Week 20 Fantasy Hockey Start 'Em & Sit 'Em (Mar. 7-Mar. 13)
The NHL "Start And Sit" comes hard this week of Mar. 7 - Mar. 13. First off, it is day-by-day games played time.
- Monday (Mar. 7) -- 5
- Tuesday (Mar. 8) -- 11
- Wednesday (Mar. 9) -- 2
- Thursday (Mar. 10) -- 13
- Friday (Mar. 11) -- 4
- Saturday (Mar. 12) -- 10
- Sunday (Mar. 13) -- 10
Again, note three of the final four nights. That is a lot of games including a double-digit back-to-back. Let's break it down a bit further.
Teams Playing Five Games: Calgary Flames
Teams Playing Four Games: Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets.
Teams Playing Three Games: Arizona Coyotes, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals.
Teams Playing Two Games: Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks.
In Week 20, the focus is again on that make or break weekend. There are quite a few three games in four-day scenarios. We'll get down to business.
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Fantasy Hockey Forwards To Start In Week 20
W Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames
The easiest decision is to roster Calgary Flames players this week. Calgary plays five times in all and they are led by Johnny Gaudreau who now has 71 points in 54 games this season. After a weird game in Vancouver where Gaudreau picked up ten penalty minutes and no shots, the winger fired back with vengeance. That's seven points in the previous four games. Furthermore, Calgary has mostly fantasy-friendly matchups from an offensive standpoint. Playing teams like Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, Washington, and even Tampa Bay can prove to be helpful. There is nothing like some best on bests to get the offensive blood going. Start that top line!
W Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens
The wave continues for Cole Caufield and one can even tie Nick Suzuki in as well. It makes for a good starting duo. Also, there is a good deal of availability in leagues if one searches hard enough. Martin St. Louis, for the better, has resurrected the fantasy hockey landscape in Montreal. Players are relevant again instead of just exclusively piling against them. Caufield has three or more shots on goal and four or more scoring chances in his past five contests. It is way more than the increased points in this time (six). It is more the idea that confidence is brimming and that is contagious with Montreal right now.
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Fantasy Hockey Forwards To Sit In Week 20
C Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks
So, the San Jose Sharks have cracked badly. Aside from that earlier seven-game losing streak, the Sharks have dropped when it comes to fantasy hockey relevance. This has been somewhat led by the current slump Tomas Hertl finds himself in. He has no points in his last five games and San Jose only plays twice this week. It does not matter as to matchup because little is of quality right now. At least in the previous six games, Hertl had a few assists and some scoring chances. Even that has faded once again as the trade speculation mounts yet again. If your bench is made of pine, glue Hertl onto it this week once more.
W Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
This could be risky in "bangers" leagues where Tkachuk is absolutely essential. Even there, one could make the case to sit Tkachuk for this week. The schedule indicates a drop in hits could be possible. Also, he has just a few points in his last five games and shot totals are just 2.6 per game over this span. That is just not good enough when Tkachuk is not producing. His points per game have dropped back to 0.75 per contest (39 pts in 52 games). In the last dozen games, Tkachuk has had several subpar efforts in shot generation and discipline. That is a concern. Tkachuk can take a seat this week.
Not sure who to start this week? Use our fantasy hockey Start / Sit Tool!
Fantasy Hockey Defenseman To Start In Week 20
D Devon Toews, Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche plays four more times in Week 20. Everyone wants to run and make sure Cale Makar is starting firmly in their lineups. How about Devon Toews? One of the biggest reasons why the Avalanche can play as they do is Toews. He is the 2 to that 1-2 punch on the blueline. That 2 can be like a combination haymaker to the gut and head. Toews also gets another chance to play his former (New York Islanders) team on Monday night. Then, there are three more games. Toews has two goals and four assists in his last five games. It is nice to see the defense take the offensive, especially in fantasy hockey.
Fantasy Hockey Defenseman To Sit In Week 20
D Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars play just twice this week so options like John Klingberg and Miro Heiskanen are probably off the radar for fantasy owners. Their schedule does not help either. Playing against Nashville and the New York Rangers does not typically do much for the fantasy bottom line. Both teams can seemingly help when it comes to shots and chances but not to actual goals and assists. With the defensive-minded Stars again relying more on their top-six (Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski), it is probably best to steer clear of Heiskanen and the blueline until further notice.
Fantasy Hockey Goalie To Start In Week 20
G Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
The debate now with Igor Shesterkin is this. Is he worthy of a Hart Trophy or the Fantasy Hart Trophy? Shesterkin leads the Vezina Trophy race for best goaltender by a good margin. He has allowed one goal in four of his last five starts and has won four games in that span. This included a 45-save effort on Sunday versus the Winnipeg Jets in Winnipeg. New York plays a respectable three times this week and Shesterkin might get a rest potentially. Two starts are not too bad in the grand scheme of things as a worst-case scenario. Shesterkin now has a .942 save percentage on the season and has a league-leading 40.1 goals saved above average.
Fantasy Hockey Goalie To Sit In Week 20
Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltending
There have been so many options to roll with here but Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending takes the top prize. That probably is not a good thing. Though it is inevitable, the Toronto goaltenders will bounce back, it is the idea that the Maple Leafs play four times this week. That is four spin the wheel moments too many for a team who has seen .876 goaltending since Jan. 9. Whether it has been Petr Mrazek or Jack Campbell, it has mattered little. Worse, with injuries to Jake Muzzin, an illness to Rasmus Sandin, and so much more, Toronto goaltending is not worth a look.
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