NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Players to Target - Wednesday, Jan. 24

Quinton Byfield, C/LW, LA vs. BUF (41% rostered)

The Kings see Byfield as a center down the road, so that's probably where he plays best, anyway. Despite no longer playing on Anze Kopitar's line -- he did end up back there when Pierre-Luc Dubois was moved down -- Byfield was still productive with three points in his past two games. The Kings will likely be facing Devon Levi, who has not played a single minute in two weeks, and the Sabres' defensive play remains poor. 

Artturi Lehkonen, LW, COL vs. WSH (38% rostered)

Lehkonen is expected to return to the lineup after a 35-game absence, and with Valeri Nichushkin unavailable, Lehkonen's return comes at a very opportune time. He's expected to play in all situations for the Avs, including the power play. Lehkonen skated with Ryan Johansen and Andrew Cogliano at practice since Joe Sacco was reluctant to break up the very effective Miles Wood-Colton Ross-Logan O'Connor line.

However, given Sacco's heavy reliance on Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen for offense, there's a chance they'll be playing apart to create a more balanced lineup; if that's the case, look for Lehkonen to play alongside one of them. Lehkonen brings plenty of offensive upside to any fantasy lineup and should also be rostered for the remainder of the season. 

Dakota Joshua, C/LW, VAN vs. STL (33% rostered)

Joshua is quickly become one of the Canucks' most reliable players, and he played 18:10 against the Hawks despite failing to register a point. Worry not; Joshua and the Canucks' excellent third line will get their chances, and in what should be a physical matchup against the Blues, he'll provide plenty of hits as usual. 

Sam Bennett, C, FLA vs. ARI (30% rostered)
Anton Lundell, C, FLA vs. ARI (4% rostered)

Both Bennett and Lundell are worth streaming with Aleksander Barkov unavailable, though I lean Bennett because he adds hits and he's generally more reliable due to his experience. The upside for Lundell is playing alongside Sam Reinhart on L1, but it's Bennett who gets that honor on PP1. Note the Coyotes can be stingy, though, and goals can be hard to come by. 

Michael Bunting, LW, CAR at BOS (29% rostered)

Bunting played 18:43 against the Wild, his highest total since October. Playing L1 with Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen, Bunting scored his 10th of the season and also added six shots. It's hard to predict what kind of game Bunting will have sometimes, partly because the Canes shuffle their lineup now and then, but if the previous game was any indication, Bunting's fantasy value is trending up. 

Jordan Eberle, RW, SEA vs. CHI (25% rostered)

Oliver Bjorkstrand may not be available for personal reasons, and if that's the case, look for Eberle to play a little more than usual as the Kraken's only pure right winger. (The Kraken lineup is heavy on both left-hand shots and left wingers). Eberle's scored five points in his past five games and a matchup against the Hawks is too good to pass up for streaming. 

Morgan Geekie, C/RW, BOS vs. CAR (12% rostered)

Geekie is no longer in the top six but I still like what he brings to the table for broad multi-category coverage. He wins plenty of faceoffs and dishes out hits, and the bonus is his current three-game points streak. 

Vladislav Namestnikov, C/LW, WPG at TOR (6% rostered)

Without Mark Scheifele, the Jets have been juggling their lines, and though Adam Lowry lined up with Kyle Connor to start, it's clear Namestnikov is Rick Bowness' preferred choice between Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers. 

The Jets will need to use their nuclear option at some point against an elite Leafs offense. Namestnikov has scored a point in consecutive games.