Fantasy Hockey Update: Streaming Options, Top Pickups
Mark gives an update on the fantasy hockey world, including his top pickups for Week 16.
We are officially halfway through the NHL season and rapidly approaching the trade deadline. The fantasy hockey waiver wire is running thin, but these next few weeks could make or break your league. The big news of the week is that Jack Eichel will require surgery, which will keep him out for at least four weeks. We also have a coaching change for the Islanders as Patrick Roy takes over. Roy had a successful coaching stint with Colorado before abruptly quitting, citing differences with General Manager Joe Sakic over personnel decisions. He seems like a great fit for the Isles, who have a very talented roster that needs a spark. We will keep an eye on the Islanders and be ready to grab anyone who starts to pop in the new system.
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Fantasy Hockey Update 1/22
Injuries to Watch
- Adin Hill, VGK
- Aleksander Barkov, FLA
- Alex Killorn, ANA
- Artturi Lehkonen, COL
- Connor Bedard, CHI
- Dougie Hamilton, NJ
- Jack Eichel, VGK
- Jack Hughes, NJ
- Jeff Skinner, BUF
- Mark Scheifele, WPG
- Mikhail Sergachev, TB
- Miro Heiskanen, DAL
- Patrick Kane, DET
- Patrik Laine, CLS
- Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR
- Shea Theodore, VGK
- Tyson Barrie, NSH
- Valeri Nichushkin, COL
- Vince Dunn, SEA
- William Karlsson, VGK
- Zach Werenski, CLS
Daily Game Breakdown
Games are spread out fairly evenly this week with Saturday being the one day where almost everyone plays. This makes for a fun but hectic week of checking lineups.
- Monday: 6
- Tuesday: 9
- Wednesday: 7
- Thursday: 9
- Friday: 4
- Saturday: 14
- Sunday: 2
Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Week 16
This week we have eight teams playing four games:
- Los Angeles Kings
- Vegas Golden Knights
- Florida Panthers
- Boston Bruins
- St Louis Blues
- San Jose Sharks
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Chicago Blackhawks
As always, these are the teams to target if you're streaming players for this week, so you'll see lots of players from those teams in my recommended pickups:
Charlie Coyle, C, Boston Bruins
Coyle has points in four straight games, with six total points over that span. That production can continue as he is centering the top line with David Pastrnak.
Sam Bennett, C, Florida Panthers
Bennett is centering the Panthers' second line with Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe, who have been on fire this year. With Barkov out, the Panthers are leaning even more on this line. He has points in six of his past nine games.
Chandler Stephenson, C, Vegas Golden Knights
Stephenson has points in four straight games and five total over that span, and he is playing on the Golden Knights' top power-play unit. With William Karlsson and Jack Eichel out, Stephenson is Vegas' top center, with captain Mark Stone and Pavel Dorofeyev on his wings. With Eichel out at least four weeks, he has a chance of going on an extended point streak.
Anton Lundell, C, Florida Panthers
As long as Aleksander Barkov does not play, Lundell will remain the Panthers' top center. He's scored three points in his past two games and played more than 20 minutes against the Minnesota Wild. He has a good connection with Sam Reinhart on his right wing, who is having a great season and scoring a lot.
Ross Colton, C, Colorado Avalanche
With Valeri Nichushkin entering the Player Assistance Program, Colton has been promoted to the top power-play unit for Colorado. In four matchups, he has just a goal and an assist, but he is fitting in well. On a unit that includes Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar, there is a good chance he starts a nice point streak.
Antti Raanta, G, Carolina Hurricanes
Raanta is now Carolina’s defacto number-one goalie, as Frederik Andersen has been sidelined since early November with no timetable as to when he'll be back and Pyotr Kochetkov left last Thursday's contest after suffering a concussion and has been placed on injured reserve. Raanta can be a scary pickup, but he seems to have settled in, and he will get a lot of volume.
Brock Faber, D, Minnesota Wild
I have been recommending Faber for months now, and this may be your last chance to grab him. He is on the top power play unit and with Jared Spurgeon out, there is no one to displace him. He has two goals and 21 points across 43 games on the season, with an impressive 25-minute average ice time per game. If blocks are relevant in your league, he also has 83 of those on the season.
#fantasy-hockey #pickups #brock-faber
