WNBA Best Bets (Wednesday 9/25)
Josh Gross
Welcome to the Week 2 fantasy hockey waiver wire rankings. Below you’ll see which teams play four-games for the week and which teams have the lightest schedule in the NHL. I usually preach patience when it comes to fantasy sports, but this is a shortened season which will be unlike what we’ve ever experienced in fantasy hockey.
It’s important to be active on the waiver wire and the best way to take advantage of your opponents is to use your weekly adds. If they don’t reset with each passing week then you’ll want to take a more strategic approach. If they reset each week, look ahead at the schedule and identify which teams play the most during the week so you can get the most out of your adds.
Below you’ll see several four-game streams and as you’ll see throughout the season there are a lot of teams who have four games scheduled each week, so we have plenty of options to choose from. We may even see a few more teams play more than four games as the Winnipeg Jets played five games this past week. I know you’d rather have five games Josh Morrissey than two games of Erik Cernak. I like Cernak but I’ll get my hits and blocks from other positions. Cernak is actually hurt at the moment, so he’s a bad example, but the point remains the same. Four or five games are better than two or three.
Below you’ll see a couple of options of players scheduled to play four games for Week 2. I scanned the waiver wire across Yahoo, ESPN and Fantrax leagues and sought out the players owned in fewer than 50% of leagues. Keep reading to see the fantasy hockey waiver wire rankings and drop candidates as there are several teams scheduled to play twice this week. It’s easy enough to suggest a player to add, but the tough part is finding a player to drop.
There are 17 teams scheduled to play four games in Week 2 of the fantasy hockey season. There are six teams with only two games and we have a few back-to-backs for those looking to plan out their goalie starts.
Any questions you can hit me up @chrismeaney. Check out Mean Streets and Fantasy Hockey Picks and Bets for more NHL content.
UPDATE: The Carolina Hurricanes reportedly have six players on the NHL's COVID-19 protocol list so their game on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning has been postponed until Feb. 22. The Thursday game between both teams is on for now.
Four-game streams
Anaheim Ducks (TUE @ ARI, THU @ ARI, SAT vs. STL, SUN vs. STL)
The Ducks don’t have a single player who has a higher ownership percentage than Kevin Shattenkirk’s 38% in Yahoo leagues. Until Trevor Zegras makes his NHL debut, I’m off of this team as they don’t generate enough offense for my liking. Shattenkirk is alright in 14-team leagues even though he hasn’t done much yet. Adam Henrique or Ryan Getzlaf will provide a few faceoff wins as well as hits for those in deeper formats. Someone on my radar in deeper leagues or salary cap formats is Jani Hakanpaa. He leads the Ducks with 14 blocks and he has 18 hits. He continues to get more and more ice time as well as he played a season-high 22:20 on Sunday. He cashes in with five hits and four blocks.
Buffalo Sabres (TUE vs. NYR, THU vs. NYR, SAT vs. NJ, SUN vs. NJD)
Eric Staal, C
Staal has goals in back-to-back games (one on the power-play) and has 12 shots over his past three games. He has four really good matchups this week so consider him in leagues with faceoff wins. He was included in the offseason forward moves as part of our fantasy hockey draft guide.
Jeff Skinner, W
This would be the last week I’d hold onto Skinner. I have no shares and I’m not interested in any. Only hold in deep leagues with shots on goal.
Carolina Hurricanes (TUE vs. TB, THU vs. TB, SAT vs. DAL, SUN vs. DAL)
The Hurricanes have had their last three games postponed so a few of their players may have been cut loose. Trocheck had two goals, three points, one power-play point, 13 shots, two hits and 25 faceoff wins over his first three games. He saw an increase in ice time in each of his last two games (19:28 in his last game). Trocheck really does touch all fantasy categories making him a must-own in certain formats.
Niederreiter was not worthy of a roster spot last season but the former two-time 20 goal scorer has two through three games. He remains on the top line with Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen, which is what you want. This isn’t the best schedule for Carolina though and I would choose Trocheck over him.
Chicago Blackhawks (TUE @ NSH, WED @ NSH, THU vs. CLS, SUN vs. CLS)
Pius Suter, C/LW
Suter is fresh off a hat trick Sunday, so he’ll be one of the most added players to start Week 2. Suter only had one point in his first five NHL games, but the undrafted rookie has a great opportunity as he continues to skate with Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. He has at least four shots on goal in three of his six games. If you play with plus/minus proceed with caution. He’s someone to definitely consider in DFS.
Zadorov has a team-high 27 hits if you’re in need. There are only three players who have more hits than Zadorov.
Colorado Avalanche (TUE vs. SJ, THU vs. SJ, SAT @ MIN, SUN @ MIN)
Devon Toews, D
Toews was in the draft kit as well and is off to a pretty good start. The former Islander has two goals and four points with three coming on the power-play. He’s on the second unit but he’s logging massive minutes. He was a breakout candidate for me and Ryan Graves was a bust candidate. I’m not surprised to see Graves get dropped in leagues and I’d suggest you join the party in cutting ties.
Bowen Byram, D
Byram only logged 11:19 in his first NHL game and he looked like a rookie, but he's been fantastic since. He played 14:28 in his second game and finished with a beautiful assist. In his third game, he played 18:32 and looked great again. He has seven shots on goal through three games and he may just stick around for 2021. He played 1:01 on the PP in this third game after not getting any time on the man advantage over his first two games.
Columbus Blue Jackets (TUE vs. FLA, THU vs. FLA, FRI @ CHI, SUN @ CHI)
Alexandre Texier, C/LW & Liam Foudy, C/RW
The departure of Pierre-Luc Dubois opens up an opportunity for Max Domi, Alexandre Texier and even Liam Foudy to get more ice time. Texier scored six goals and added seven assists in 36 games as a rookie last season. He only played 12:45 per game, but he’s already up to 17:29 per game and the Blue Jackets just traded their number one center. Texier has three goals and five points through his first six games. Domi ranks inside the top 10 in dropped players as of Sunday night, but keep in mind he could get Patrik Laine on his line. Texier and Domi may be really good fantasy players moving forward.
Dallas Stars (TUE vs. DET, THU vs. DET, SAT @ CAR, SUN @ CAR)
Joe Pavelski, C/RW
I don’t know if it was because COVID-19 ran through the Dallas Stars, but a lot of their players went undrafted. Pavelski’s 14 goals and 31 points last season were the lowest he’s had since his rookie campaign in 2006-07. The former Shark had 60 plus points in six straight seasons before signing with Dallas. He turned it around in the playoffs as he scored 13 goals and 19 points in 27 games. It took him 14 games to get four points last season and he had four in his 2021 debut. He has three goals and seven points in two games. It took Pavelski 52 games to register six power-play points last season. He has that already and he’s just five back of matching his PP total from last season.
Denis Gurianov, LW/RW
Gurianov is in for a breakout season and there’s no question about it. He’s really good. The winger already had two goals and 10 shots through two games. He scored 20 goals in 64 games and added another nine in 27 playoff games last season. He had 17 points (seven power-play points) and 54 shots in the bubble. Scanning waiver wire percentages across platforms and I’m shocked to see how low they are when it comes to Gurianov. With Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn sidelined, the ice time will be there for Gurianov.
Detroit Red Wings (TUE @ DAL, THU @ DAL, SAT vs. FLA, SUN vs. FLA)
Filip Hronek, D
Hronek picked up two power-play assists Sunday, which has him at four points for the season. He scored nine goals and finished with 31 points in his second season in the league last year on what was a bad Detroit team. They’re bad again, but Hronek is a solid fantasy asset and he eats up a lot of minutes (24:20 P/G). He had 10 power-play points last season and 100 plus shots and hits. He has a hit, shot and block in every game this year.
Tyler Bertuzzi, LW/RW
Bertuzzi, Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha are the only forwards in Detroit worth roster spots. Maybe Boby Ryan in deeper formats. Bertuzzi has a higher ceiling than Ryan and he's been great to start the season as he has three goals and five points in six games. The winger had 21 goals in each of his past two seasons and he'll provide owners with hits as well as shots. He's also averaging a career-high 20:33 this season.
Edmonton Oilers (TUE @ WPG, THU vs. TOR, SAT vs. TOR, SUN vs. OTT)
Jesse Puljujarvi, RW
Puljujarvi was promoted to Connor McDavid’s line and managed to grab an assist while playing a season-high 17:33 in Edmonton’s 4-3 win. The winger put six pucks on net to give him 22 shots on the season. He has at least two hits in six straight games, which is a nice bonus, but it’s really the scoring upside we’re after here. The highly-touted prospect has started extremely slow but the speed and skills have been on display at times and he’s getting a good chance to play with one of the game’s best. The breakout may finally be near.
Florida Panthers (TUE @ CLS, THU @ CLS, SAT @ DET, SUN @ DET)
Duclair was one of the most added and dropped players last season as owners couldn’t make up their minds. They’ve struggled with him to start 2021 as well, as I’ve seen him on the wire in a couple of spots. I’ve added where I can, as he has two points and seven shots on goal through two games. He’s getting a shot in the top-six and he’s a proven 20 goal scorer. I liked the offseason addition by the Panthers.
Carter Verhaeghe, LW/RW
Florida has only played two games, but Verhaeghe has two goals, three points and four shots. He’s playing on the top line with Aleksander Barkov and Duclair, so he’s definitely worth a look. He and Duclair have a shot to contribute with Florida’s big boys with the departure of Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov.
Minnesota Wild (TUE vs. LA, THU vs. LA, SAT vs. COL, SUN vs COL)
Eriksson Ek has three goals, five points, 19 shots, eight hits and 35 face-off wins in six games. He also has a power-play point and a game-winning goal on the season. He won’t keep this scoring pace up but he’s averaging a career-high 16:45. He’s an underrated fantasy player as he’ll touch most categories for you.
New York Islanders (TUE @ WAS, THU @ WAS, SAT @ PHI, SUN @ PHI)
Eberle is widely available in leagues if you’re looking for a volume shooter to stream this week. He has two goals on the season and 10 shots over his past two games. He’s on the Islanders’ top line with Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee, and they have four decent matchups this week. The Flyers have struggled to keep the puck out of their end and net with the loss of Sean Couturier.
New Jersey Devils (TUE vs. PHI, THU, vs. PHI, SAT @ BUF, SUN @ BUF)
Ty Smith, D
The 2018 first-round pick has a goal and six points through his first five NHL games. Smith has a point and a shot on goal in every game so far. He’s on the Devils’ third defensive pair but he’s on their second power-play unit. He grabbed his first PP assist in Sundays’ 2-0 win against the Islanders.
Ottawa Senators (MON @ VAN, WED @ VAN, THU @ VAN, SUN @ EDM)
Drake Batherson, W & Josh Norris, C
Batherson looks bigger and faster this season as he continues to grow as an NHL player. The winger only had three goals and 10 points last season, but he only played 23 games and he only averaged 15:34 per game. He’s averaging 17:12 per game this season and he’s on Ottawa’s number one line. Batherson has three points through five games to goal along with 18 shots and 13 hits. He gets three games against Vancouver this week and the Canucks have coughed up the most goals per game in the league. Josh Norris is centering Batherson and he is worth a look as well. Evgenii Dadonov is another Senator I would consider rostering.
Philadelphia Flyers (TUE @ NYJ, THU @ NJD, SAT vs. NYI, SUN vs NYI)
Kevin Hayes, C
Hayes is around the 50% mark, so he may not be available in your league and shouldn’t be. He’s getting more ice time with Couturier sidelined, but he’s still a big part of the Flyers’ offense. He has three goals, eight points, 14 shots and seven hits so far, and he’s only gone one game without a point. Hayes has three multi-point games on his 2021 resume already and I thought he was Philadelphia’s best forward in the bubble last season. I’d grab and hold.
St. Louis Blues (TUE @ VGK, THU @ VGK, SAT @ ANH, SUN @ ANH)
Jordan Kyrou, W
The breakout season for Kyrou seems to be here as he has two goals and six points in six games. He’s skating on the right side of Brayden Schenn’s line with Jaden Schwartz. The ice time is not consistent for Kyrou yet, as the Blues have their offense spread out on their first three lines, but Kyrou has a ton of skill and he’s getting time on the power-play. He’s a player I like a lot and I’d prioritize him over Zach Sanford or Robert Thomas in standard 12 team leagues. All three are worth consideration.
Justin Faulk, D
Faulk wasn’t worth your time last season, but he’s been a fantasy asset in the past. Both of his goals came in one game last week and he won’t contribute much offense, but he’ll touch other categories for you and is playing 24:11 per game. Faulk has 18 shots and 24 hits already which is valuable.
Vancouver Canucks (MON vs. OTT, WED vs. OTT, THU vs. OTT, SAT @ WPG)
The Canucks juggled their lines up in their latest game, but Nils Hoglander stayed inside the top six. Whether his center is Elias Pettersson or Bo Horvat, it doesn’t really matter. The rookie has proved he belongs in the NHL and he enters Week 2 on a two-game point streak. He has two goals already and he’s getting time on the man advantage.
Tyler Motte, W
Motte has two goals but it’s his 29 hits you should be after.
Two-games
Arizona Coyotes – Conor Garland (hold) & Jakob Chychrun (hold); Phil Kessel (sell-high)
Los Angeles Kings – Andreas Athanasiou (sell-high) & Anze Kopitar (don't sell-high)
Montreal Canadiens – Joel Armia (drop) & Alexander Romanov (hold)
San Jose Sharks – Kevin Labanc (drop)
Vegas Golden Knights – Chandler Stephenson (drop) & William Karlsson (hold)
Winnipeg Jets – Paul Stastny (drop) & Andrew Copp (hold)
Fantasy hockey waiver wire rankings
Joe Pavelski
Kevin Hayes
Denis Gurianov
Alexandre Texier
Andrew Copp
Carter Verhaeghe
Jordan Kyrou
Jakub Voracek
Anthony Mantha
Pavel Buchnevich
Vincent Trocheck
Joel Eriksson Ek
Tyler Bertuzzi
Anthony Duclair
Drake Batherson
Josh Norris
Jesse Puljujarvi
Alex Tuch
Roope Hintz
Zach Hyman
Adrian Kempe
Under owned defensemen
Mathew Dumba
Josh Morrissey
Filip Hronek
Devon Toews
Rasmus Andersson
Justin Faulk
Ty Smith
Alexander Romanov
Noah Dobson
Connor Murphy
Drop candidates
Ryan Graves
Anthony DeAngelo
Zack Kassian
Jeff Carter
Erik Cernak
Jeff Skinner
Jason Zucker
Jared Spurgeon
Matt Duchene
Hold
Mike Hoffman
Ryan Strome
Nazem Kadri
Anthony Mantha
Rasmus Dahlin
Max Domi
Ryan Pulock
Mark Giordano
Reilly Smith
Tomas Hertl
Buy-low
Sebastian Aho
Mika Zibanejad
Elias Pettersson
Patrik Laine
Evgeni Malkin
Roman Josi
Pierre-Luc Dubois
Sell-high
Miles Wood
Paul Stastny
Brandon Tanev
Bobby Ryan
Dustin Brown
Dominik Kubalik
Deep adds
Alex Tuch
Jonathan Drouin
Nick Ritchie
Andrew Copp
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Alex Iafallo
Back-to-backs
Elvis Merzlikins – Worth holding onto as the Blue Jackets have been rotating between him and Joonas Korpisalo. Elvis will get at least one start this week against Florida or Chicago.
Chris Driedger – Florida has a back-to-back this weekend against Detroit.
Brian Elliott – The Flyers have a back-to-back this weekend against Philadelphia
Ville Husso – He's let in nine goals in two starts but I'd roll him out Saturday or Sunday against the Ducks if in need.
Thatcher Demko – The Canucks are allowing a league-high 4.7 goals per game, but I'd give Demko a shot against the Senators.
Saturday and Sunday games
Anaheim Ducks
Buffalo Sabres
Carolina Hurricanes
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Minnesota Wild
New York Islanders
New Jersey Devils
Philadelphia Flyers
St. Louis Blues
