Fantasy Hockey: Weekly Strength of Schedule and Streaming Targets — Week 5

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.

Last Week’s Streaming Targets (Results)

• William Karlsson (VGK) – GP: 4, G: 3, A: 2, SOG: 6, HIT: 2
• Ivan Barbashev (VGK) – GP: 4, G: 2, A: 1, SOG: 8, HIT: 8
• Matt Duchene (DAL) – GP: 4, G: 2, A: 1, SOG: 10, HIT: 3
• Mattias Maccelli (ARI) – GP: 4, G: 0, A: 4, SOG: 6, Hit: 1
• Wyatt Johnston (DAL) – GP: 4, G: 1, A: 1, SOG: 12, HIT: 2
• Joel Farabee (PHI) – GP: 4, G: 1, A: 2, SOG: 8, HIT: 0
• Nick Schmaltz (ARI) – GP: 4, G: 2, A: 0, SOG: 12, HIT: 0
• Logan Cooley (ARI) – GP: 4, G; 1, A: 2, SOG: 3, Hit: 1
• Chandler Stephenson (VGK) – GP: 4, G: 0, A: 3, SOG: 6, HIT: 2
• Cam Atkinson (PHI) – GP: 4, G: 1, A: 0, SOG: 15, HIT: 1
• Tyler Seguin (DAL) – GP: 4, G: 0, A: 1, SOG: 8, HIT: 4
• Owen Tippett (PHI) – GP: 4, G: 1, A: 0, SOG: 10, HIT: 4
• Bobby Brink (PHI) – GP: 4, G: 1, A: 1, SOG: 4, HIT: 0
• Sean Couturier (PHI) – GP: 2, G: 0, A: 1, SOG: 2, HIT: 0
• Erik Haula (NJD) – GP: 3, G: 0, A: 1, SOG: 3, HIT: 2
• Barrett Hayton (ARI) – GP: 4, G: 0, A: 0, SOG: 4, HIT: 1

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 5 – Strength of Schedule

Light Night Strength of Schedule

Week 5 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 5 Streaming Targets

• SOS = Strength of Schedule Rank (1 good, 32 bad)
• Light = No. of games on Lighter days (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)

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

The Canucks are rolling right now; they lead the NHL in goals/60 (4.34) and draw a favourable schedule this week. They will start the week vs. the Oilers, whom they’ve already beaten twice and scored a combined 12 goals against. Then they head out East, where they’ll face the Senators, Maple Leafs and Canadiens, all of whom are currently struggling.

Ilya Mikheyev (LW/RW) – 11% Owned

Mikheyev returned to the Canucks’ lineup on October 21st and has been really solid. He’s been skating on a line with Elias Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko, which is as good as it gets in Vancouver. The J.T. Miller line usually takes the tougher matchup at 5v5, leaving Pettersson and Co. to torch the other team’s secondary lines. Mikheyev has picked up six points (3G / 3A) in seven games so far despite only playing 14:21 TOI/gm and only seeing PP2 usage.

Tampa Bay Lightning (SOS: #2 | Light: 1)

The Lightning only have one “light” night game this week, but they play Tuesday, where there are only 10 games, so you should be able to squeeze any Lighting streamers into your lineup. The Maple Leafs, Canadiens and Blackhawks are three juicy matchups right now, and they all come by Thursday, so you can drop a Lightning streamer for someone who plays Friday/Sunday and maximize that roster spot this week.

Nick Paul (C/LW) – 34% Owned

Paul is on pace to obliterate his previous career-highs in goals and points after posting seven points (5G / 2A) in his first 11 games. The main difference for Paul has been the Lightning using him as the net-front presence on their top power-play, and that’s led to three PPGs and one PPA so far. He’s also skating on a line with Steven Stamkos at 5v5 and has averaged close to 18:00 TOI in his last four games.

Florida Panthers (SOS: #3 | Light: 4)

The Panthers have close to a perfect schedule this week. They have the sixth-easiest average opponent rating (60.0), and all four games come on light nights.

Anton Lundell (C) – 5% Owned

Lundell was shaping up to be a great streaming target this week until Saturday’s game. With Sam Bennett out, Lundell had been skating on a line with Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaghe. However, the Panthers loaded up their top line with Verhaeghe-Barkov-Tkachuk, leaving Lundell with Eetu Luostarinen and Sam Reinhart. It’s not the worst-case scenario but for old configuration was obviously a better set-up for the 22-year-old Finnish centre. After a slow start to the season, Lundell has picked up three points (1G / 2A) and 14 SOG (2.8 per game) in his last five games while averaging 16:42 TOI/gm (13:27 ATOI in his first five games). You’ll have no issues getting Lundell in your lineup this week, and hopefully, they will drop Tkachuk back to his line as the week goes on.

Toronto Maple Leafs (SOS: #4 | Light: 3)

The Maple Leafs’ strength of schedule is slightly above average this week, but they rank highly thanks to their four games and three light night games. They are shuffling their lines around, looking for a spark, so nailing down a great weekly streamer could be tough, but there are some options.

Tyler Bertuzzi (LW) – 31% Owned

Bertuzzi looks less and less like a long-term fantasy option right now, but he’s a great streamer when the schedule aligns for the Maple Leafs as it does in Week 5. Bertuzzi has caught heat from Maple Leafs’ fans for his slow start to the season, but he remains in a prominent role in their lineup. Toronto did major line shuffling at Sunday’s practice, but Bertuzzi remained with John Tavares and William Nylander at 5v5 and on PP2. He has just three points (2G / 1A) and 23 SOG (2.1 per game) in 11 games this season, but Tavares and Nylander have combined for 17 even-strength points this season, so Bertuzzi could turn in a solid week.

Matthew Knies (LW) – 16% Owned

Part of the line shuffling saw Knies get his long-awaited promotion to the top line. Knies skated with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner in Sunday’s session, setting him up as one of the top streaming targets this week. Knies is very talented, but he hasn’t had a chance to show that off while skating on the third line with David Kampf and Max Domi. He will with Matthews and Marner. Knies comes into the week with five points (2G / 3A) in 14 career NHL games.

Anaheim Ducks (SOS: #9 | Light: 2)

The Ducks only play three games this week but have two light night games and draw some fantastic matchups. The Penguins are their toughest assignment, and they’re in the middle of the pack defensively right now. The other two matchups are Philadelphia without Carter Hart and San Jose without any talent.

Ryan Strome (LW/RW) – 38% Owned

On the surface, Strome looks like the best Ducks’ streamer, but when you dig deeper, that may not be the case. Strome has had a great start to the season, posting 11 points (2G / 9A) in 10 games, but he’s never been a big goal-scorer, and his 16.2 on-ice SH% is too high for him to maintain his assist totals. Still, he’s playing big minutes (17:19 ATOI), and the Ducks have matchups that he could take advantage of this week.

Alex Killorn (LW/RW) – 31% Owned

Killorn made his Ducks’ debut on Sunday, skating on the third line and top power-play unit. Killorn failed to get on the scoresheet but had four shot attempts (1 SOG) in 17:11 TOI. His spot on the top PP unit gives him streamer value.

Leo Carlsson (C) – 10% Owned

The Ducks do not have a back-to-back this week, so Carlsson should dress in all three games. He’s still skating on the top-line with Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry but was bumped to PP2 with the return of Killorn. The rookie has four points (3G / 1A) and 14 SOG (2.0 per game) in his first seven career games and is a strong option in deeper leagues.

Adam Henrique (C/LW) – 5% Owned

Henrique had a slow start to the season, picking up just two assists and five SOG in his first six games. He’s been picking things up recently, scoring two goals with two assists (four points) in his last four games. His shot volume and overall usage are still pedestrian, making him the worst streaming target on the team.