NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Rankings (1/21)

Welcome to the Week 16 Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire article here at FTN Fantasy. Before we get going, I’ve updated my Fantasy Hockey rankings for the rest of the season. Check out the link below!

Below you’ll see some of the best waiver wire pickups, players to stash, players to buy low and sell high, which players to drop and who to stream. I’ll also highlight some of the injuries, what it means for you and the Fantasy Hockey landscape.

There are eight teams scheduled to play four games in Week 16 (Jan. 22 – Jan. 28) and two teams only slated to play two games. It’s that time of the season where you need to start piling up wins. It may mean you have to cut a struggling player for a four-game stream or someone trending up. Sometimes you have to make uncomfortable moves, but the way to get the best of your opponents moving forward is to have more games played, while taking advantage of the matchups each week.

The strategy I like to call “attacking the schedule” can be the difference in winning a championship. Each week, find out which borderline players or streamers wouldn’t crack your lineup on the busy days on the schedule.

Drop those players for players scheduled to play on the lighter scheduled nights. Those days are usually Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. If you’re in a shallow league or a roto league, this strategy may not mean that much to you. But if you’re not going to play an average player on a busy night like Thursday or Saturday, you’re better off dropping him for someone playing on those lighter days. This strategy is similar to “two-start” pitchers in Fantasy Baseball.

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Injuries

Jack Hughes, NJ
Jack Eichel, VGK
Aleksander Barkov, FLA
Mark Scheifele, WPG
Valeri Nichushkin, COL
Connor Bedard, CHI
Jeff Skinner, BUF
Patrick Kane, DET
Artturi Lehkonen, COL
Patrik Laine, CLS
William Karlsson, VGK
Alex Killorn, ANA
Vince Dunn, SEA
Miro Heiskanen, DAL
Zach Werenski, CLS
Tyson Barrie, NSH
Dougie Hamilton, NJ
Shea Theodore, VGK
Mikhail Sergachev, TB
Adin Hill, VGK
Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR

Quick thoughts

Nichushkin entered the Players Assistance Program, so owners shouldn’t expect him back any time soon. I’d hold onto him if possible, but it’s also possible we don’t see him back on the ice again this season. Artturi Lehkonen should be back soon, so add him if he’s available.
Buy Hughes and Eichel if you’re in a good spot in the standings. Sell if you’re not.
Barkov won’t play Monday, but he’s hopeful to play Wednesday.

Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire

The waiver wire consists of players owned in fewer than 60% of Yahoo leagues. They are ranked in order of how I value them for the rest of the season. I dug deep for those playing in NFHC High Stakes leagues.

Last Chance

Matt Duchene, DAL
Gustav Nyquist, NSH
Blake Coleman, CGY
Tyler Seguin, DAL
Owen Tippett, PHI
Charlie Coyle, BOS
Elias Lindholm, CGY
Yegor Sharangovich, CGY
Jonathan Drouin, COL
Tomas Hertl, SJ
Logan Couture, SJ
Brent Burns, CAR
Luke Hughes, NJ
Brock Faber, MIN
Jamie Drysdale, PHI
Joey Daccord, SEA

Gustav Nyquist, LW, Nashville Predators

Nyquist has points in 12 of his past 14 games. Pick this guy up already!

Brock Faber, D, Minnesota Wild

You’re running out of time to grab Faber, as the points are starting to pile up. The rookie was always a great source for shots and blocks given the fact he’s averaging 24:41 per game in his first full season in the NHL. Don’t look now, but he has 25 points in 45 games and nine over his last eight games. Six have come on the man advantage.

Deep-League Adds

T.J. Oshie, WAS
Brayden Schenn, STL
Troy Terry, ANA
Sean Monahan, MTL
Joel Farabee, PHI
Max Pacioretty, WAS
Adam Henrique, ANA
Phillip Danault, LA
Adam Lowry, WPG
Marco Rossi, MIN
Kaiden Guhle, MTL
Simon Nemec, NJ

T.J. Oshie, RW, Washington Capitals

Oshie has an impressive five goals, six points and 20 shots on goals in six games since returning to the lineup. The line of Oshie, Dylan Strome and Max Pacioretty has checked a lot of boxes over the past couple of weeks together. They’re also all on the first PP. Staying healthy has been a struggle for Oshie and Pacioretty, so I’d make both available to my league mates. It’s unlikely anyone will bite, so ride the wave.

Sean Monahan, C, Montreal Canadiens

Monahan has been a pleasant surprise for the Habs, as he enters the week with 11 goals and 31 points in 46 games. He has seven points over a current four-game point streak, with two of those points coming on the PP. Monahan has hit the score sheet in nine of his last 14 games. I fully believe he’ll get traded at the deadline and he’ll likely have better wingers to play with.

Banger Leagues

David Savard, MTL
Kaiden Guhle, MTL
Nick Seeler, PHI
Alec Martinez, VGK
Adam Larsson, SEA
Jake McCabe, TOR
Mario Ferraro, SJ
Connor Murphy, CHI
Yakov Trenin, NSH
Jeremy Lauzon, NSH
Alexander Romanov, NYI
Jani Hakanpaa, DAL

Don’t Sell

Nikita Kucherov, TB
William Nylander, TOR
J.T. Miller, VAN
Matthew Tkachuk, FLA
Roope Hintz, DAL
Matt Boldy, MIN
Andrei Svechnikov, CAR
Quinn Hughes, VAN
Evan Bouchard, EDM
Mike Matheson, MTL

Consider Dropping

Andrei Kuzmenko, VAN
Matty Beniers, SEA
Evan Rodrigues, FLA
Pavel Buchnevich, STL
Brandon Hagel, TB
Tyson Barrie, NSH
Erik Gustafsson, NYR
Hampus Lindholm, BOS
Owen Power, BUF
Jake Sanderson, OTT

Week 16 (Jan. 22 – Jan. 28)

Four games

Arizona Coyotes

(MON vs. PIT, WED @ PIT, THU @ TB, SAT @ CAR)

There are only three Arizona players I’d roster the rest of the way, and that’s Clayton Keller, Sean Durzi and Connor Ingram. The rest are streaming options only, and the matchups this week aren’t the best.

Alexander Kerfoot, C/LW

Kerfoot was removed from the top line, but he’s still getting a ton of ice time and is producing here and there. He has five power-play points over his last 13 games

Nick Bjugstad, C

Bjugstad is pointless over his last three games, but he’s currently skating on the top line with Keller. The Coyotes have used multiple players on the top line with Keller since Barrett Hayton suffered an injury, and they can’t seem to find an answer.

Lawson Crouse, W

I’d grab Crouse over Bjugstad if I didn’t play with FOW and I played with hits. Crouse has been dropped in leagues over the past couple of days, but he has points in seven of his past 13 games. He’s also chipped in with shots, hits and blocks.

Boston Bruins

(MON vs. WPG, WED vs. CAR, THU @ OTT, SAT @ PHI)

Charlie Coyle, C

Coyle was all over the fantasy hockey draft kit, so you already know how I feel about him. It took a bit for him to grab the top spot on line one, but he has it now and doesn’t look like he’ll give it up anytime soon. Coyle has points in four straight games and six over that span. The Bruins’ center has hit the score sheet in 11 of his last 13 games, and we’ve been riding his point prop throughout. He’s also a beast in the faceoff circle.

Jake DeBrusk, W

I find it amazing that DeBrusk has a higher ownership percentage than Coyle. That’s a mistake. Having said that, DeBrusk is playing his best hockey of the season right now. Seven of his 11 goals and 13 of his 24 points have come over his last 13 games.

Pavel Zacha, C

Zacha is someone to consider if you’re looking for a few extra faceoff wins, and he has the potential to pick up a couple of assists.

Chicago Blackhawks

(MON @ VAN, WED @ SEA, THU @ EDM, SAT @ CGY)

Seth Jones, D

Jones has played 24, 29, 24 and 24 minutes in his four games since returning to the lineup. He has one goal, two points, 12 shots, two hits and 12 blocks over that span. He’s not going to give you many points, but he’ll rack up a ton of blocks given the lack of talent in Chicago.

Jason Dickerson, C

I have Dickerson in a deep league with faceoff wins. He’s also providing hits and shots along the way.

Columbus Blue Jackets

(TUE @ EDM, THU @ CGY, SAT @ VAN, SUN @ SEA)

Boone Jenner, C/LW

Jenner returned to the lineup in Columbus’ last game, and although he didn’t pick up any points, he had one shot, one hits, two blocks and five faceoff wins over 19 minutes of action. When Jenner’s not scoring, he’s doing other things. He’s a strong asset depending on your format.

Johnny Gaudreau, LW

Gaudreau’s ownership has dipped below 50% in Yahoo leagues, and I can’t say I blame owners for cutting him loose. He enters the week on a three-game point streak and has had two power-play points over that span. His game is too inconsistent, and he doesn’t shoot enough for my liking, but I’d consider streaming him if he was available on the wire. For those playing in deeper formats, Cole Sillinger and Yegor Chinakhov are playing with Gaudreau on the top line, and there seems to be a bit of chemistry between the three.

Adam Boqvist, D

Boqvist is a decent source for blocks and was recently promoted to the top power play. Three of his four points in five games since returning to the lineup have come on the man advantage.

Florida Panthers

(MON @ NSH, WED vs. ARI, FRI @ PIT, SAT @ NYI)

Sam Bennett, C

Bennett should be owned in more leagues. I know he only has 18 points in his 33 games, but he’s centering the second line with Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe. That’s more than enough reason to roster Bennett and hold onto him through the lows. He has points in six of his past nine games and is starting to shoot again.

Los Angeles Kings

(MON vs. SJ, WED vs. BUF, FRI @ COL, SUN @ STL)

Pierre-Luc Dubois, C/LW

The Kings have mixed up their lines a few times over the past couple of games, and the latest shuffle has PLD on the top line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. PLD was a bust for me heading into the season, because I didn’t think he’d get the same usage in LA as he did in Winnipeg. The former Jet is averaging 15 minutes per game in Los Angeles, which is three fewer minutes than he had in Winnipeg. His -11 rating is the worst mark of his career, and he only has 19 points in 43 games. This is a player who had 27 and 28 goals over his last two seasons with 200+ shots in each campaign. He only has 80 shots this season and just two power-play points. He had 26 power play goals and 42 power-play points in two seasons with Winnipeg. Maybe this move to the top line will get him going. I’m not sure he’ll ever get PP1 time on the Kings, though.

Phillip Danault, C

Danault has points in six of his last eight games and eight total over that span. You shouldn’t count on that kind of production, but it’s nice to see if you have Danault on your roster for FOW.

Matt Roy, D

Roy is a solid option if you’re looking for hits and blocks.

St. Louis Blues

(TUE @ CGY, WED @ VAN, FRI @ SEA, SUN vs. LA)

Brayden Schenn, C/LW

Schenn is sneaky good in leagues with FOW, hits and blocks. The Blues’ captain is on a bit of a heater as well, as he enters the week with two goals and six points over his past six games. Three of those points have come on the power play.

Colton Parayko, D

Parayko has quietly been a solid asset in leagues with shots, hits and blocks. It’s too bad he doesn’t get any PP time because he has a rocket of a shot. Free Parayko and trade this guy to St. Louis.

Vegas Golden Knights

(MON @ NJ, TUE @ NYI, FRI @ NYR, SAT @ DET)

Chandler Stephenson, C

Stephenson won’t provide many goals or shots, but he plays a lot and is on the first PP unit. He has points in four straight games and five total over that span. He’s also strong in the faceoff circle. Stephenson’s ownership is extremely low, but if you’re playing in deeper formats where he’s owned, consider Ivan Barbashev or Pavel Dorofeyev.

Alec Martinez, D

Martinez is one of the better shot blockers in the NHL.

Attack The Schedule

Monday – 6 Game
Tuesday – 9 Games
Wednesday – 7 Games
Thursday – 9 Games
Friday – 4 Games
Saturday – 14 Games
Sunday – 2 Games

FLA – MON, WED, FRI, SAT
LA – MON, WED, FRI, SUN
BOS – MON, WED, THU, SAT
STL – TUE, WED, FRI, SUN
VGK – MON, TUE, FRI, SAT
ARI – MON, WED, THU, SAT
CHI – MON, WED, THU, SAT
SEA – WED, FRI, SUN
VAN – MON, WED, SAT
WPG – MON, WED, SAT

The NHL has a pretty balanced schedule this week. Florida and Los Angeles are at the top of the list for me because they not only play four games, they play on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. There are only four games Friday and just two on Sunday.

Back-to-Backs

ARI
BOS
BUF
CAR
CHI
CLS
FLA
PIT
SJ
STL
VGK x2
WAS

2 games

Buy-Low Candidates

Tim Stutzle, OTT
Adrian Kempe, LA
Clayton Keller, ARI
Brock Boeser, VAN
Alex DeBrincat, DET
Josh Morrissey, WPG
Igor Shesterkin, NYR

Sell-High Candidates

Dakota Joshua, VAN
Alexander Kerfoot, ARI
Jake DeBrusk, BOS
Jonathan Drouin, COL
Mark Stone, VGK
Jonathan Marchessault, VGK
Tyler Toffoli, NJ
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, FLA
Martin Jones, TOR