Fantasy Hockey: Weekend Streaming Targets – Week 3
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 breakdown 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.
With nine games on the docket for Saturday, we’ll target the teams playing on the weekend’s quieter slates on Friday and Sunday. Thankfully, unlike last week, we have plenty of options to comb through with five teams playing on those two nights, so let’s get into it.
Buffalo Sabres (@ NJD on Fri, vs COL on Sun)
Starting alphabetically, we have Buffalo, who don’t offer as many quality options on the wire as some of the other teams with the Friday/Sunday schedule this weekend. The Sabres’ matchups this weekend are about as bad as it gets, and their scoring is so concentrated in their top four forwards that it leaves very little value on the wire. Jordan Greenway (LW – 1% owned) is playing with Tage Thomson and Dylan Cozens on the top line but has done little to nothing with the opportunity. He’s averaging over 16 minutes a night, but less than one shot a game. The only widely available Sabre getting consistent enough usage that they’re actually taking advantage of is Casey Mittelstadt (C – 19% owned). Currently skating on the second power-play unit and the Sabres’ second line alongside Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch, Mittelstadt has just seven shots on goal on the year, but he’s done a nice job creating chances for his shoot-first wingers. He’s registered one goal and five assists on the season in his first seven games. He’s a good bet to add to your assist totals this weekend, even with the bad matchups.
Minnesota Wild (@ WSH on Fri, @ NJD on Sun)
Similar to the Sabres, there’s not a whole lot of depth to get excited about in Minnesota, but Ryan Hartman (C/RW), their first-line centre, is only 35% owned. Hartman is skating with Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello at 5v5 while also getting some time on the Wild’s second power-play unit, and he’s been able to capitalize on that opportunity to the tune of four goals and three assists through his first seven games of the young season. Given the usage, Hartman is a great option this weekend if available. Marcus Johansson (LW – 7% owned) is a fine consolation prize in deeper leagues. His shot volume is never anything to write home about, which caps his goal-scoring upside, but playing with Joel Eriksson Ek at 5v5 and the top power-play unit should afford him plenty of ice-time in the offensive zone. Like Mittelstadt, Johansson is a good bet to pad your assist totals this weekend.
New Jersey Devils (vs BUF on Fri, vs MIN on Sun)
I’m passing on the Devils this weekend, assuming the lineup remains the same. Ondrej Palat (LW – 10% owned) is the only widely-available member of their top-6, but he’s playing less than 15 minutes a night and has no goals and just two assists through six games. Even Dawson Mercer (RW – 44% owned) is buried on the third line and hasn’t registered a shot on goal in his last four games. Unless we see some line shuffling prior to Friday’s game, the Devils are a fade for me this weekend.
San Jose Sharks (@ CAR on Fri, @ WSH on Sun)
The Sharks have really struggled to find the back of the net to open the campaign so it’s hard to find much to get excited about here, but there is plenty of quality usage to find on the wire. If Tomas Hertl (C – 45% owned) is available, he makes for one of the top pickups of the weekend, but otherwise, I’m really only open to stooping as low as Anthony Duclair (LW – 2% owned). He’s struggled to begin the season with just one goal, no assists and nine shots on goal. Still, we’ve seen him produce when given the opportunity to play big minutes in the past. Although his surrounding cast is nowhere near the level of support he received in Florida, he should still be stapled to the hip of Hertl for 17 minutes a night at 5v5 and on the power-play. I think he can help your team this weekend, particularly on Sunday in Washington against a struggling Capitals team.
Washington Capitals (vs MIN on Fri, vs SJS on Sun)
Speaking of those struggling Capitals, it shouldn’t surprise you to hear that Alexander Ovechkin and John Carlson are the only two Caps above 50% ownership so far this season, and while that leaves us with plenty of options to sift through, it’s for good reason. Depth scoring is non-existent in Washington, but I think given the cushy home matchup against the Sharks on Sunday, Tom Wilson (RW -46% owned), Dylan Strome (C – 27% owned), TJ Oshie (RW –12% owned), and Evgeny Kuznetsov (C – 26% owned) are all worth a roll of the dice this weekend. Wilson’s rolling with Strome and Ovie at 5v5 and getting time with the second power-play unit. Strome is being featured on the top power-play unit on top of centring that first line, and Kuznetsov and Oshie are skating together on the second line while also playing alongside Ovie, Strome, and Carlson on the power-play. The Capitals have been incredibly unproductive this season as a whole. Still, they are coming off their best game of the season, and it’s hard to ignore that kind of usage, particularly on Sunday, given the matchup and the size of the slate.
Goaltenders
There are a limited number of back-to-backs in the NHL this weekend, which means we’ll likely be left with just one widely available spot starter that we can expect to pick up a win. That spot starter looks to be Antti Raanta (31% owned) after Pyotr Kochetkov (25% owned) was re-assigned to Syracuse (AHL) on Thursday. Hurricanes starter Freddie Andersen returned to the starting lineup for Thursday’s game against the Kraken, so barring an unexpected recall of Kochetkov, it should be Raanta manning the crease against the Sharks on Friday. Raanta has struggled mightily to begin the season. He’s posted an abysmal .818 SV% and a 4.41 GAA in three appearances, but it’s impossible to fade him on Friday given the matchup and the lack of quality streaming options this weekend. Even with the inconsistent goaltending, Carolina is a massive -415 favourite to pick up the win on Friday.
Keep in mind there are no back-to-backs on Saturday and Sunday, which means the goaltending options on your waiver wire Sunday will be extremely limited at best. The best course of action is to try to get out ahead of it and make room for Raanta on your roster Friday night. It’s your best bet to steal some goalie categories this weekend.