Targets include Rickard Rakell of the Penguins and Gustav Nyquist of the Predators, both of whom are on points streaks, and also Thomas Harley of the Stars, who steps in for the injured Miro Heiskanen.
Dawson Mercer, C/RW, NJ vs. VAN (47% rostered)
Admittedly, this is a tough matchup but Jack Hughes was injured Friday against the Hawks, paving the way for Mercer to play significantly more minutes. The coveted spot will be between Hughes' usual wingers, Tyler Toffoli and Jesper Bratt. The other candidate to move up the lineup is Mike McLeod (a riskier streaming option but worth considering), who's scored three goals in his past two games and played some top-six minutes earlier in the season when Nico Hischier and Hughes were injured.
Jake DeBrusk, LW/RW, BOS vs. TB (41% rostered)
DeBrusk is on a five-game points streak playing L2 and PP2 with Charlie Coyle (also worth streaming). DeBrusk is not the most reliable scorer, but this is a good matchup; the Lightning defense is very shorthanded, with only Victor Hedman able to reliably play 20-plus minutes per game. They could dress up to two rookies on the blueline with Norwegian lefty Emil Martinsen Lilleberg, drafted in 2021 by the Coyotes but not signed, and 2020 draft pick Jack Thompson.
Dec 21, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene (95) and defenseman Thomas Harley (55) and center Joe Pavelski (16) and center Tyler Seguin (91) celebrates after Duchene scores the game winning goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the overtime period at the American Airlines Center.Tyler Seguin, C/RW, DAL vs. NSH (38% rostered)
Juuse Saros has been good, but far less consistent than usual, so streaming a player against Saros doesn't quite seem so hopeless anymore. Seguin has scored three goals on 12 shots in his past three games, and this will be a matchup that will feature lots of speed and up-and-down action. Linemate Matt Duchene is on a three-game points streak.
Rickard Rakell, RW, PIT vs. BUF (38% rostered)
Rakell's excellence has continued, scoring three goals and five assists in eight games since returning from injury. Locked into a top-line role with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel, Rakell can't be put in a better position to succeed. The Sabres are not good defensively, which opens the door for Rakell to extend his points streak to three games.
Gustav Nyquist, LW, NSH at DAL (27% rostered)
Nyquist's production tailed off significantly in December, but the Gus bus is rolling again! Against a Stars squad that will not have Miro Heiskanen in the lineup, Nyquist has a great chance to extend his points streak to eight games. Backup Scott Wedgewood is expected to start, and after allowing nine goals in his past two starts, the workload might be catching up to him.
Thomas Harley, D, DAL vs. NSH (25% rostered)
With Miro Heiskanen expected to miss weeks, not days, look for Harley to jump on PP1. He's the Stars' best option on the blueline with Heiskanen unavailable, and expect increases across the board: points, shots, hits, blocks and ice time.
Sam Bennett, C, FLA at COL (17% rostered)
Both teams are dangerous on offense, and it has all the makings of a very high-scoring game. Bennett's been hampered by injuries but it looks like he's getting into a groove with three goals and four points in his past six games, and serving up his usual diet of shots and hits. With Evan Rodrigues and Aleksander Barkov nursing minor injuries, this is opening the door for Bennett to play a lot of minutes.
Jonathan Drouin, LW, COL vs. FLA (15% rostered)
Do we really trust Drouin?! When he's playing with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, yes, indeed we do. The talented but frustrating winger has scored four goals and six points in his past five games and also averaging over 21 minutes in his past three games. This has been a big turnaround for someone who played 10 minutes a night earlier in the season.
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