NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Pickups March 11 - Jason Chen's Best Picks

Every Tuesday and Thursday, THN Fantasy expert Jason Chen will highlight his best picks to stream or roster for the rest of the season. The recommended players and goalies are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues and can be selected in standard fantasy leagues or for daily fantasy games.

Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies, defensemen and forwards. 

Goalies

Elvis Merzlikins, CBJ at NJ (37% rostered)

The Devils are averaging just 2.3 goals per game since Jack Hughes’ injury and will likely not have Dougie Hamilton in the lineup. This gives me hope for Merzlikins, especially with a very good offense supporting him that scored seven goals against the Rangers. There is some risk here because the Jackets are 11-18-4 on the road, but it’s also the last game of a four-game road trip and teams tend to play in the final game so they can go home on a high note.

I don’t mind being contrarian and picking Merzlikins for the win. I don’t think the Devils offense has enough offense to turn this into a blowout win unless Merzlikins has a really poor performance, so the save percentage won’t be bad enough to completely destroy your night.

Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies.

Defensemen

Filip Hronek, VAN vs. MTL (45% rostered)

Still no signs of Quinn Hughes’ impending return, which means Hronek will serve as their PP QB once again. He has four assists in his past three games though he doesn’t shoot the puck very often, which makes him a somewhat frustrating fantasy player. Still, there’s no one else on the Canucks blue line that has more fantasy upside than Hronek.

Brady Skjei, NSH at SJ (40% rostered)

Skjei hasn’t produced much even after taking over PP1 from Roman Josi. His game’s not built on offense; he’s more of a steady, two-way defenseman who can skate, make good passes and occasionally shoot the puck. I like this matchup, however, because the Sharks and Preds have engaged in some really high-scoring games in recent seasons. The Preds have averaged 4.58 goals per game during their 12-game (!) winning streak against the Sharks that dates back to 2019.

Darren Raddysh, TB at CAR (12% rostered)

Keep your eyes and ears open for Victor Hedman’s status, who missed Saturday’s game. If Hedman does not play, look for Raddysh quarterback their power play. The Lightning were shut out, 4-0, against the Bruins with Raddysh finishing minus-3, but also played at least 20 minutes for the third time in four games.

Click for the full list of streaming options for defensemen. 

Forwards

Dylan Cozens, C, OTT at PHI (38% rostered)

I noted in previous columns and in the latest Sleepers and Keepers fantasy hockey podcast episode that I think Cozens’ game is going to take off after moving from Buffalo. Since joining the Sens, he’s scored two points while adding four shots, 13 faceoff wins and 17 (!) hits. He’s fantastic in multi-category leagues and a matchup against the Flyers will surely be a physical affair.  

Ryan O’Reilly, C, NSH at SJ (36% rostered)

A chance for a high-scoring game and seven points in six games for O’Reilly? Sign me up. The Sharks have allowed 4.58 goals per game against the Preds in their past 12 matchups, all of which have been wins for the Preds. O’Reilly has the equally red-hot Steven Stamkos on his wing, who has four goals and eight points in his past three games.

Pavel Dorofeyev, LW/RW, VGK at PIT (31% rostered)

A good matchup against a team with weak defense and weaker goaltending, and playing alongside the red-hot Tomas Hertl at both even strength and on the power play are two big reasons why I like Dorofeyev. He has two assists and 11 shots in his past three games.

Click for the full list of streaming options for forwards. 

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