Fantasy Hockey: Weekend Streaming Targets – Week 5
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 six games on Friday, 12 games on Saturday and five on Sunday, so as per usual, we target the skaters playing on those two quieter nights. Luckily there are a decent amount of options to comb through this week, with four teams playing on Friday and Sunday.
Anaheim Ducks (vs. PHI on Fri, vs. SJS on Sun)
The Ducks are a great team to target this weekend, offering a pair of juicy matchups and a handful of viable options off the waiver wire. In shallow or more impatient leagues, you might even have Trevor Zegras (C – 49% owned) available. Zegras has struggled mightily to get on the scoresheet this season, with just one goal and one assist to his name through the opening 12 games. Most of that can be chalked up to a personal shooting percentage of 3.3% and an on-ice shooting percentage of 6.0%. Regression is coming sooner than later, and this weekend, with a pair of cushy home matchups against the Flyers and Sharks, is the perfect opportunity to break through.
Ryan Strome (LW/RW – 30% owned) has some red flags in his underlying numbers, most notably a lack of shot volume and a 14.4% on-ice shooting percentage, but again, I wouldn’t bet on that cooldown happening against the Flyers and Sharks. Two goals and nine assists for Strome, giving him 11 points in his first 11 games played.
In deeper leagues, Adam Henrique (C/LW – 5% owned) and second-overall pick Leo Carlsson (C – 8% owned) are serviceable consolation prizes as well. That is, of course, assuming Carlsson isn’t rested and plays both games.
Florida Panthers (vs. CAR on Fri, vs. CHI on Sun)
Friday’s matchup is less than ideal as the Panthers take on one of the most suppressive teams in the NHL, the Hurricanes, but Sunday’s tilt against the Blackhawks still makes them an attractive team to target this weekend.
Most of the Panthers’ primary play drivers are not free agents, but they are battling some injuries up front, which is leading to some extended ice time for a pair of widely available players. The first is Evan Rodrigues (C/LW/RW – 46% owned), whose ownership has dipped below the 50% mark thanks to a recent five-game point drought. Typically, that’s not the kind of form that will have you rushing to the wire to pick him up but his heavy usage and exposure to Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart at 5v5 are enough to make Rodrigues a more than viable target this weekend. Rodrigues did get off the schneid on Wednesday, picking up a goal and an assist in Florida’s 4-3 victory over the Capitals. Despite the cold streak, Rodrigues has still managed ten points in 12 games this season with 32 shots on goal and an ATOI of 18:13.
If Rodrigues is unavailable, you can turn your attention to Anton Lundell (C – 7% owned). He has just five points on the season but is currently centring Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk on the Panthers’ second line. It’s also worth noting that all five of those points have come in Lundell’s last seven games, where he’s averaged over 17 minutes of ice time. Assuming his usage remains the same, expect him to contribute a point at minimum to your team’s effort this weekend.
Minnesota Wild (@ BUF on Fri, vs. DAL on Sun)
The return of Matt Boldy and some much-needed line shuffling has left the Wild with a much more balanced top-six, and we’ve got three names worth considering here as a result. The first of which is Marco Rossi (C – 15% owned). The ninth overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft is finally getting an extended run in the Wild’s top-six and top power-play unit, and he’s taking full advantage of it. He’s racked up four goals, two assists, and 17 shots on goal in his last eight games with an ATOI of 17:25. His draft pedigree and current exposure to Kapril Kaprizov and Boldy make him a worthy long-term addition as well, so go out and grab him if you still can, because if he maintains his current usage, he will almost certainly be worth holding onto beyond just this weekend. Even though the matchups aren’t the best, the long-term upside is so significant that if I only have room to pick up a single player this weekend, I’m checking on Rossi’s availability first.
Ryan Hartman (C/RW – 60% owned) is a good option in shallower leagues, while Marcus Johansson (LW – 5% owned) is more than worthy of consideration in any format. He’s skating with Hartman and Mats Zuccarello at 5v5 while also seeing time with the top power-play unit, and he’s been particularly productive of late, picking up a goal and seven assists over his last ten games. His lack of shot volume limits Johansson’s goal-scoring upside, but he’s a safe bet to pad your assist totals this weekend.
San Jose Sharks (@ VGK on Fri, @ ANA on Sun)
Lastly, we have the San Jose Sharks. Tomas Hertl (C – 34% owned) is the only viable option. If he’s unavailable, the low-scoring Sharks are a fade for me. They’re averaging 1.3 goals per game and could end up being one of the worst offensive teams in NHL history. The fact that Hertl has even managed nine points in 13 games on this roster is an accomplishment in itself, worthy of Hart Trophy consideration. If we scaled the Art Ross Trophy for quality of linemates, he’d be a front-runner.
Goaltenders
Don’t expect any help in the crease off the wire on Friday. Only two teams are playing Thursday/Friday this week, meaning we can only project a backup to get the nod for Minnesota (you won’t find either Filip Gustavsson or Marc-Andre Fleury in the free-agent pool of standard-sized leagues) and San Jose, who we are fading for the reasons stated earlier.
Luckily there are four teams playing back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday, meaning there will be a small handful of backups to choose from on Sunday, but you’ll want to act fast to secure one of the two premium options. The first is Casey DeSmith (6% owned), who should be in line to take on the Canadiens in Montreal on Sunday. The Canucks are in Toronto on Saturday, where you can bet your house on Thatcher Demko getting the start, leaving DeSmith to handle the much more favourable matchup against the Habs on Sunday. DeSmith has been solid in his limited opportunities this season (.911 SV%, 2.82 GAA, 3-0-1 record), and the goal support couldn’t be any better with the Canucks leading the NHL with 59 goals on the year. You can confidently chase the win here in an easy matchup without worrying about potential damage to your splits.
Sunday’s other premium spot start belongs to the Dallas Stars and Scott Wedgewood (3% owned). The Stars will be in Winnipeg on Saturday, where Jake Oettinger will presumably get the nod, before making the short trip to Minnesota on Sunday. The Stars will be road favourites over the Wild, and Wedgewood has performed well when called upon this season. The 31-year-old netminder owns a .911 SV% and a 2-1-0 record across his first three starts of the season.
The other two projected backups will both be on teams that will be sizable underdogs on Sunday. Namely the Canadiens against the Canucks, and the Blue Jackets against the Rangers, making Samuel Montembeault (10% owned) and Spencer Martin (1% owned) nothing more than a pair of desperation plays.