Fantasy Hockey Head-to-Head Week 3 Primer

What a wild schedule for Week 3.

Monday and Wednesday will feature only one game, which means you’ll need to load up on these two nights if you want to gain that extra edge.

The problem is there are only two teams worth stacking on those nights: The Sabres on Monday and the Devils on Wednesday, who face the Habs and Caps, respectively. There just aren’t many options on the Habs and Caps though, alternatively, they may offer some overlooked options because the focus for many will be to roster as many Sabres and Devils as they can. On these nights, when people zig, you zag. There are a few short-term streaming options on both the Habs and Caps at the bottom of the page.

Every team will be in action on Tuesday, which is nice if you’re a hockey nut, but the NHL’s insistence that most of the action be on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays without staggered starts – except for the California teams, which often start at 7:30 p.m. Pacific – means it’s hard to watch every team.

It also means you’ll need to be selective with your roster, benching players that otherwise might start on a less busy night. Use the schedule matrix below to make your picks based on the team rankings.

The good news is there’s a good balance of games Friday through Sunday, giving managers plenty of time to catch up.

The Devils are ranked at the top with four games this week, and five other teams will also play four games, though it’d advisable to just stay away from the Sharks. There are also six teams playing just two games, but the Coyotes and Blackhawks are valuable on Friday since there are only six games on tap.

Here’s your Week 2 schedule:

Pick players from teams at the top of the schedule matrix to maximize games and matchups. Green is good. Red is bad. All advanced stats courtesy naturalstatrick.com. All positions and rostered percentages are courtesy of Yahoo fantasy.

Points percentages as of Saturday.

Start

Adam Fantilli, C, CLB (33% rostered)

Fantilli got the monkey off his back with his NHL goal Saturday against the Wild. The points aren’t rolling in for Fantilli like Connor Bedard or Logan Cooley, and the Jackets are certainly managing his minutes since he’s not the top option for them. However, with the Ducks and Habs coming up, this is Fantilli’s chance to get something going.

Jake DeBrusk, LW/RW, BOS (64% rostered)

I wouldn’t read too much into DeBrusk getting healthy scratched on Saturday; he was late for a team meeting, and it’d be a mistake to play Milan Lucic there all season. The Bruins’ creampuff schedule continues with the Blackhawks and Ducks before the Wings on Saturday.

Joseph Woll, G, TOR (30% rostered)

Woll was excellent against the Lightning in a relief appearance, stopping all 29 shots he faced and earning the win. He’ll start Tuesday against the Caps, a schedule start in which the Leafs should be heavily favored to win, and if he plays well, he’ll certainly get a bigger chunk of the timeshare going forward. Kudos to those who stashed him.

Sit

Tony DeAngelo, D, CAR (74% rostered)

The ice time and usage is just too volatile, and there are more reliable defensemen out there, some with even more upside. He’s gone three games without a point with a minus-3 rating, and while an injury to Brett Pesce might result in more ice time, the Canes play only three times this week, including a back-to-back.

Gustav Forsling, D, FLA (65% rostered)

Forsling’s been steady but quiet. He’s yet to score a point though he’s collected a few shots, blocks and hits already. With Oliver Ekman-Larsson entrenched as the top PP QB, and the Panthers just playing twice in Week 3, Forsling doesn’t provide much value.

Filip Gustavsson (95% rostered) and Marc-André Fleury (70% rostered), G, MIN

Certainly, Gustavsson has been the better goalie after another monster 49-save performance against the Jackets. The Wild, however, aren’t very good defensively, and any time you allow that many shots, it’s going to be difficult to win. Even without Connor McDavid, it’s a tough schedule this week with the Oilers and Devils, both of whom are top-tier offensive teams, with the Caps and Flyers sandwiched in a back-to-back in the middle.

Weekly Bangers 

(< 50% rostered on Yahoo, on teams with 4 games this week)

Hits/GP

Marcus Foligno, LW/RW, MIN – 4.80
Nathan Bastian, RW, NJ – 4.00
Tom Wilson, RW, WSH – 3.25
Connor Clifton, D, BUF – 3.20
Arber Xhekaj, D, MTL – 2.75

Blocks/GP

Mike Matheson, D, MTL – 3.25
Mario Ferraro, D, SJ – 3.20
Kaiden Guhle, D, MTL – 2.67
Jan Rutta, D, SJ – 2.40
Matt Benning, D, SJ – 2.40
Jacob Middleton, D, MIN – 2.40
Jonas Brodin, D, MIN – 2.40

Season-long adds

(< 25% rostered on Yahoo)

Ryan O’Reilly, C, NSH (25% rostered)

O’Reilly’s fantastic in leagues that count faceoffs. Declining point production would be the biggest concern, but those fears have been allayed so far with four points, including two on the power play. He’s firmly entrenched as the No. 1 pivot on the Preds.

Sean Couturier, C, PHI (19% rostered)

Slowly but surely, Couturier’s climbing up the fantasy rankings. Even if he’s not scoring – which he is – he’s won at least 10 faceoffs in every game and averaging over 20 minutes per game. He’ll only injure his back this time from carrying the team.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, CAR (16% rostered)

Kotkaniemi has been one of the biggest surprises this season. The Canes were onto something when they paid him to be their No. 2 center, and with seven points in six games with 33 faceoff wins already, Kotkaniemi is living up to the billing.

Mid-term holds 

(< 25% rostered on Yahoo)

Dylan Strome, C, WSH (22% rostered)

Strome started third on the depth chart but has since moved up to Alex Ovechkin’s line, and he scored both of the Caps’ goals in their loss to the Habs on Saturday. As long as Strome stays in this spot, he’s going to have a chance to pile up the points after finishing second on the team in points last season (65), trailing only Ovechkin.

Tanner Jeannot, LW/RW, TB (21% rostered)

Jeannot’s two-game point streak and a fighting major puts him back on the banger league radar. The volume still isn’t there, but on a thin Tampa lineup, he’s going to get his minutes no matter what.

Matthew Knies, LW, TOR (17% rostered)

That Tampa game was Knies’ big breakout performance, scoring three points in a comeback win. He had been playing very well up but without any points to show for it. He showed good chemistry with Max Domi, and though his minutes were limited, it’s an encouraging performance from one of the biggest sleepers in preseason rankings.

Leo Carlsson, C, ANA (16% rostered)

We shall see what the future holds for Carlsson on a mediocre Ducks squad, but he’s averaged over 20 minutes in his first two games centering Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry. Like any rookie, Carlsson’s struggling in the dot, but with a goal on six shots, he’s on pace for a productive season on a high-upside offensive line.

Casey Mitteltstadt, C, BUF (14% rostered)

The Sabres mixed it up a little bit and now has Mittelstadt centering Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch. Mittelstadt is great for points leagues and picked up two assists in a win against the Isles, but don’t expect category coverage since he doesn’t shoot the puck or hit anybody.

Marcus Johansson, LW, MIN (4% rostered)

An injury to Matt Boldy was supposed to dampen Johansson’s fantasy value, but not so. Johansson is averaging more ice time and scored three points in two games, and has now joined the top power-play unit. The Wild also play a league-high four games in Week 3.

Short-term streamers 

(< 25% rostered on Yahoo)

Alexis Lafrenière, LW, (18% rostered) and Kaapo Kakko, RW (9% rostered), NYR

Kakko finally scored his first goal Saturday and Lafrenière added another tally, his first since the season opener. Hopefully, this is a sign of bigger things to come. Peter Laviolette said he’d stick with the same lineup to ensure everyone gets a chance to gel, and it’s showing some dividends now. The Rangers play three games this week and they’re good matchups against the Flames, Oilers and Canucks. Although all three games are on the road, they’re also three very porous teams on defense and in net.

Eric Comrie, G, BUF (2% rostered)

I was a little surprised the Sabres started Devon Levi four straight games to start the season, and now he’s out with a lower-body injury. Comrie started Saturday – surprisingly ahead of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who made the most starts last season with 32 – and made 24 saves in a 3-1 win against the Isles. With four games this week, including a back-to-back Monday and Tuesday, Comrie will at least get one more start. If Levi is on the shelf for longer, Comrie has a chance to get the bulk of the starts and maybe even eat into a chunk of Levi’s playing time.

Matthew Phillips, C, WSH (0% rostered)

The 5-foot-7 Phillips has already proven he can be a top scorer in the AHL, and now’s his chance to prove it in the NHL playing on the top line with Ovechkin. The Caps desperately need offense and their latest experiment is to play Ovechkin with two of their youngest players in their attempt to get Ovechkin going. It seems to be working; Phillips has scored three points in three games while also getting time on the power play. Phillips’ even-strength minutes are limited, but he’s in a good situation and the Caps play four games this week.

Paul Cotter, C, VEG (0% rostered)

Playing L2 and PP2, Cotter is starting to get some attention in fantasy with four points in four games. A hard-hitting left winger who has yet to gain LW eligibility, he possesses some offensive upside playing in the top six. He’s made frequent appearances in the weekly top hitters list, and this sudden spike in offense demands attention in banger leagues.