NHL 2017 Week 14 Fantasy Hockey Report

Players to watch, all formats:

1) Reilly Smith, LV, (51% Yahoo ownership): It’s probably time to forget the Reilly Smith we used to know, and accept him as a legit 1^st line player. He has scored 12 PTS in his last 12 GP and has shown no signs of slowing down.

2) Jared Spurgeon, MIN, (47% Yahoo ownership): He spent some time on the IR earlier in the season and his ownership dropped. If you need D in a standard league and Spurgeon is available, he’s a guy you need to add, with 6 PTS in his last 6 GP.

3) Nico Hischier, NJ, (30% Yahoo ownership): The first overall pick has scored 6 PTS in his last 8 GP. He’s a kid with really high upside, and certainly someone to keep an eye on in all formats.

4) Cam Fowler, ANA, (50% Yahoo ownership): Another defenseman with a deflated ownership % due to time spent on the IR. He’s healthy now and has scored 7 PTS in his last 12 GP. Fowler should be owned in standard leagues, so if he’s available in yours and you need a D-man, here’s a good one.

5) Jakob Silfverberg, ANA, (36% Yahoo ownership): The Ducks offense has been clicking over the past few weeks and Silvferberg has been a beneficiary with 8 PTS in his last 11 GP.

Going Deep: players owned in 10% of leagues or less:

1) Andreas Athanasiou, DET (5% Yahoo ownership): Over his last 6 GP, Andy has been averaging over 20m of ice time and has produced 5 PTS and 24 Shots. He’s got ridiculous speed and has the potential to be a solid contributor in Goals and Shots.

2) Alex Tuch, LV, (5% Yahoo ownership): This kid is good. He’s been getting plenty of ice time and opportunity in Vegas and has scored 6 PTS in his last 8 GP. He can also help you in +/-.

3) Jordan Oesterle, CHI, (5% Yahoo ownership): This kid has been getting top pairing ice time for the Blackhawks blueline and has 5 PTS in his last 6 GP. They’re playing him more than Seabrook. I don’t know if this is sustainable, but there is certainly value in the short term.

4) Tanner Pearson, LA, (8% Yahoo ownership): Pearson has been lingering around this ownership % for much of the season and he’s on pace for nearly 50 PTS and 180 Shots. If you’re in a deep league, he’s a reliable guy who simply got off to a slow start.

5) Vinnie Hinostroza, CHI, (2% Yahoo ownership): In a few weeks this kid could be back in the AHL or he could be playing with Patrick Kane, it’s tough to predict these things with Chicago. He does have 7 PTS in his last 6 GP, and certainly somebody you can ride while the going is good.

The 1%: Top 3 Players to Add that are 1% Owned or Less

1) Joel Armia, WPG: He has been taking advantage of increased opportunity given the Jets injury situation, and he’s rewarded fantasy owners with 6 PTS in his last 9 GP, over which span he also taken 29 Shots on net.

2) Samuel Girard, COL: His ice time hasn’t been very consistent, but he’s got 5 PTS in his last 5 GP. If you want to speculate on young players with high upside, here’s your chance. It may be a year too soon to jump fully on the bandwagon, but he’ll be good eventually.

3) Mattias Janmark, DAL: He’s been playing top line minutes in Dallas and has picked up 9 PTS in his last 12 GP. That warrants more than 1% ownership, getting that much playing time on a team with that many offensive weapons.

Sell High:

1) Mikko Rantanen, COL, (63% Yahoo ownership): The kid has scored 19 PTS in his last 14 GP and not enough people are talking about him. He should be added in all standard leagues at this point. He’s worth holding on to, but could also be packaged into a trade to pull a top player.

2) Eric Staal, MIN, (81% Yahoo ownership): His production at age 33 is impressive, like he’s getting better with age, scoring 14 PTS in his last 15 GP. Problem is I don’t think that’s sustainable and he will be regressing in the 2^nd half. There may never be a better time to trade him than right now.

3) Henrik Zetterberg, DET, (47% Yahoo ownership): He’s old, but has been very productive the last month, scoring 12 PTS in his last 12 GP. You may be able to flip him for a better asset just on name recognition.

Buy Low:

1) Matt Murray, PITT, (97% Yahoo ownership): There’s a really good chance that the Murray owner in your league hasn’t been feeling too good about him this season. He’s been having injury issues, which is nothing new, but the bad numbers are new. Over the last 30 days he’s got a 3.03 GAA and .893 SV% with a losing record.

2) Nick Leddy, NYI, (73% Yahoo ownership): Leddy has scored 4 PTS in his last 14 GP, over which time he’s -15. I do believe he’s a better player than that and can really help your team in the 2^nd half if his current owner is losing patience.

3) Jonathon Drouin, MTL, (60% Yahoo ownership): I’m not sure if Drouin belongs in the “buy low” or “be concerned” section, but he has only scored 2 PTS in his last 12 GP. He hasn’t been producing at a level consistent with his ownership %. You should be able to get him cheap, whether or not that is a good idea is up to you.

Be concerned:

1) Kris Letang, PITT, (98% Yahoo ownership): He has been battling a lower body injury and his production has suffered. You aren’t dropping Letang in any format, but this has been an off year for the fantasy superstar. In dynasty/keeper leagues, it may be prudent to start shopping him around, see what kind of return you can get.

2) Mattias Eckholm, NSH, (63% Yahoo ownership): He’s been playing a ton but has not recorded a point in 10 straight games. He’s droppable in standard leagues if there’s other attractive options on your waiver wire. I would drop Eckholm to add either Spurgeon or Fowler.

3) Jake Allen, STL, (98% Yahoo ownership): Over the last two weeks Allen has been struggling with a 3.67 GAA and .891 SV%. He’s lost the #1 job to his back-up. If you own both Hutton and Allen, you should be fine. If you only own Jake Allen and not the other guy, you need to be worried.