
Our Weekend Streamers series aims to help you steal your matchup by getting the most value possible out of the limited transactions in your fantasy league. Every Friday morning, we will break down the teams and skaters with the most streamer-friendly schedules over the weekend. We will also look at the best spot starts in goal each weekend, highlighting the widely available goaltenders that could provide the boost and edge you need to win your matchup.
This weekend features four games on Friday, 14 on Saturday, and two on Sunday, so as per usual, we are going to target the skaters playing on those two quieter nights. We have three teams to dig through this week, so let’s get into it. Happy streaming!
Los Angeles Kings–@ COL (Fri), @ STL (Sun)
Quinton Byfield (C/LW) – 45% owned
After a brief demotion, Byfield has regained his spot on the Kings’ first line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe, and continues to see time with the first power-play unit as well. It’s no surprise then that Byfield has been heating back up of late, scoring two goals and adding two assists in his last three games. He’s also piled up eight shots on goal over that span and is back over 16 minutes in ice-time. At 45% owned, he’s likely only available in shallower leagues, but he offers as much upside as anyone on the waiver wire this weekend.
Phillip Danault (C) – 27% owned
Danault is pointless in his last four games, cooling off after a red-hot stretch that saw him rack up eight point across his previous six games. That mini-cold streak has helped keep his ownership within reason, and I like his odds of getting back on the scoresheet this weekend. He continues to be heavily-utilized in all situations, playing over 20 minutes in four of his last six games while centering Trevor Moore and Kevin Fiala on the Kings’ second line. He’s also a main cog on the team’s second power-play unit, which could prove especially useful when the Kings travel to St. Louis on Sunday to face the Blues, who have killed just 78.20% of their penalties this season.
Seattle Kraken–vs. STL (Fri), vs. CBJ (Sun)
Jordan Eberle (RW) 30% owned
Eberle continues to be one of the most reliable pieces the Kraken have up-front, still holding down a role on the team’s first power-play unit while also skating on the first line alongside Jared McCann and Tomas Tatar. Eberle is in the midst of a hot streak, and you got to love his chances of keeping things rolling in a pair of enticing home matchups this weekend. He’s piled up three goals and four assists in his last six games, and projects to be one of the best, widely-available streaming options this weekend.
Jaden Schwartz (C/LW) – 12% owned, Tomas Tatar (LW/RW) (5% owned), Andre Burakovsky (LW/RW) – 3% owned, and Alex Wennberg (C) – 3% owned
If you miss out on Eberle, then fret not, because the Kraken’s top-six comes loaded with a handful of viable options that are available in 88% of leagues or more. Tatar, as I mentioned above, is in a great spot at 5v5 on the team’s top-line, while Schwartz, Wennberg, and Burakovsky currently make up line two. All four of them feature regularly on the power-play on a team that takes a balanced approach in splitting time between their two units. There’s something for everyone here, with Burakovsky being the most likely goal threat, Wennberg being the assist specialist, and Tatar and Schwartz falling somewhere in the middle.
St. Louis Blues–@ SEA Friday, vs. LAK Sunday
Brayden Schenn (C/LW) 42% owned
Schenn has been on a tear of late and his ownership is rising as a result, though he is still out there in just under 60% of leagues. He’s compiled four goals and four assists across his last eight games, and makes for one of the top streaming options on this weekend’s slate if he is available. Schenn has seen some heavy minutes of late, posting an ATOI of 17:37 over that eight-game stretch, as he centres the team’s second line while also skating with the top power-play unit.
Jake Neighbours (LW/RW) 8% owned
Rounding out the skaters for this weekend is an intriguing option in deeper leagues in Neighbours. He’s skating alongside the red-hot Schenn on the team’s second-line while also seeing some time with the Blues’ second power-play unit. He has just four assists on the season but is a consistent goal-scoring threat, finding the back of the net three times in his last six games. He’s a decent bet to add to your goal totals this weekend and is available in over 90% of leagues.
Goaltenders
There is just one team rocking the Saturday/Sunday back-to-back this weekend, which doesn’t leave us with a whole lot of quality options when it comes to potential spot starts on Sunday.
Daniil Tarasov – 2% owned
Tarasov can only be classified as a desperation play at best, but he very well might be the only starting goalie available in your free agency pool for Sunday’s mini-slate. Tarasov started Thursday’s game against the Flames, meaning it will almost certainly be Elvis Merzlikins back between the pipes on Saturday, leaving Tarasov to rotate back in for Sunday’s clash with the Kraken. It’s not the worst matchup in the world, but Tarasov has been mediocre at the best of times this season, though it’s worth noting he is coming off one of his best starts of the season in last night’s 5-2 victory over the Flames. Still, with an .881 SV% on the season, he is an obvious risk to your splits, especially considering Columbus will be travelling to Seattle to play their second game in as many nights against a rested Kraken team.
One other name to keep an eye on this weekend is Philipp Grubauer (14% owned). Unlike Tarasov, we can’t project with any certainty that Grubauer will be between the pipes on Sunday, but considering he was activated off injured reserve earlier this week and still has not played since December 9th, you would assume the Kraken would be looking to get him some game time sooner than later, although the starting job is very much in Joey Daccord‘s hands at this point. Grubauer could still be worth stashing ahead of Sunday’s slate though in hopes that he does get the nod, as it’s a much better side of the matchup to be on than Tarasov and the Blue Jackets. Make sure you keep an eye out on the Kraken’s starter for Friday’s game, as Grubauer is very unlikely to get back-to-back starts considering Daccord’s stellar play of late.