Fantasy Hockey: Weekend Streaming Targets – Week 6
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 three games on Friday, 13 on Saturday and five on Sunday, so as per usual, we target the skaters playing on those two quieter nights. There are a handful of options to consider this weekend, with three teams playing on both Friday and Sunday.
Anaheim Ducks – vs. FLA (Fri), vs. STL (Sun)
The Ducks are on the ideal weekend streaming schedule for the second consecutive week, and unsurprisingly, many of the same options recommended last weekend make for good streaming targets again. Anaheim placed Trevor Zegras on injured reserve on Monday with a lower-body injury, which should result in some additional minutes for Leo Carlsson (C – 18% owned) this weekend. The 2023 second-overall pick has racked up six goals, two assists, and 23 shots on goal in his first 11 games, including a hat-trick against the Flyers last Friday. Anaheim is taking a cautious approach to his usage as they look to manage his workload in his first professional season in North America. That said, Ducks head coach Greg Cronin is not shy about using Carlsson when he is available, as the 18-year-old centreman is averaging over 18 minutes a game on the season. Carlsson just sat out on Tuesday against the Predators, so he should be a safe bet to be in the lineup for both Anaheim games this weekend. Given his high-end talent and usage, Carlsson makes for one of the top streaming targets on the slate this weekend and is certainly worthy of some season-long consideration as well.
If Carlsson is unavailable, then Ryan Strome (LW/RW – 31% owned), Alex Killorn (LW/RW – 26% owned), and Adam Henrique (C/LW – 6% owned) all make for fine consolation prizes.
Editor’s Note: Leo Carlsson (load management) will not play on Friday but is expected back in the lineup on Sunday.
Buffalo Sabres – @ WPG (Fri), @ CHI (Sun)
The Sabres offence and fantasy upside suffered quite the blow this week with the team announcing Tage Thompson would be out indefinitely after taking a Charlie McAvoy shot to his left wrist on Tuesday against the Bruins. Even with the diminished upside, there are still a couple of widely available names worth considering on the Sabres roster this weekend, especially given their enticing road matchup against the Blackhawks on Sunday.
With Thompson out of the lineup, Casey Mittelstadt (C – 18% owned) will have plenty of opportunity to expand on the mini-breakout season he’s enjoyed thus far. The eighth overall pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft has picked up right where he left off last season when he finished with 15 goals and 44 assists across a full 82 games. Mittelstadt has scored just three goals on the year but has an impressive ten assists to his name. He’s been particularly productive lately, racking up two goals and five assists in his last eight games. We should get a better idea of how the Sabres will line up without Thompson as we get closer to Friday’s game in Winnipeg, but Mittelstadt is the most likely candidate to assume some additional minutes in Thompson’s absence.
JJ Peterka (RW – 9% owned) is an intriguing option in deeper leagues. Peterka’s recent promotion to the top power-play unit should be further solidified by Thompson’s absence, which will likely lead to additional deployment at 5v5 too. A second-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Peterka has quietly impressed in a limited role this season, registering six goals, five assists and 39 shots on goal in 16 games despite an ATOI of just 15:06. If Peterka’s minutes see a bump with Thompson out of the lineup, expect his already impressive shot volume to continue to climb with the raw production not far behind.
Toronto Maple Leafs – @ DET (Fri), @ MIN (Sun)
The most important thing to note is that both games will be played in Sweden as part of the NHL Global Series, played significantly earlier than usual. The Leafs will take on the Red Wings at 2 pm ET on Friday, so hitting the free-agent pool will need to be done earlier than usual to take advantage of both games. You likely will not find any of the Maple Leafs’ key offensive cogs on the waiver wire, but there are still a few names worth checking in on.
The first, and most obvious recommendation is Matthew Knies (LW – 26% owned). The highly-touted prospect is finally seeing an extended run in Toronto’s top-six, and while he’s been hit and miss in his first four games skating alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, the 21-year-old winger has still racked up two goals and two assists over that span. The offensive potential Knies possesses along with the upside he offers playing alongside Matthews and Marner is unmatched. We’ve seen fringe top-six players gain plenty of fantasy relevance playing in this spot, so don’t overthink this one. Grab Knies for this weekend if he’s still available, and do everything you can to keep room for him on your roster so long as he is skating on that top line.
Tyler Bertuzzi (LW – 28% owned) has seen his ownership plummet in recent weeks after an ice-cold start to his season but he has seen a slight rejuvenation in his offensive production since he joined John Tavares and William Nylander on Toronto’s second line. Bertuzzi has one goal and two assists in five games since the switch, and while that production still leaves a lot to be desired, the jump in shot volume (ten shots in his last three games) suggests there could be brighter days ahead. He’s far from a sure thing, but given how hot Nylander is right now, it’d be worth streaming whoever he’s skating with at 5v5, and that’s especially true for someone with the offensive pedigree of Bertuzzi.
And last but not least, we have Max Domi (C/LW – 34% owned). Domi is still searching for his first goal as a Maple Leaf, but he’s been a very effective play driver since being shifted back to the centre-ice position five games ago. Domi has five assists over that span despite being limited to a third-line role. He’s averaging under 14 minutes a night since the switch, which limits his upside but still makes for a solid bet to add to your assist totals, given that the Leafs will likely have an implied total of around four goals for each of their two games.
Goaltenders
Anthony Stolarz (8% owned) – @ ANA (Fri)
The Panthers were in Los Angeles on Thursday before making the short trip to Anaheim on Friday. Sergei Bobrovsky got the nod in goal against the Kings on Thursday, leaving Stolarz to take on the Ducks on Friday. Stolarz has been shaky this season, posting a .892 SV% and a 2.72 GAA, but still boasts a 2-1-0 record thanks to some strong goal support. That trend should continue on Friday, with the Panthers expected to be sizable road favourites over the Ducks. While it comes at a slight risk to your SV% and GAA, Stolarz should be a cheap way to pad your win totals heading into the weekend.
Joel Hofer (6% owned) – @ ANA (Sun)
We are picking on the Ducks a little bit here, but with the Blues stopping in LA on Saturday before heading to Anaheim on Sunday, Hofer should get the nod in a winnable road matchup. Don’t expect the Blues to be as strong of a favourite over the Ducks as the Panthers will be on Friday, but it should be a pick-em game at worst, especially with Hofer performing well when called upon this season. The 23-year-old netminder owns a 3-2-0 record to go along with a .902 SV% and a 3.20 GAA across five starts, though it’s worth noting he’s coming off his worst start of the season in the form of Thursday’s defeat to the Sharks. He may not be as likely as Stolarz to grab the win over the Ducks, but Hofer does offer less risk to your splits. He is a solid option for anyone looking to steal some goalie categories on Sunday.
Samuel Ersson (2% owned) – vs. CBJ (Sun)
Given his inconsistencies in goal this season, Ersson is a much riskier start than Stolarz and Hofer, but he looks to be the only other projected spot start that is favoured to win this weekend. The Flyers have certainly had their fair share of struggles this season, and Ersson has played a part in that, but they will undoubtedly be favoured to pick up the win on home ice over the Blue Jackets on Sunday. Carter Hart has reclaimed his starting position after dealing with a mid-body injury, and he will presumably get the far more difficult start against the Golden Knights on Saturday, leaving Ersson to face Columbus on Sunday. Ersson has a handful of respectable starts under his belt this season, but a few disaster appearances have tanked his SV% (.855) and his GAA (3.43). He carries a lot of risk with him, but if you’re just chasing wins and have nothing to lose, he looks to be the best of the desperation starts this weekend.