Thank you, schedule makers, for a banner fantasy week: lots of games, spread out across the week, with numerous light night options. This is a big improvement from last week, where everything was built around the Super Tuesday Spectacular they named Frozen Frenzy. Again, NHL: why can’t that be on a Saturday when folks can have it running in the background all day??
Anyway! We’ve got 11(!!) four-game streamers this week, and four of those teams are playing every game on a light night; there are an additional 12 teams playing on three light nights, too. With so many teams to cover, we may not get to a player from each and will instead highlight the “best” pickups and some honorable mentions. With that in mind, we’re going to skip the “Light-Night Specials” section this week, as your roster should have an opening on pretty much any day of the week for whichever players you choose.
Four-Game Streamers
Sean Monahan, C, Columbus Blue Jackets | 25.9% ESPN
Against all odds, the top line of the Blue Jackets has been playing some pretty good hockey: Monahan alone has three goals and four assists. If you can still grab Yegor Chinakov or Kirill Marchenko in your league, they’re absolutely a better choice, but Monahan’s availability gives him the edge here–all three are on the top power play unit at the moment, too, which should provide a boos to their fantasy value.
Bobby McMann, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs | 4.5% ESPN
Last week we highlighted Oliver Ekman-Larsson (and if he’s available, you should definitely consider him), but we’re picking a fun one this week: Bobby McMann.
Jordan Eberle, RW, Seattle Kraken | 24.4% ESPN
It’s been a blistering start for Eberle and, while the shooting percentage is unsustainable, it’s the perfect time to ride the hot hand. Even if (when) the shooting percentage drops, he’s a top-six lock for the Kraken and has a spot on the first power play unit for the time being.
Jake Walman, D, San Jose Sharks | 15.5% ESPN
For those who started reading in Week One, you’ll recognize Walman’s name. I’m a big fan of his fantasy value as a depth contributor: he’s still running the (admittedly mediocre) Sharks power play, and he blocks shots–that last bit is key, because the Sharks are starved for offense at almost every position in their lineup and you need to find value in other categories.
Nick Foligno, LW, Chicago Blackhawks | 6.7% ESPN
Like the Sharks, the Hawks are starved for talent–but Nick Foligno’s been pretty solid to start the season. Beyond scoring, he throws the body around a lot, so for those in leagues that reward hits and physical play, Foligno brings some extra oomph to your roster.
Cole Perfetti, LW, Winnipeg Jets | 19.7% ESPN
He may not have prime power play opportunities, but Perfetti is flourishing in a top-six role with the Jets and has two goals and six assists this season. With how Gabe Vilardi has been playing (he only got his first goal of the season this week), there’s a chance Perfetti can replace Vilardi on PP1 and further increase his fantasy value.
Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, Calgary Flames | 61% ESPN
While he may never regain the 100-point form he flashed in Florida, Huberdeau is leading the Flames in scoring and is playing at a point-per-game pace early in the season. If he’s still available in your league, he’d make an excellent add to your roster–maybe even beyond this week, if the scoring continues.
Anthony Cirelli, C, Tampa Bay Lightning | 24.1% ESPN
Known more for his defensive play, Cirelli has been racking up the points next to Brandon Hagel on the Lightning’s second line. That scoring may not be sustainable for the season, but there’s no better moment to ride the hot hand in Tampa than right now.
Honorable Mentions: Pierre-Luc Dubois, Washington Capitals; Mikael Granlund, San Jose Sharks; Hampus Lindholm, Boston Bruins
Back-to-Back Goalie Options
There are quite a few back-to-backs this week, which means tons of opportunities for goalie streaming! However, most of them are on Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday, which could interfere with your other starters, so add and drop accordingly.
Semyon Varlamov, G, New York Islanders | 6.4% ESPN
It is, of course, Ilya Sorokin’s net, but the Islanders have a back-to-back versus the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets. The Islanders aren’t the best team–especially when it comes to offensive generation–but they should be able to snag a W in whichever of those two games Varlamov gets.
Joonas Korpisalo, G, Boston Bruins | 3% ESPN
The “Korpisalo as backup” experiment hasn’t exactly met expectations in Boston, but they’ve got a back-to-back against the Flyers and the Kraken this weekend–Jeremy Swayman can’t start both. The Bruins have had their struggles, and could lose either of those games, but they’re still a team with enough pedigree to bet on a win even with Korpisalo in net.
Charlie Lindgren & Logan Thompson, G, Washington Capitals | 61.1% & 42.9% ESPN
It’s looking like a timeshare for the crease in Washington, and either of Lindgren or Thompson could be a solid streaming option this week as the Capitals have a back-to-back against Columbus and Carolina. The Canes are a good team and that’s the Capitals’ second game–almost a scheduled loss–but picking up whoever’s in net opposite the Blue Jackets could be some easy points.
Anton Forsberg, G, Ottawa Senators | 0.8% ESPN
This is a dicey proposition that should only be undertaken in the deepest of leagues or most desperate of times. The Senators have started well, but Linus Ullmark has missed some time with injury, which means Forsberg and Mads Sogaard have had to take over in the interim. On Saturday, the Sens have the second half of their back-to-back at home after visiting the Rangers the night before; they’ll host the Kraken that night. Working in the Sens’ favor is that the Kraken will be in the midst of a lengthy east coast swing and could be worn down by gametime. If Ullmark’s healthy and starts against New York on Friday, and Forsberg gets the nod on Saturday, there’s some potential for a tired Sens team to secure a win against an also-tired Kraken.
Honorable Mentions: Joseph Woll/Anthony Stolarz, Toronto Maple Leafs for the same reason as last week
