Every Tuesday and Thursday, THN Fantasy expert Jason Chen will highlight
his best picks to stream or roster for the rest of the season. The
recommended players and goalies are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo
leagues and can be selected in standard fantasy leagues or for daily fantasy
games.
Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies, defensemen and forwards.
Goalies
David Rittich, LA at SEA (11% rostered)
Rittich will likely get the start even though it’ll be his second appearance in as many nights. In a blowout win against the Oilers, the Kings pulled Darcy Kuemper – presumably for rest – with Rittich coming in to finish the game. The Kraken hold a 2-1 advantage over the Kings in their season series but Rittich has fared very well against them in his career with a 3-1-0 record, .923 SP and 1.97 GAA, including a 2-1 win on Nov. 23.
Rittich should be a good streaming option and his limited playing time should not hamper him despite playing for the second straight night. The Kings are on a roll with three straight wins and won seven of their past eight.
Jet Greaves, CBJ at PHI (2% rostered)
Greaves was named the NHL’s first star of the week with a perfect 3-0-0 record and just three goals against to keep the Jackets’ playoff hopes alive. He’s been on an absolute heater and it’s no fluke, having faced 93 shots. The Jackets are slight favorites, according to NHL.com’s odds.
There’s more confidence in Greaves to keep goals against to a minimum, but note both teams have had no problems scoring lately. The Jackets offense is the better bet to provide goal support, which does not bode well for expected Flyers starter Samuel Ersson. The issue with hot streaks is you never quite know when it will end, but this late in the fantasy season, Greaves is worth rolling the dice just in case he can keep it going.
Karel Vejmelka, UTA at STL (45% rostered)
This is Vejmelka’s chance to put an exclamation point on a very good season. The Blues have lost three straight since their 12-game winning streak, while Utah has won four of their past five with an offense that’s averaging over five goals per game.
Utah’s defense has been quite good at limiting shots and Vejmelka’s done a good job of stopping most of them. This isn’t ideal for leagues that count saves, but Vejmelka has a good chance to secure the win in an upset. Utah leads the season series 2-1-0 though all three games have been close.
Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies.
Defensemen
Zeev Buium, D, MIN vs. ANA (2% rostered)
Buium is considered one of the world’s top prospects and recently signed with the Wild upon the conclusion of a very good college career. The Wild have not made any indication when Buium will make his NHL debut – Jared Spurgeon and Jake Middleton are expected to return soon – but it could be as soon as Tuesday against the Ducks. Buium is a high-upside offensive defenseman who scored more than a point per game in two seasons with the Denver Pioneers, and he’s got the skillset to be a proper quarterback on the power play, something the Wild really lack.
Sam Rinzel, D, CHI at OTT (1% rostered)
Playing on their top pairing and looking quite comfortable, the Hawks may have already found their future PP1 QB. Rinzel, signed following end of the University of Minnesota’s season, has scored four assists in his past five games and logged a season-high 26:52 against the Habs on Monday, playing the spoiler and preventing the Habs from clinching a playoff spot. Rinzel offers offense with assists and shots, and also provides a modest amount of hits.
Click for the full list of streaming options for defensemen.
Forwards
Logan Cooley, C, UTA at STL (43% rostered)
Cooley was excellent once again Monday, registering his second straight three-point game and extending his points streak to four games. Utah’s offense is really humming right now while the Blues have stumbled following their winning streak. With linemate Clayton Keller setting career highs, scoring points has become an easy task for Cooley.
Adam Fantilli, C, CBJ at PHI (30% rostered)
This matchup should feature a lot of goals since both teams have had no trouble scoring lately. Fantilli’s scored two goals in consecutive games, and sits just one goal shy of 30. He has yet to score a goal in three games against the Flyers this season but that should change; the Flyers have allowed at least four goals in six of their past nine games.
William Karlsson, C, VGK at CGY (18% rostered)
Karlsson carries a four-game points streak into Calgary, and he’s had a lot of success against the Flames with 27 points in 28 career games, the best point-per-game average he has against any team. There’s a chance the Knights might sit Karlsson, but he should be fresh after missing significant time earlier this season due to injury.
Click for the full list of streaming options for forwards.
Remember to bookmark The Hockey News Fantasy site
for stats, news, analysis, rankings, projections and more, including the Sleepers and Keepers
fantasy hockey podcast!
Every Tuesday and Thursday, THN Fantasy expert Jason Chen will highlight
his best picks to stream or roster for the rest of the season. The
recommended players and goalies are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo
leagues and can be selected in standard fantasy leagues or for daily fantasy
games.
Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies, defensemen and forwards.
Goalies
David Rittich, LA at SEA (11% rostered)
Rittich will likely get the start even though it’ll be his second appearance in as many nights. In a blowout win against the Oilers, the Kings pulled Darcy Kuemper – presumably for rest – with Rittich coming in to finish the game. The Kraken hold a 2-1 advantage over the Kings in their season series but Rittich has fared very well against them in his career with a 3-1-0 record, .923 SP and 1.97 GAA, including a 2-1 win on Nov. 23.
Rittich should be a good streaming option and his limited playing time should not hamper him despite playing for the second straight night. The Kings are on a roll with three straight wins and won seven of their past eight.
Jet Greaves, CBJ at PHI (2% rostered)
Greaves was named the NHL’s first star of the week with a perfect 3-0-0 record and just three goals against to keep the Jackets’ playoff hopes alive. He’s been on an absolute heater and it’s no fluke, having faced 93 shots. The Jackets are slight favorites, according to NHL.com’s odds.
There’s more confidence in Greaves to keep goals against to a minimum, but note both teams have had no problems scoring lately. The Jackets offense is the better bet to provide goal support, which does not bode well for expected Flyers starter Samuel Ersson. The issue with hot streaks is you never quite know when it will end, but this late in the fantasy season, Greaves is worth rolling the dice just in case he can keep it going.
Karel Vejmelka, UTA at STL (45% rostered)
This is Vejmelka’s chance to put an exclamation point on a very good season. The Blues have lost three straight since their 12-game winning streak, while Utah has won four of their past five with an offense that’s averaging over five goals per game.
Utah’s defense has been quite good at limiting shots and Vejmelka’s done a good job of stopping most of them. This isn’t ideal for leagues that count saves, but Vejmelka has a good chance to secure the win in an upset. Utah leads the season series 2-1-0 though all three games have been close.
Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies.
Defensemen
Zeev Buium, D, MIN vs. ANA (2% rostered)
Buium is considered one of the world’s top prospects and recently signed with the Wild upon the conclusion of a very good college career. The Wild have not made any indication when Buium will make his NHL debut – Jared Spurgeon and Jake Middleton are expected to return soon – but it could be as soon as Tuesday against the Ducks. Buium is a high-upside offensive defenseman who scored more than a point per game in two seasons with the Denver Pioneers, and he’s got the skillset to be a proper quarterback on the power play, something the Wild really lack.
Sam Rinzel, D, CHI at OTT (1% rostered)
Playing on their top pairing and looking quite comfortable, the Hawks may have already found their future PP1 QB. Rinzel, signed following end of the University of Minnesota’s season, has scored four assists in his past five games and logged a season-high 26:52 against the Habs on Monday, playing the spoiler and preventing the Habs from clinching a playoff spot. Rinzel offers offense with assists and shots, and also provides a modest amount of hits.
Click for the full list of streaming options for defensemen.
Forwards
Logan Cooley, C, UTA at STL (43% rostered)
Cooley was excellent once again Monday, registering his second straight three-point game and extending his points streak to four games. Utah’s offense is really humming right now while the Blues have stumbled following their winning streak. With linemate Clayton Keller setting career highs, scoring points has become an easy task for Cooley.
Adam Fantilli, C, CBJ at PHI (30% rostered)
This matchup should feature a lot of goals since both teams have had no trouble scoring lately. Fantilli’s scored two goals in consecutive games, and sits just one goal shy of 30. He has yet to score a goal in three games against the Flyers this season but that should change; the Flyers have allowed at least four goals in six of their past nine games.
William Karlsson, C, VGK at CGY (18% rostered)
Karlsson carries a four-game points streak into Calgary, and he’s had a lot of success against the Flames with 27 points in 28 career games, the best point-per-game average he has against any team. There’s a chance the Knights might sit Karlsson, but he should be fresh after missing significant time earlier this season due to injury.
Click for the full list of streaming options for forwards.
Remember to bookmark The Hockey News Fantasy site
for stats, news, analysis, rankings, projections and more, including the Sleepers and Keepers
fantasy hockey podcast!
