Fantasy Hockey: Weekly Strength of Schedule and Streaming Targets — Week 22

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 easiest schedule this week.

Week 22 – Strength of Schedule

Week 22 Streaming Targets

SOS = Strength of Schedule Rank (1 good, 32 bad)
Light = No. of games on Lighter days (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)
DR = Defensive Ranking (1st = Best Defensive Team, 32nd = Worst Defensive Team)

Columbus Blue Jackets (SOS: #1 | Light: 2)

The Blue Jackets have the easiest schedule of the week, but they only have two games on a light day, so getting them into your lineup may be more difficult. They also don’t have many quality streaming targets, so your options are limited.

Boone Jenner (C – 36% Rostered)

Jenner plays massive minutes atop the Blue Jackets’ lineup with Johnny Gaudreau. Even with the team sitting last in the NHL, Jenner has quietly scored at a 30-goal, 26-assist per 82-game pace this season. In the last month, he’s picked up 11 points (6G / 5A) and 51 SOG (3.9 SOG/gm) in 13 games. His consistent usage on the top line and top power-play unit and his excellent shot volume make Jenner a great streaming target.

Vancouver Canucks (SOS: #2 | Light: 1)

The Canucks have the second-easiest schedule this week but only one game on a light day, so go over your schedule before adding any Canucks and make sure you can fit them in on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Anthony Beauvillier (LW/RW – 16% Rostered)

Beauvillier has found new life in Vancouver after being traded for Bo Horvat. He had just 20 points (9G / 11A) in 49 games with the Islanders, averaging 15:47 TOI/gm. In Vancouver, he’s found a spot next to Elias Pettersson at 5v5 and on the power-play, and he’s turned that into 13 points (6G / 7A) in 16 games while playing 18:44 ATOI. Given his current role, Beauvillier is among the best streaming targets this week, but fitting him into your lineup could be tricky. Dual-wing eligibility should help.

Colorado Avalanche (SOS: #3 | Light: 2)

The Avalanche have the third-easiest schedule and two games on light nights this week. Those two games come Monday and Wednesday, so you could drop them for a player who plays Friday/Sunday (ANA, BUF, CBJ, STL & WSH are teams with this schedule) if you have enough pickups to make it work.

J.T. Compher (C/RW – 35% Rostered)

Compher hasn’t done much recently, going pointless with just nine SOG in his last five games. However, he continues to play big minutes (19:38 ATOI) in the Colorado top-6 and top power-play unit, so he has to be at least considered this week. He was hot from the middle of January to the end of February, posting 20 points (6G / 14A) in a 21-game span, so there’s a chance he returns plenty of value this week.

Evan Rodrigues (C/LW/RW – 17% Rostered)

Rodrigues has had a super inconsistent season. At his best, he’s one of the best streaming targets in the NHL. At his worst, he’s useless in fantasy hockey. In their most recent game, Rodrigues was skating on the top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen and was also on the top power-play unit. This not only makes him the best streaming target on his team but maybe the best one overall. Whether that role sticks… remains to be seen.

Washington Capitals (SOS: #10 | Light: 3)

The Capitals rank a little further down the list in schedule strength (10th), but their three games on light nights make them easy to fit into your lineup this week.

Tom Wilson (RW – 42% Rostered)

Wilson has been decently productive since making his season debut on January 8th, posting 10 points (7G / 3A) in 18 games. He averaged just 15:41 TOI/gm in his first 15 games but has seen his usage ramp up (19:29 ATOI) in the last three games, skating on the top line with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov. That kind of usage can be difficult to find in a streaming target, so Wilson is appealing.

T.J. Oshie (C/RW – 34% Rostered)

Oshie has been really solid over the last month, picking up 13 points (7G / 6A) in his last 12 games. It’s going to be tough for him to keep shooting 26.9%, but his shot volume has room to return to normal–he’s averaged just 1.3 SOG/gm in his last seven games. He should continue to skate in the top-6 and on the top power-play unit without much fear of demotion.

Buffalo Sabres (SOS: #22 | Light: 4)

The Sabres have a tough schedule this week, but they’re the only team in the league with games on all four light nights. So, you’ll have no problem getting them into your lineup; whether or not their players are worth streaming in tough matchups is a decision you’ll have to make.

Jack Quinn (LW/RW – 9% Rostered)

Quinn played terrifically when he was on the Sabres’ top line but was bumped back to the second line for the last couple of games. He’s played 14:05 ATOI in the last two games, so the usage may not be great this week. Still, the second line of Quinn, Dylan Cozens and JJ Peterka has been productive this season, and he continues to skate on the second power-play unit.

Jordan Greenway (LW – 2% Rostered)

Greenway is an interesting name because, on the one hand, he has just eight points (3G / 5A) this season. On the other hand, he’s currently skating on the top line with Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner. In two games on that line, he has one goal on two shots while averaging 16:04 TOI/gm. He’s probably best to be picked up in banger leagues, where at the very least, he can help with his 1.8 hits per game.

JJ Peterka (LW/RW – 1% Rostered)

Peterka is in the same boat as Quinn, he plays in the top-6 and on PP2, but his TOI is middling (14:37 ATOI). In his last six games, Peterka has four points (1G / 3A) while averaging 3.0 SOG/gm.