Find critical pickups and navigate tough matchups as the NHL fantasy hockey season hits Week 14.
Some normalcy at last after a hectic holiday season and the Winter Classic last week.
The NHL returns to its regularly schedule programming with the busy nights once again being Tuesday (10 games), Thursday (12) and Saturday (14).
There are 13 teams that will play four games, with the Lightning trailing everybody with only two games on tap. They’re tough matchups, too, against the Avs and Flyers, so if you’re counting on the likes of Nikita Kucherov and Darren Raddysh to carry your team, you’ll need to find some reinforcements.
Halfway through the season, we should also note just how dominant the Avs have been. They’re a must-start if you roster their players on any given night, and a must-bench if you roster a goalie that’s facing them. The Lightning will face the Avs in one of their two games this week, and as good as Andrei Vasilevskiy has been this season, that’s a matchup you have to consider leaving him on your bench and maybe try your luck with a backup instead. That may include Joonas Korpisalo (vs. NYR or vs. PIT) or Anton Forsberg (hopefully at WPG and not at EDM) later in the week, or perhaps Philipp Grubauer (@CGY or vs. BOS) to start the week.
The Knights have the easiest schedule this week and they should be a top target for streaming options, especially now that Jack Eichel is back. They’ve been inconsistent and somewhat disappointing so far, but having their MVP-caliber center back should be the tide that raises all boats.
With plenty of back-to-backs last week, the schedule has eased a little. Hopefully, that means fewer injuries – we’ve had enough of those already – and better consistency. It’s been a big topic this season.
All positions and rostered percentages are courtesy of Yahoo Fantasy.
Schedule
Pick players from teams at the top of the schedule matrix to maximize games and matchups. Green is good. Red is bad. Points percentages are as of Sunday morning.
Season-long adds (< 50% rostered on Yahoo)
Matt Duchene, C/RW, DAL (45% rostered)
It took Duchene a while to get going since returning from a concussion, and understandably so considering how serious it was, but amidst the Stars’ five-game losing streak Duchene has scored a goal and four points. He’s moved to LW on L1 with Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen. This time of the season, it’s hard to find players to roster for the rest of the season, and Duchene certainly has the potential to do so if his point production stays consistent.
Jared McCann, C/LW, SEA (27% rostered)
McCann has been the Kraken’s most reliable goal scorer since the franchise’s inception, but it’s okay if you forget about him considering how inept they are scoring – I’m just here to remind you. Despite middling ice time, McCann has scored three points in his past four games, including two on the power play. While he’s playing L3 with Shane Wright and Berkly Catton, the upside is his PP1 deployment. Jordan Eberle (six-game points streak) has also been producing but I think McCann is the better long-term option.
Mid-term holds (< 50% rostered on Yahoo)
Mason Marchment, LW, CBJ (21% rostered)
Marchment has found some life in Columbus, scoring his fifth goal in seven games since joining the club. He’s skating more minutes with them than he did with the Kraken, and joined Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko on the top line. At his best, Marchment can be a 25-goal, 55-point player.
Ryan Leonard, RW, WSH (17% rostered)
Hopefully, the 20:21 TOI against the Hawks is a sign of more good things to come. He scored a goal on three shots in that game, extending his points streak to three games. A talented and physical winger, Leonard has goal-scoring and hits upside. He’s playing L3 with fellow rookie Ethen Frank, which isn’t ideal, but the PP1 deployment is very intriguing even if the Caps power play has struggled for most of the season. The Caps have one of the easiest schedules in Week 14, including another rematch against the Hawks on Friday.
Bowen Byram, D, BUF (26% rostered)
I don’t trust Byram a whole lot in fantasy because he can be invisible for long, long stretches. But he’s scoring points now while the Sabres are still red-hot even with their 10-game winning streak snapped. Some favorable matchups against the Canucks and Rangers are coming up.
Denton Mateychuk, D, CBJ (10% rostered)
The return of Zach Werenski hasn’t seemed to damped Mateychuk’s value very much, who notched two assists Sunday against the Pens. He’s really developed into a solid No. 2 behind Werenski, skating a ton of minutes and providing offense. Mateychuk won’t ever be a top PP option with Werenski there, but Mateychuk’s fantasy value remains a hold as his hot play continues. I prefer him over Damon Severson, who has piled up eight points in seven games but players fewer minutes and possesses less upside.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, G, BUF (29% rostered)
A 5-1 loss to the Jackets should not put a huge damper on Luukkonen’s fantasy value nor the Sabres’ outlook. The Sabres were worse than expected to start the season and much better than expected during their 10-game winning streak; we likely won’t see the same highs and lows, but the Sabres are competitive and back in the playoff race. More importantly, Luukkonen seems to have earned back much of the timeshare that he been ceded to Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis, and could have significant value if he’s the Sabres’ top option for the second half of the season.
Connor Ingram, G, EDM (13% rostered)
A 6-2 loss did not do any wonders for Ingram’s value or his bid to be the Oilers’ starter while Tristan Jarry is out. The Oilers net remains a precarious situation for fantasy managers but my belief if Ingram is still the preferred option over Calvin Pickard. Given the Oilers’ rotation, a favorable matchup against the Preds awaits Ingram, who is 3-2-2 all-time against his former team.
Short-term streamers (< 50% rostered on Yahoo)
Bobby McMann, LW, TOR (12% rostered)
Not sure how long William Nylander will be out for, but McMann is certainly taking advantage of the opportunities. He’s up to four goals and four assists in his past eight games and playing an expanded role on the power play. It’s not a bad time to get back on the Leafs wagon now that Auston Matthews is scoring again.
Leevi Merilainen, G, OTT (10% rostered)
Not that Linus Ullmark has been effective this season, but Merilainen has fantasy value in leagues that value volume. He’ll get the starts and the saves, and the occasional win in the right matchup. The Sens do not play back-to-back until Jan. 7-8, and there’s a chance we might see Merilainen in both games as well.
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