Welcome to my 2022/23 Week Nine 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.
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Best Standard League
Adds (25% to 65% Yahoo ownership):
1) Jakob Chychrun,
Ari, (63% Yahoo ownership): Jakob Chychrun returned from injury 5 games ago,
and has already scored 3 PTS with 25 shots and 11 hits. The shot numbers are
particularly appealing if you’re in a categories league. He’s worth holding on
to beyond just a stream, but it’s also a great opportunity if you are just
looking for a temporary plug, with Arizona playing 4 times. Sean Durzi is also
an appealing streaming option, with 6 PTS in his last 5 (including 4 on the
power play), and the Kings play 4 games.
2) Karel Vejmelka,
Ari, (47% Yahoo ownership): Those of you who have been reading my weekly (and
quarterly) betting reports already know that I’m currently serving as interim
President of the Vejmelka booster club. “Karel the thrill” has a .923 SV% and 2
shutouts in the last 30 days. The Coyotes have a 4-game week ahead, though I
might leave Karel on your bench vs Boston. Sadly for me, Vejmelka is currently
owned in both my leagues, so I had to settle for Stuart Skinner when I dropped
Martin Jones.
3) Jake DeBrusk,
Bos, (61% Yahoo ownership): Jake DeBrusk is currently playing on the top line
in Boston with Bergeron and Marchand, while also playing on the top power play
unit. In his last 12 GP, the dual-eligible winger has scored 8 PTS with 35
shots and 16 hits. The Bruins will play 4 games next week, but only 1 against a
desirable opponent. Adrian Kempe in LA also plays top line (with Koptiar and Fiala)
and the top power play unit (scoring 5 PTS in his last 7), and they’ve got a very
desirable schedule coming up.
4) Blake Wheeler,
Wpg, (56% Yahoo ownership): News alert! Blake Wheeler is on a heater, scoring 11
PTS in his last 6 GP, adding 13 shots. There will no doubt be an extended cold streak
eventually, but the Jets play 4 games in the upcoming week, including some
teams that have struggled with goal prevention (especially Chicago and Anaheim).
Wheeler plays top line and top power play, so strike while the iron is hot.
Meanwhile Robert Thomas in St. Louis has scored 8 PTS in his last 6 and plays 4
games next week.
5) Kevin Hayes,
Phi, (26% Yahoo ownership): The Flyers are a mess, but that hasn’t stopped
Kevin Hayes from scoring 24 PTS in 24 GP with 61 shots, centering the top line
and top power play in Philadelphia. Philly will be playing 4 games, and hopefully
their opponents take the opportunity to start their back-up goalies against a
team that’s lost 11 of their last 12. The LA Kings entire second line of
Danault-Moore-Arvidsson also pinged my radar for the upcoming week with a great
schedule, so you’ve got plenty of choices.
Honorable Mentions: Sean Durzi, Stuart
Skinner, Robert Thomas, Adrian Kempe, Phillip Danault
Last Week: Filip Hronek, Jeff
Skinner, Stuart Skinner, Tomas Hertl, David Perron
Best Deep League Adds
(under 25% ownership):
1) Spencer Martin,
Van, (17% Yahoo ownership): Thatcher Demko is expected to miss the next 6
weeks, and Spencer Martin becomes their new primary starter. Bad as the Canucks
have been, Spencer Martin has won 6 of 10 games, albeit with a less than
impressive .900 SV%. The team has 3 winnable games next week against non-playoff
teams. They also play Arizona on Saturday and I've made a waiver claim. The Columbus Blue Jackets play 4 games this week, and Joonas Korpisalo has
stepped into a bigger role, playing decent, posting a .900 SV% or better in 6
of his last 8 games.
2) David Krejci,
Bos, (23% Yahoo ownership): I’m not entirely sure why Krejci’s Yahoo ownership has
been staying this low despite scoring 18 PTS in 19 GP playing alongside David Pastrnak.
He’s only playing on the second power play, but he’s doing plenty of damage on
the scoreboard. The Bruins have a busy schedule so it’s worth adding Krejci in
all formats for the week ahead and possibly even longer if you don’t already
have too many centers, which I suspect is a common problem supressing center
ownership on Yahoo.
3) J.T Compher,
Col, (3% Yahoo ownership): J.T Compher might be centering the Colorado juggernaut
second line with Cogliano and O’Connor, but he is being recommended as a
streaming option for his role on the Avs top power play with MacKinnon-Rantanen-Makar.
Injuries to the forward group have forced Colorado to lean heavily on Compher
for big minutes. He has scored 9 PTS in his last 7 GP and is available in 97%
of fantasy leagues. The Avalanche will play 4 games this week, so you’ll get plenty
of use out of J.T.
4) Pavel Zacha,
Bos, (3% Yahoo ownership): Pavel Zacha has replaced Taylor Hall on the Bruins
second line with Pastrnak and Krejci, scoring 4 PTS (with 2 on the power play)
in his last 5 games. As mentioned above, the Bruins have a 4-game schedule ahead
and Zacha is currently available in 97% of Yahoo leagues. Or you might want to add
Nick Schmaltz in Arizona, who has returned from injury resuming his role on the
top line top power play with Clayton Keller. They had a wicked heater going
last season when Keller was injured.
5) Travis Sanheim,
Phi, (2% Yahoo ownership): Sanheim is available in 98% of Yahoo leagues and has
scored 6 PTS in his last 7 GP, with 11 shots and 9 hits. If you can find Sean
Durzi, that would be a better deepish league target, but Sanheim is available
damned near everywhere if you’re desperate for a 4-game D. You could also go
with J.J Moser in Arizona, who has scored 8 PTS in his last 12 GP with 2 on the
power play. Though it’s getting a little more crowded on the Arizona power play
with Chrychrun returning.
Honorable Mentions: Viktor Arvidsson, Nick
Schmaltz, Dylan Strome, Joonas Korpisalo, J.J Moser
Last Week: Cam Fowler, Dylan
Cozens, Alex Killorn, Craig Anderson, Alexander Barabanov
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