Welcome to my 2021/22 Week Seventeen Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Report for those competing in head-to-head categories or rotisserie leagues. There are both standard and deep league acquisition targets. This report focuses on the best options among those who are likely to be available in your league as opposed to the universally owned players. There are 10 recommendations in total, 2 goalies, 2 defensemen, and 6 forwards. Some of these are only short-term targets, while others you may want to keep permanently.
Best Standard League
Adds (25% to 65% Yahoo ownership):
1) Zach Hyman, Edm, (65% Yahoo ownership): The new top line under the new coach in Edmonton is Hyman-McDavid-Puljujarvi. We’ll see if the new regime can help unlock Hyman’s upside. The winger has scored 6 PTS in his last 7 GP while adding 18 shots. He’s available in one of my leagues and I’m making a claim. With 5 games this week, he’ll at least help my peripherals and hopefully get a few McDavid residuals. I’m not interested in Puljujarvi, who has just 1 point in his last 9 GP and has been disappointing fantasy-wise when paired with McDavid in the past.
2) Alex Tuch, Buf, (38% Yahoo ownership): Alex Tuch finally finds himself in a top line role, getting plenty of ice time, surpassing 20 minutes 7 times in his last 9 GP (scoring 10 PTS). He has also fired 36 shots on net in those 9 games, and despite Buffalo piling up 6 losses over that span, Tuch is +4. The Sabres are going to be playing 4 games this week, and Tuch is worth streaming in all formats. If he can sustain this deployment and output, his ownership will continue to grow. That whole top line with Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner is compelling this week.
3) Mike Smith, Edm, (46% Yahoo ownership): I’m a little nervous about recommending Mike Smith as a streamer given that he only recently returned from injury, but the Oilers will play 5 games this week and 4 of them are winnable. His SV% in the 3 games since returning to action is only .906, but that’s also why he’s available in 54% of leagues. I might rather add Ville Husso, but he’s harder to find on waiver wires. The Senators play 4 games and Matt Murray is sporting a .947 SV% over his last 8 appearances, but will be facing tougher opponents.
4) Evan Bouchard, Edm, (57% Yahoo ownership): Bouchard was my top recommended defenseman last week, and while he only has 1 point in his last 5 games, the shot volume remains high. I’m slightly alarmed that he only played 13:31 in his last game with 0 shots and 0 hits, but he did lead all defensemen in power play ice (with Tyson Barrie back in the line-up). My enthusiasm is diminished, but if you added him last week, may as well let it ride for this 5-game set. I’m also interested in Jared Spurgeon on the top power play in Minnesota.
5) Joel Eriksson
Ek, Min, (52% Yahoo ownership): Eriksson Ek plays a predominantly defensive
role 5v5 on the 3rd line, but in doing so provides quality shot and
hit totals. To help boost his point production, Joel is also deployed on the
top power play unit, allowing him to cash in some Kaprizov residuals. Admittedly
his 5v5 scoring has been poor, with just 3 PTS in his last 8 GP, but he also
has 26 shots and 18 hits (with a +4) over that span, so he’s a sneaky good play
in category leagues.
Honorable Mentions: Jared Spurgeon, Matt Murray, Tim Stuetzle, Michael Bunting, Tage Thompson
Last Week: Evan Bouchard, Vitek Vanecek, Tim Stuetzle, Jesper Bratt, Zach Hyman
Best Deep League Adds
(under 25% ownership):
1) Matt Boldy, Min, (22% Yahoo ownership): Boldy has been outstanding since being promoted from the AHL, and has likely played his last game in the minor leagues. He plays on the 2nd line with Kevin Fiala at even strength, but is also slotted on the top power play unit. 12 games into his NHL career, Boldy has netted 10 PTS and 29 shots. The Wild have been a high scoring team and none of their upcoming 4 opponents have been good at goal prevention. It’s a great week to give the rookie a shot. Fortune favors the Boldy…
2) Noah Hanifin, Cgy, (9% Yahoo ownership): If you haven’t been paying attention, the Flames are red-hot. Hanifin has been a big beneficiary, scoring 10 PTS in his last 10 GP, with 21 shots. Three of those points have come on the power play. He’s currently listed on the 2nd PP unit, but has been seeing nearly as much time on ice with the man advantage as Rasmus Andersson. The Flames do only play 3 games, so another option is Nate Schmidt, who can possibly provide you with some extra peripheral production.
3) Dylan Strome, Chi, (13% Yahoo ownership): Strome is currently centering the top line in Chicago with Patrick Kane, scoring 11 PTS in his last 9 GP. He is also centering the top power play unit, and the Chicago Blackhawks have 4 games in the week ahead. Dominik Kubalik is also up on that top line, but has only scored 2 PTS in his last 9 GP, which curbs my enthusiasm. I’d rather see DeBrincat on that wing, but the Hawks 2nd line with him, Dach, and Hagel (who has 9 PTS in his last 11 GP) has been rolling.
4) Jeff Skinner, Buf, (18% Yahoo ownership): If you play in a salary cap league with a maximum on player salary, please disregard this recommendation. Skinner is having his best season since signing that monster contract, pacing for 54 PTS per 82 GP, already doubling his point total from last season in fewer games. Despite that bump in production, the contract is still terrible, but if you’re simply looking for a useful fantasy streamer in a non-cap league, Skinner has scored 8 PTS in his last 10 GP, with 36 shots on goal.
5) Craig Anderson,
Buf, (18% Yahoo ownership): I’m not yet willing or able to fully trust Craig
Anderson, but he’s back in goal for the Buffalo Sabres, who will be playing 4
games this week. If he’s in goal when they play Colorado, then he belongs on
your bench. The Sabres 3 other opponents are not especially daunting. Anderson
has played 8 games this season and is sporting a .917 SV%. You could go with
Anton Forsberg in Ottawa, but they’ll be playing tough opponents and should be
fatigued from a busy schedule recently (and he's taking a back-seat to Murray's hot streak).
Honorable Mentions: Brandon Hagel, Mason Marchment, Jordan Greenway, Anton Forsberg, Nate Schmidt
Last Week: Damon Severson, Anton
Forsberg, Alex Formenton, Yegor Sharangovich, Kailer Yamamoto
No comments:
Post a Comment