Fantasy Hockey: Weekly Strength of Schedule and Streaming Targets — Week 14
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 took that weekly schedule and combined it 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. For context, CBJ currently grades as the worst defensively, with a rating of 92.16. Carolina is the best, with a rating of 12.46.
- SCORE: The sum of all of the Defensive Ratings that the team will face this week.
- AVG Opponent: The Average Defensive Ratings that the team will face this week.
- Strength of Schedule is determined by the sum of defensive ratings, because we want players that play the most games but also have the easiest matchups.
- Light Nights: A night in the NHL with eight or fewer games.
Week 14 – Strength of Schedule
Week 14 Opponent Ratings
Team Ratings are based solely on defensive metrics and goaltending quality in order to identify the best matchups for skaters. They are in no way a reflection of overall team quality. The lower the rating, the better the team is defensively = worse skater matchup.
Week 14 Streaming Targets
- SOS = Strength of Schedule Rank (1 good, 32 bad)
- Light = No. of games on Lighter days (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs have the easiest schedule this week and are one of seven teams with four games. The only knock on the Maple Leafs’ schedule is they only play one game on a light night, which could make them difficult to get into your lineup this week.
Max Domi (C/LW) – 26% Rostered
The Maple Leafs’ third line has improved recently, and Dome’s offensive numbers have turned around from the first half of the season. After going goalless in his first 21 games, Domi has three goals and eight assists (11 points) in his last 16 games. He’s making the most of limited ice time (12:30 ATOI) but there are more reliable streaming options with better usage available this week.
Tyler Bertuzzi (LW) – 19% Rostered
Bertuzzi continues to skate on the Maple Leafs second line with John Tavares and William Nylander, as well as see time on the second power-play unit. His goal-scoring numbers have been unimpressive, scoring just one goal in his last 18 games, however, he has eight assists in his last 10 games.
Matthew Knies (LW) – 13% Rostered
Knies has been on the Maple Leafs’ top line for a long stretch, but it hasn’t resulted in very good point totals. He’s gone pointless in his last five games and has just 10 points (6G / 4A) in his last 24 games. Given his spot in the lineup, Knies always makes for an intriguing streaming option, but whether he can make the most of his opportunity remains to be seen.
Dallas Stars
The Stars have the best streamer-friendly schedule this week. They have the third-easiest schedule overall, play four games, three of which are on light nights.
Tyler Seguin (C/RW) – 44% Rostered
Seguin has been on a bit of a heater over the last month, operating near a point-per-game, with 12 points (6G / 6A) and 32 SOG in his last 14 games. Seguin continues to play a healthy amount of minutes (17:30) and has been a reliable source of production all season. He’s rarely gone more than a game or two without picking up some points. He should chip in all week for you.
Mason Marchment (LW) – 34% Rostered
Marchment has been a monster since New Year’s Eve, posting nine points (3G / 6A) in his last four games. He’s been playing well for a while, picking up 20 points (9G / 11A) and 43 SOG (2.3 per game) over his last 19 games. He’s locked into a top-6, PP2 role and should continue to produce while playing with Seguin and Matt Duchene–the trio is generating 33 scoring chances for per/60 this season.
Thomas Harley (D) – 35% Rostered
With Miro Heiskanen out, Harley has played over 24 minutes in the last two games. Unfortunately, he did not take over the PP1 duties, as Dallas went with a five-forward group, but he’s still the new alpha on their blueline and will continue to play monster minutes. Harley is more than a streaming target for this week, he should be owned until Heiskanen returns.
Wyatt Johnston (C) – 22% Rostered
The sophomore slump has not hit Johnston this season, but he hasn’t exactly taken the next step either. Johnston is currently on-pace for 50 points over 82 games, just nine more points than a season ago. He’s been especially quiet as of late, with just seven points (1G / 6A) in his last 19 games. However, he sees consistent usage with quality linemates and is a strong fall-back option if Seguin and Marchment are gone.
Evgenii Dadonov (RW) – 1% Rostered
Do not pick up Dadonov until you see line rushes from Monday’s morning skate. Midway through the Stars’ most recent game, Dadonov was bumped to the top line with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. The Stars have done this periodically throughout the season but always seem to go back to Joe Pavelski on the top line for the next game. However, if it sticks, Dadonov would be an interesting stream in deeper leagues.
New York Rangers
There are other teams with easier schedules than the Rangers this week, but they have four games and two of them are on light nights.
Alexis Lafrenière (LW/RW) – 31% Rostered
Lafrenière is probably the only Rangers’ forward worth streaming since their big-4 are all over 85 percent rostered. While not as productive as his linemates, Lafrenière has seven points (2G / 5A) and 26 SOG (2.9 SOG/gm) in his last nine games. Most important for Lafrenière is that he’s stapled onto a line with Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin, and that trio has been among the best offensive lines in the NHL this season–ranking sixth among lines with at least 200 TOI together in xGF/60 (3.53) and 15th in GF/60 (3.39).
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers’ schedule is similar to the Stars, four games and three light nights. The only difference is Philadelphia will face a few more difficult opponents–Dallas has the ninth-easiest average opponent rating, the Flyers are 17th.
Sean Couturier (C) – 31% Rostered
Unlike the Rangers, the Flyers have a plethora of streaming options, but Couturier is the best of the bunch (unless you’re in a league where Owen Tippett (54%) is available). While much of their lineup has been shuffled around at times this season, Couturier’s has remained perched atop their lineup all season. He plays monstrous minutes and has 13 points (5G / 8A) and 55 SOG (3.2 SOG/gm) while averaging 20:31 TOIg/m in his last 17 games.
Joel Farabee (LW) – 25% Rostered
Farabee has recently worked his way onto the top line with Couturier and Travis Konecny, and comes into the week with 14 points (4G / 10A) in his last 14 games. His shot volume is pretty inconsistent, but for one week, getting a player on the top line and top PP of his team is a good scoop.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild are one of three teams with three games on light nights this week. However, they’d be third in the pecking order due to their 24th-ranked Average Opponent Rating.
Marco Rossi (C) – 11% Rostered
Kirill Kaprizov is out, but Mats Zuccarello returned over the weekend, and Minnesota changed up their lines. Rossi landed with Matt Boldy and Zuccarello, as well as the top power-play unit. That’s a perfect spot for him to have a big week for you. The talented 22-year-old has 13 points (6G / 7A) in his last 18 games.
Brock Faber (D) – 30% Rostered
With Jared Spurgeon back on the sidelines, Faber is once again running the top power-play unit and playing 30-plus minutes in Minnesota. He had three assists, three shots, and five blocked shots in 30:12 in their most recent game. Since the start of December, Faber has 11 points (1G / 10A) while averaging 26:45 TOI/gm in his last 17 games. His 11 points during that span is tied for 20th among defensemen.
Ryan Hartman (C/RW) – 18% Rostered
Recent injuries have bumped Hartman back up into the Wild’s top-6, and he’s made the most of it. Hartman has four goals and two assists (six points) in his last eight games and should spend the week on a line with Joel Erikkson Ek and Marcus Johansson.
Marcus Johansson (LW) – 5% Rostered
Johansson has been quietly productive over the last month. Since December 8th, Johansson has recorded 12 points (4G / 8A) in his last 14 games. His shot volume and goal production probably won’t be great, but he’s a deep-league target who can pitch in.