The Global Series continues on Friday and Saturday while the Avs have turned it around after a rough start and expect to get key players back in their lineup soon.
After a stressful Week 3 schedule that saw just one game on Monday and Wednesday due to the 16-game Frozen Frenzy on Tuesday, Week 4 will be a lot easier to manage. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday remain the busiest, but there will be at least six games on tap every night.
There are 11 teams playing four games, which gives fantasy managers plenty of streaming options, though the games are pretty evenly spread out. Saturday-Sunday will feature five teams playing back-to-back, so you can bet those backups and tandems will see plenty of action.
The key note for Week 4 is the second leg of the Global Series between the Stars and Panthers. As of Sunday evening, Aleksander Barkov remains day-to-day but the Panthers said he will return in time to play in his native Finland. The Panthers have a road game on Monday before leaving for Europe, and I suspect that will be Barkov's tune-up game. If he doesn't play, the Panthers get least a three-day break before the start of the series.
Because the games are played in Finland, note the Friday game starts at 2 p.m. ET and the Saturday game at 12 p.m. ET. This should be a close series, unlike the Devils-Sabres series in Czechia, where the Sabres were woefully underprepared and the Devils had not played the tougher opponents yet to show their true colors. The Stars and Panthers head to Finland as two of the best teams in the league and expect to have healthy lineups.
A couple Week 3 storylines to keep track of as we move into Week 4:
- The Jets are a perfect 8-0-0, but the schedule is tough. They host the Leafs on Monday and the Lightning on Sunday, and in between visit the Red Wings and Blue Jackets, the latter of which can really surprise.
- The Sharks are 0-7-2 and they get four chances to earn their first win. The best guess would be Thursday at home hosting the Blackhawks in a matchup between two very bad teams.
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 are as of Saturday.
Season-long adds
(< 50% rostered on Yahoo)
Artturi Lehkonen, RW, Avalanche (50% rostered)
Lehkonen was spotted in a regular practice jersey on Saturday and he will be re-evaluated Monday, but he's expected to be back in the lineup soon. With Ross Colton back in the lineup after leaving Thursday's game after getting slashed, and Jonathan Drouin (upgraded to day-to-day) not far from returning, the Avs are quickly returning to full strength.
Lehkonen's return will relieve some pressure off the Avs' top line and provide them with a more balanced top six. While Lehkonen is not known for his offense, playing on PP1 will give him a big boost in fantasy value. He should be rostered in the majority of leagues.
Anton Lundell, C/RW, Panthers (47% rostered)
I'm not entirely convinced Lundell will drop down to the third line when Barkov returns, though it's highly probable Lundell will no longer average 20 minutes per game. I'd hold Lundell and see what happens considering he's at 11 points in 10 games so far on a very good team.
Casey Mittelstadt, C, Avalanche (40% rostered)
The imminent returns of Lehkonen and Drouin (see above), and potentially Valeri Nichushkin in mid-November, will greatly benefit Mittelstadt. The Avs' top line is set, but once Drouin returns, look for the domino effect; Colton will likely drop down, and so will Mittelstadt's current wingers, Nikolai Kovalenko and Logan O'Connor. As long as Mittelstadt gets PP1 minutes - which he seems to be getting even with Lehkonen returning - he's going to be a great source of points all season.
Yegor Sharangovich, C/RW, Flames (36% rostered)
The Flames wasted no time. After activating Sharangovich off IR, he immediately resumed his role on L1 with Nazem Kadri and Andrei Kuzmenko. He did not score a point against the Jets in his season debut, but it's a good sign he skated 19:23, including nearly six minutes on the power play. Sharangovich should be a good option for shots and goals.
Mikael Granlund, C/RW, Sharks (36% rostered)
With Macklin Celebrini out for at least another two weeks, Granlund remains a top-tier fantasy option. He skates a ton of minutes, scores points, shoots pucks and wins faceoffs.
Even when Celebrini returns, I'm not sure Granlund should be moved off the 1C spot, due to his current production and veteran experience. I'd be pretty confident holding onto Granlund all season. In leagues that don't count plus-minus, he can be extremely valuable.
Conor Garland, RW, Canucks (12% rostered)
Garland's assist on Elias Pettersson's goal Saturday now gives him a point in every single game except one. He continues to be an effective top-six forward and was recently promoted to PP1. He's an extremely hard worker who will get the points because he's not afraid to put pucks on net, wins a lot of puck battles and plays on a very talented offensive team.
Mid-term holds
(< 50% rostered on Yahoo)
Cole Perfetti, C/LW, Jets (31% rostered)
Perfetti's on a three-game points streak and perhaps no player has more boom-or-bust potential than him. The Jets' second line struggled early in the season but along with Nik Ehlers' hot streak has helped propel them to the top of the standings. I think Perfetti is fine when he's scoring, but his cold streaks can be frustrating. With four games in Week 4, Perfetti should at least score a few points.
Brayden Schenn, C/LW, Blues (18% rostered)
Jake Neighbours, LW/RW, Blues (17% rostered)
Schenn would be a longer term hold if he's staying 1C for the full season, but he won't once Robert Thomas returns in about two months' time. In the meantime, Schenn's a great hold because he's going to get a ton of minutes. His offensive ceiling isn't what it used to be but you can't argue with the deployment and his multi-category contributions. Linemate Neighbours is heating up with four goals in his past five games.
Kyle Palmieri, RW, Islanders (16% rostered)
Asides from Mat Barzal, Palmieri is probably their most reliable winger. That says a lot (a little?) about the Isles' depleted offensive lineup, but note Palmieri's enjoying a productive season at 33 years old. He's getting lots of power play time and scored seven points in eight games. It's modest production but one that should stay very consistent all season since Patrick Roy has been reluctant to break up his line.
Sean Monahan, C, Blue Jackets (16% rostered)
Kirill Marchenko, RW, Blue Jackets (13% rostered)
The scoring is sporadic but with four games this week, I think Monahan has a good chance to score some points. The Jackets can score; their problem is consistency and defending and turnovers. Monahan is locked in as their 1C with a good shooter in Marchenko on his wings, and he wins a ton of faceoffs. Marchenko has four goals and nine points in six games.
Brandt Clarke, D, Kings (32% rostered)
Clarke scored his first goal of the season Saturday against Utah, giving him three points in his past two games. His fantasy value is very feast or famine, but what I like is that his power play usage has remained relatively consistent. I like Clarke in Week 3 despite the Kings playing only three games because two of them are against the Hawks and Sharks.
Justus Annunen, G, Avalanche (44% rostered)
I still think the Avs will go back to Alexandar Georgiev at some point, but with Kaapo Kahkonen rehabbing in the minors, it's Annunen's net. The Avs had a creampuff schedule - ie. it was very soft - so take the results with a grain of salt, but at least they're building positive momentum. For the time being, Annunen is worth rostering. We'll get a better idea of Annunen's ability and what the Avs plan to do with a harder schedule coming up.
Short-term streamers
(< 50% rostered on Yahoo)
Connor McMichael, C, Capitals (10% rostered)
I think McMichael is worth streaming in Week 4 with four games for the Caps. His four-game points streak was snapped Saturday in Tampa, but I like that his ice time has stayed relatively consistent and the Caps recognize his offensive value in a top-six role.
Bowen Byram, D, Sabres (27% rostered)
Byram scored his first goal of the season Saturday against the Wings, but what was more notable were his four shots on goal. For a 'D' who can score over 10 goals a season, Byram doesn't shoot much. However, Owen Power, who plays PP2 with Byram, played just 10:37 and almost none in the third period due to illness. If Power is unable to play, Byram should take much more responsibility on the power play.
Lukas Dostal, G, Ducks (43% rostered)
If you're looking for saves, Dostal is it. He had fantasy value coming into the season due to his potential and quantity of starts since the John Gibson era in Anaheim has been fading for a few years now. Dostal's been fantastic, almost stealing games on a nightly basis. He's matchup-dependent in fantasy but great for racking up the saves.
Alex Lyon, G, Red Wings (28% rostered)
I don't think the Wings are going to give the net to Lyon completely and he hasn't played a whole lot over the past few seasons. Cam Talbot will figure into the rotation, but based on the way they've been playing, Lyon is the goalie to roster going forward. For now.
Joel Blomqvist, G, Penguins (8% rostered)
Alex Nedeljkovic, G, Penguins (7% rostered)
With Tristan Jarry sent to the AHL for two weeks, the Pens will rotate Blomqvist and Nedeljkovic going forward. The Pens play their next three games at home but they're in dire straits in midst of a losing streak. I like Blomqvist more on the heels of a 46-save performance against the Oilers, but admittedly Nedeljkovic has more experience and seems to be the favored option.
However, if Blomqvist plays well, they should go with him. Goaltending isn't really their problem; it's the play and roster in front of him that's the real concern. Blomqvist and Nedeljkovic's fantasy values have shifted from getting wins to getting saves.
Yaroslav Askarov, G, Sharks (10% rostered)
I'm doubtful we'll see Askarov this week but there's a chance. He's been excellent in the AHL this season, including back-to-back shutouts, and the Sharks play four games in Week 4, with one back-to-back on Monday and Tuesday. It's only a matter of time before we see Askarov.
Askarov has long-term fantasy value as a stash in keeper leagues, but possesses minimal value in redraft leagues. The Sharks won't be good for another few seasons, which hinders his fantasy value. He's good enough to steal a game or two, but it's difficult to predict when.
Honorable mention:
Dylan Strome, C, Capitals (43% rostered) - L1, PP1
JJ Peterka, RW, Sabres (37% rostered) - L1, PP1
Josh Norris, C, Senators (32% rostered) - L2, PP1
William Karlsson, C, Golden Knights (30% rostered) - L3, PP2
Matthew Knies, LW, Maple Leafs (27% rostered) - L1, PP2
Matty Beniers, C, Kraken (14% rostered) - L1, PP1
Anthony Cirelli, C, Lightning (14% rostered) - L1, PP1/2
Jack Thompson, D, Sharks (2% rostered) - L3, PP2
