It's a big 15-game slate and the best chance to win your weekly head-to-head matchup.
Only two teams won’t be in action Saturday; the Devils played back-to-back on Thursday and Friday, and the Ducks taking a two-day break – slackers! The Devils and Ducks, however, will play Sunday against the Blackhawks and Golden Knights, respectively.
It’s by far the busiest day of Week 4, which means if you’re not leading your head-to-head matchup right now, Saturday is your last chance.
Here are Saturday’s waiver wire recommendations to help you out.
All positions and rostered percentages courtesy Yahoo Fantasy. All players listed are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Expected Starters
(ranked by matchup)
Samuel Montembeault, MTL at STL (10% rostered)
The sample size is tiny and Jake Allen has been the far better goalie, but Montembeault’s numbers have been pretty good, too, save for one start against the Wild. He’s allowed five goals on 56 shots (.911 SP) in his past two starts and the Habs have the advantage on offense. Monty has one career start against the Blues, and it was a good one: Feb. 17, 2022 when he stopped 25 of 27 shots in a comeback win in overtime.
Joel Hofer, STL vs. MTL (3% rostered)
This will be Hofer’s first start since shutting out the Flames on Oct. 26. The Blues have gone 0-2 since then with a minus-8 goal differential heading into Friday’s matchup against the high-scoring Devils. The Blues’ goal support has been awful – they rank 31st in GF/GP – and the Habs are sneaky good. I think this matchup will be tough, but still worth a dice roll if you need a start; Hofer’s upside might surprise and the Blues are at home.
Petr Mrazek, CHI vs. FLA (16% rostered)
To date, Mrazek has been far better than expected, but perhaps what I like most about this matchup is the Panthers’ low-ceiling offense. However, it’s the Hawks – they’re just not a good team. What you’re hoping for is a lot of saves, a decent save percentage and maybe – maybe – a chance for an upset.
Jonathan Quick, NYR at MIN (12% rostered)
Quick has been shockingly good this season. He gets the start with Louis Domingue as the backup with Igor Shesterkin a little banged up – don’t panic, it’s not long term. I’m wary of the Wild’s new-look offense with Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov stacked on the top line, and note Adam Fox and Filip Chytil will not be in the lineup due to injury. The odds of the Wild winning by at least two goals are a little too high for my liking. In their past five meetings, four of them have featured at least seven goals.
Charlie Lindgren, WSH vs. CLB (1% rostered)
There’s plenty of risk; Lindgren has not played since being the surprise starter on opening night when Darcy Kuemper was away for the birth of his child. Lindgren was only okay in that game, allowing four goals on 35 shots, and while the Jackets aren’t a terrifying offensive team, the Caps are actually worse.
Cal Petersen, PHI vs. LA (0% rostered)
Petersen was horrendous last season and lost the backup job to Samuel Ersson, and his AHL numbers – 1-3-0, 3.76 GAA, .884 SP – does not breed any confidence. This is a potential revenge game for Petersen, but the Flyers have lost five of their past six games and the Kings are a very good team. Hard pass.
Forwards (Add/Hold)
Pavel Zacha, C, BOS at DET (49% rostered)
With a five-game point streak and goals in four of those games, Zacha’s become a popular add again. The speculation was he’d have a career year as the Bruins’ top pivot, and after a slow start, he’s living up to expectations. The Wings have lost four of their past five and allowed four goals in three of those games.
Boone Jenner, C/LW, CLB at WSH (49% rostered)
Jenner’s going to be a matchup problem for the Caps, who are thin down the middle and starting their backup. Jenner’s coming off a two-point game against the Lightning and remains excellent in banger leagues for multi-category coverage including shots, hits and faceoff wins.
William Karlsson, C, VEG vs. COL (49% rostered)
This is a tough matchup but Karlsson’s looking to extend his career-long point streak to nine games and I’m getting shades of inaugural-Knights-season Karlsson rather than the checking line version. Not sure when Karlsson’s hot streak will end, but as we’ve seen before, they can go on for a while. Karlsson’s at least worth streaming, and if this keeps up, then you hold for as long as possible.
Josh Norris, C, OTT vs. TB (48% rostered)
Ridly Greig is hurt, which potentially opens up way more ice time for Norris, who is averaging 17:23 per game. The Lightning’s goals against has been trending upwards for four straight seasons, and they’re not the defensive stalwarts they once were. Norris is still scoring at a point per game through six games.
Bryan Rust, RW, PIT at SJ (47% rostered)
Did you see the Sharks lose 10-1, perchance? The Sharks are on pace to be one of the worst teams in the cap era, and the Pens are a desperate bunch after losing five of their past six. Rust has maintained his role on the top line and putting together a fine bounce-back season with five goals in nine games.
Nick Schmaltz, C/RW, ARI vs. WPG (37% rostered)
Schmaltz ended a two-game drought – if you could even call it that – with two goals against the Habs. He’s a point-per-game player who keeps getting left off fantasy rosters.
Sean Monahan, C, MTL at STL (28% rostered)
‘Mony’ has been money, scoring six goals in 10 games including his current four-game goal streak. He’s been averaging close to 20 minutes per game lately and deserves to be rostered in all formats. We’re just slow on the uptake because we think the Habs are bad and Monahan’s career is done, but it’s been the opposite so far.
Forwards (Stream)
Lucas Raymond, LW/RW, DET vs. BOS (49% rostered)
Raymond is back on PP1 on a four-forward unit with Moritz Seider moving to PP2. This is a tough matchup and Raymond is often boom-or-bust, but he’s gaining value as a long-term hold.
Logan Cooley, C, ARI vs. WPG (36% rostered)
The Coyotes have said they won’t move Barrett Hayton off the top line even though he’s yet to score a point because he’s playing well in other areas of the ice. That means Cooley’s ice time will still be capped, but he certainly has far more offensive upside and he’s currently on a three-game point streak while the Jets struggle to keep the puck out of their net, allowing the eighth-most goals per game.
The Coyotes called Cooley the 'best prospect in the world' in a pre-season press release, and they continue to lean into that with first overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky struggling. This is hilarious.
Adam Fantilli, C, CLB at WSH (29% rostered)
This is a good matchup for Fantilli and the Jackets. The Caps aren’t very physical down the middle and they’re starting their backup, who hasn’t played since the season opener. Boone Jenner is more consistent, but Fantilli’s upside is higher.
Jaden Schwartz, C/LW, SEA vs. CGY (22% rostered)
Schwartz’s point streak has now reached five games, and it’s going to be easy to reach six against the Flames. On a team flush with wingers, Schwartz has really stood out and his ice time is proof.
Trevor Moore, LW, LA at PHI (18% rostered)
Moore is averaging close to a point per game and the Flyers will be starting Cal Petersen, who has struggled since last season. Moore has a high floor, averaging a little over three shots per game.
Lawson Crouse, LW/RW, ARI vs. WPG (13% rostered)
Matias Maccelli, LW, ARI vs. WPG (7% rostered)
Crouse’s shot volume has increased from four shots in the first five games to 12 in the past four games. This puts Crouse back in the banger league conversation. He would’ve been hard-pressed to match last season’s career-high 24 goals without the shot volume.
Linemate Maccelli has also been after a similarly slow start to the season, and with an assist Thursday against the Habs stretched his point streak to seven games. Strike while the iron’s hot.
Ilya Mikheyev, LW/RW, VAN vs. DAL (10% rostered)
Mikheyev got in on the action with his third goal of the season as the Canucks dressed down the Sharks, 10-1. He’s scored five points in six games and thriving offensively playing on a line with Elias Pettersson, the league’s second-highest scorer. This is a tough matchup against Jake Oettinger, but the Canucks offense has been unstoppable so far.
Thomas Novak, C, NSH at EDM (5% rostered)
Novak can be boom-or-bust because he either gets a lot of shots on goal or he doesn’t. The speedy center has scored five points in five games and now faces a team that’s been defensively porous all season.
Quinton Byfield, C/LW, LA at PHI (5% rostered)
An assist against the Sens on Thursday now gives Byfield six points in his past five games and he’s on pace to shatter his career highs. He’s much more assertive on offense and shooting the puck a lot more, and the Flyers are expected to start Cal Petersen, who washed out of the league last season and posted mediocre numbers in the AHL prior to his call-up.
Marcus Johansson, LW, MIN vs. NYR (5% rostered)
Marco Rossi, C, MIN vs. NYR (4% rostered)
Both players have benefitted from Dean Evason’s latest line shuffle. Rossi remains the top center on a stacked line with Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov on his wings, and both players are now on PP1, which now features five forwards with Johansson on the point. The Rangers will be shorthanded; top defenseman Adam Fox was placed on LTIR and Filip Chytil is expected to miss time. Rossi has some add-and-hold potential, but it’s still too early for that since Ryan Hartman and Joel Eriksson Ek have been far more productive.
Connor Zary, C, CGY at SEA (0% rostered)
The 24th overall pick in 2020 had quite the debut, scoring his first NHL goal on his first shot. He ended up firing six pucks on net and played 16:11, and he's slated to play on the second line with Nazem Kadri and Yegor Sharangovich. This is a great under-the-radar play, especially in daily fantasy games, with a top-six role and bumping Matt Coronato from the lineup, who is expected to be a healthy scratch.
Defensemen (Add/Hold)
Ivan Provorov, CLB at WSH (21% rostered)
No goals yet for Provorov, but it will come soon. He’s put up the points regardless, though, with eight helpers in 10 games. He’s overshadowed by Zach Werenski, but in banger leagues, Provorov’s blocked shots have been very valuable.
Defensemen (Stream)
Erik Gustafsson, NYR at MIN (9% rostered)
With Adam Fox injured, look for Erik Gustafsson to take over on PP1 and K’Andre Miller on PP2. Gustafsson played well under Peter Laviolette in D.C., and clearly Laviolette trusts him. Gustafsson has scored only four points so far, but a significant increase in PP TOI should give those numbers a boost. Gustafsson’s a short-term add as long as Fox as sidelined and droppable as soon as Fox returns, assuming Gustafsson doesn’t go on a Makar-like tear.
Mason Lohrei, BOS at DET (0% rostered)
Lohrei had a great camp and drew heaps of praise from Jim Montgomery in his season debut. He skated the third-most ice time, registered three shots on goal and scored his first point with an assist on Pavel Zacha’s first-period goal. We’re capitalizing on some early-season with Lohrei, especially since Hampus Lindholm and Kevin Shattenkirk are offering close to zero in fantasy so far.
