Fantasy hockey has a robust Week 16 schedule. The lightest nights have at the least 4 video games, 19 totally different groups make a light-night look, and there are 13 four-game streamers.
4-Sport Streamers
Jake Middleton, D, MIN | 41% Yahoo
Take into account Middleton if you happen to want a defenseman who contributes to the bodily classes. The Wild tackle the Avalanche and Flames subsequent week, who rank within the high 10 in shot creation, so that ought to hold him busy on the shot-blocking entrance. The return of Brock Faber ought to elevate his five-on-five recreation as nicely.
JJ Peterka, LW/RW, BUF | 36% Yahoo
Peterka began the season as one of many Sabres’ most dependable producers. However his recreation significantly declined in mid-November, and that pattern continued into the subsequent month. After a tricky stretch, he’s lastly again on monitor. The Sabres’ defensive recreation remains to be suspect in his minutes, however they’re producing extra offense recently and have the outcomes to match. Peterka’s shot creation and playmaking could possibly be useful throughout a busy week.
By way of HockeyStatCards
Anton Lundell, C/RW, FLA | 33% Yahoo
Carter Verhaeghe slipping right down to the third line isn’t supreme for the Panthers, however it advantages Lundell, who typically doesn’t have a top-six-caliber winger at his aspect. That line with Jesper Boqvist has outscored opponents 6-3 and is coming off a robust Thursday night time efficiency in opposition to the Red Wings. Florida performs on three gentle nights subsequent week, so these pickups are all of the extra precious. Plus, the Panthers will match up in opposition to a few defensively-flawed groups whereas on their California swing.
Leevi Merilainen, G, OTT | 25% Yahoo
I talked quite a bit about harm replacements final week, however one has emerged since. Merilainen is flourishing within the Senators’ beginning objective, which is precisely what this crew wanted with Linus Ullmark sidelined with harm. Ottawa was surging in entrance of Ullmark and began to spiral with out him, with seven losses in 9 video games. However Merilainen has stepped as much as give the Senators an opportunity to win most nights. After Thursday’s outing in opposition to the Capitals, he has seven high quality begins in his previous 9 appearances. He’s now as much as 6.2 objectives saved above anticipated and is rocking a .930 save share.
Adam Fantilli, C, CBJ | 18% Yahoo
Fantilli is doing probably the most to earn his nickname “Andrei Fantillov” between Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov. The brand new-look high line isn’t performing to the excessive bar they set with Sean Monahan — the Blue Jackets are producing rather less of their minutes and permitting a bit extra again, however they’re nonetheless outscoring opponents 7-4. Columbus is on the rise, and the up-and-coming ahead is contributing.
Mason Lohrei, D, BOS | 2% Yahoo
With Charlie McAvoy sidelined, Lohrei is getting the bump to the highest power-play unit. He has a variety of offensive expertise, and typically alternative on the person benefit can get a participant going. One thing so simple as constructing confidence can trickle into even-strength play.
Matias Maccelli, LW, UTA | 1% Yahoo
The priority-o-meter began revving up for Utah’s second line when Dylan Guenther went down with an harm. However with Josh Doan’s promotion again to the NHL stage, the mixture has some juice once more. The road of Maccelli, Barrett Hayton, and Doan crushed their minutes in opposition to the Islanders final Saturday with a 13-4 edge in shot makes an attempt and 65 % of the anticipated objective share. They constructed on that with an excellent higher efficiency in opposition to Montreal — 11-2 shot benefit and a 95 % (!) anticipated objective fee. And now, with two first-period objectives for Maccelli in opposition to the Rangers on Thursday, this mixture is making an affect on the scoresheet.
Matthew Poitras, C, BOS | 1% Yahoo
Morgan Geekie, eligible to play all three ahead positions, is a stable alternative for managers wanting to profit from the Bruins’ schedule. However in the present day’s alternative is Poitras, who scored in his first recreation again from the AHL. He could possibly be the spark the Bruins have been lacking.
Logan O’Connor, C/RW, COL | 0% Yahoo
That is just about as deep of a decide because it will get, however stick to me for a second. Mikko Rantanen shifted to middle on Thursday night time to exchange Casey Mittelstadt, who was demoted right down to the fourth line. If the Avalanche hold Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon on two totally different strains, the wealth spreads to the second line, which incorporates O’Connor and Joel Kiviranta alongside Rantanen. And if you happen to imagine within the “Fantasy Tendencies” enhance, this part was written earlier than puck-drop on Thursday night time — and O’Connor scored earlier than the column was filed.
The Avalanche’s fantasy schedule is among the most favorable, with three gentle nights subsequent week, however their real-life NHL schedule is tough. After taking up the Oilers final night time, Colorado has three straight conferences with playoff groups within the Central Division in Dallas, Minnesota, and Winnipeg. They finish Week 16 with video games in opposition to the Bruins and Rangers, two middling Japanese Convention groups. The latter could possibly be the very best to focus on from a strength-of-schedule perspective, however count on their elite core to shine in opposition to their rivals.
Honorable mentions: William Eklund (SJS); Pavel Dorofeyev (VGK); Alex Iafallo (WPG); Nick Paul (TBL), Samuel Girard (COL)
Gentle-Evening Performers
Monday is not a light-weight night time for a change, so bear in mind to set your lineups early! The Bruins-Sharks matchup kicks off the matinee slate (no, I don’t perceive why San Jose is enjoying at 10 a.m. PST, both), and there are a handful of potential pickups, like Poitras and Eklund, to sneak into your roster.
Logan Stankoven, C/RW, DAL | 22% Yahoo
Stankoven is greater than only a light-night pickup — this provides me an excuse to speak about him. His manufacturing underwhelmed over the previous couple of months, however he appears to be clicking recently with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene on the second line. He’s coming off certainly one of his finest video games of the yr, incomes a season-high 4.94 recreation rating in opposition to the Maple Leafs. If this can be a signal of what’s to return, perhaps he can lastly match the consistency his veteran linemates have surprisingly introduced.
Tanner Jeannot, LW/RW, LAK | 8% Yahoo
The Panthers are probably the most bodily groups within the league, which makes Jeannot an possibility when Florida is on the town subsequent Wednesday. The winger doesn’t thread the needle in another fantasy capability, however he brings a bodily edge. So, this could possibly be a superb alternative to bolster the hit class on a light-weight night time.
Morgan Frost, C, PHI | 5% Yahoo
It’s all the time good to play alongside a crew’s finest playmaker. Frost hasn’t spent a lot of his time with Travis Konecny — lower than 27 % of his five-on-five minutes simply previous the season’s midpoint — however he’s scoring extra alongside the winger. In line with monitoring from AllThreeZones, Konecny has created one of many highest charges of main shot assists, scoring likelihood assists and high-danger passes. And that appears to be serving to Frost enhance his shot quantity and anticipated objective era of their minutes collectively.
By way of AllThreeZones
Taylor Hall, LW, CHI | 4% Yahoo
Is it too early to function with the deadline in thoughts? It might be virtually two months away, however groups might additionally get busy forward of the 4 Nations Face-off pause. The clock could also be ticking on Corridor’s time in Chicago. Anticipate his manufacturing to extend if a playoff crew acquires him to play a top-six position.
Honorable mentions: Anders Lee (NYI); Filip Chytil (NYR); Blake Coleman (CGY); Samuel Ersson (PHI)
(Prime photograph of JJ Peterka: Bruce Bennett / Getty Photos)