Fantasy Hockey: Weekly Strength of Schedule and Streaming Targets — Week 21
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 21 – Strength of Schedule
Week 21 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 21 Streaming Targets
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks have the best schedule this week, thanks to two meetings with the Coyotes (30th-ranked matchup) and a game vs. the Capitals (25th). The problem for the Blackhawks is they don’t score many goals, even with Connor Bedard back in the lineup. Since he returned on Feb.15, Chicago has averaged 1.75 goals per game. If you’re going to stream the Blackhawks, I would stick to their top line and top power-play unit, but even they’re risky options.
Streaming Targets:
- Philipp Kurashev (C) – 2% Rostred
- Tyler Johnson (C) – 0% Rostered
- Ryan Donato (C) – 0% Rostered
Arizona Coyotes
Similarly, the Coyotes have the second-best schedule this week, thanks to two matchups vs. the Blackhawks (26th) and games vs. Minnesota (23rd) and Detroit (22nd). Arizona’s offence has done a better job than Chicago’s as of late, averaging 3.25 goals per game in their last eight.
Streaming Targets:
- Nick Schmaltz (C/RW) – 26% Rostered
- Matias Maccelli (LW) – 13% Rostered
- Dylan Guenther (LW) – 5% Rostered
Nashville Predators
The Predators have the third-most favourable schedule this week and come in on a heater. Nashville has won eight games in a row, averaging 4.63 goals per game. They would be my go-to for streaming targets this week, although their offence is fairly concentrated to a handful of players, and some of them will not be available on the waiver wire.
Streaming Targets:
- Gustav Nyquist (LW) – 37% Rostered
- Tommy Novak (C) – 4% Rostered
- Cody Glass (C) – 0% Rostered
New York Islanders
The Islanders have the fourth-best easiest despite playing just three games. They have by far the easiest average opponent rating (72.7), with matchups vs. St. Louis (21st), San Jose (29th) and Anaheim (31st).
Streaming Targets:
- Anders Lee (LW) – 26% Rostered
- Kyle Palmieri (RW) – 10% Rostered
Others to consider based on personal play and not schedule:
- William Karlsson (VGK – C) – 60% Rostered
- Artturi Lehkonen (COL – 50% Rostered)
- Sean Monahan (WPG – C) – 37% Rostered
- Yegor Sharangovich (CGY – C/LW/RW) – 28% Rostered
- Mikael Backlund (CGY – C) – 27% Rostered
- Shane Pinto (OTT – C) – 26% Rostered
- Tyson Foerster (PHI – C/RW) – 16% Rostered
- Jack Roslovic (CBJ – C) – 3% Rostered