NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Pickups April 1 - Jason Chen's Best Picks

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

Charlie Lindgren, WSH at BOS (29% rostered)

The Caps are slumping with three straight losses but I wouldn’t be too worried. The Bruins have effectively been the worst team in the league with eight straight losses, and they can’t score. Lindgren’s save percentage (.897) isn’t eye-catching, but his 2.65 GAA is among the league’s lowest.

Lindgren should be one of Tuesday’s top streaming options. It’s reasonable to expect a win with very few goals against. My only worry is the Caps overlooking this game and focusing on Wednesday’s divisional clash with the Canes instead, opening the door for the Bruins to take advantage of them, however slight that chance may be.

Lukas Dostal, ANA vs. SJ (40% rostered)

Either Dostal or John Gibson should be a good matchup. The Sharks have lost two straight with 14 goals allowed and expected to start Alexandar Georgiev, who has a .874 SP and 3.84 GAA with the Sharks. Though the Ducks are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Rangers, they nearly made a comeback that would’ve extended their winning streak to three games. Dostal’s play in March has dipped but he should still be fine, and the Ducks’ goal support should also be dependable enough, for them to win.

Dostal likely won’t rack up the saves since the Sharks routinely get outshot. He should, however, earn the win with relative ease.

Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies.

Defensemen

Connor Clifton, BUF at OTT (4% rostered)

If you’re looking for some hits and blocks, Clifton’s fantasy stock has really been soaring. The recent bonus has been his scoring with four assists in his past five games, which basically accounts for one-quarter of his season total. Over his past five games, Clifton is averaging more than 20 minutes playing on the second pair with Bowen Byram and collected 16 hits and 11 blocks.

Click for the full list of streaming options for defensemen. 

Forwards

JJ Peterka, LW/RW, BUF at OTT (49% rostered)

Peterka had two helpers in an 8-5 win against the Caps and continues to score at a point-per-game pace since the beginning of March. The Sabres are 3-0-0 edge with 12 goals scored against the Sens this season with Peterka accounting for two goals and two points. Center Ryan McLeod (9% rostered), who centers Peterka on L2, is also a good option 16 points in 16 games in March, as is opposite winger Jack Quinn (3% rostered), who’s on a four-game points streak.

Boone Jenner, C/LW, CBJ vs. NSH (29% rostered)

Jenner’s goals streak now stands at four games, and since returning from injury has scored 15 points in 16 games. The Jackets captain has been a huge multi-category contributor with plenty of shots, hits and faceoff wins. The Preds are playing the second game of a back-to-back after losing 2-1 to the Flyers on Monday.

Leo Carlsson, C, ANA vs. SJ (17% rostered)

Carlsson now has four goals in his past three games and may see even more ice time than usual if Troy Terry, who left Sunday’s game against the Leafs, is unavailable. The Sharks are arguably the league’s worst defensive team with a thin blue line and subpar goaltending, allowing a league-worst 3.75 goals per game. This game should provide plenty of offense since both teams rank 31st and 32nd in shots allowed per game.

Ryan Leonard, RW, WSH at BOS (0% rostered)

As of Monday evening, Leonard has not been added to Yahoo’s system yet, but he should be soon. The Caps’ top prospect is expected to make his NHL debut, and he’s a powerful winger who has the ability to score points and play a physical game, drawing comparisons to Tom Wilson. Hard to say where Leonard will play in the lineup, but he’s got both upside in both points and hits. 

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!