Michael Bunting is scoring after a slow start with the Penguins, while Kiefer Sherwood is hitting players and the score sheet.
On every game day this season, THN Fantasy will highlight players and goalies for fantasy managers to stream or roster for the rest of the season. The recommended players and goalies can be used in standard fantasy leagues or for daily fantasy games.
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Kiefer Sherwood, LW/RW, VAN vs. NYR (30% rostered)
There's no better option in fantasy hockey right now if you need hits. Sherwood is already up to 105 (!) hits this season, but what makes him a much more compelling fantasy asset is his L2 role on Elias Pettersson's right wing. He's up to nine points in 17 games, including two in his past two, and Pettersson's game has picked up in a big way.
Goals will be hard to come by against the Rangers, but you'll get plenty of hits and some shots at the bare minimum. The Rangers are a physical team with the likes of Will Cuylle and Jacob Trouba, so it wouldn't be surprising at all if the penalty minutes are racked up.
Kyle Palmieri, RW, NYI at CGY (25% rostered)
Anders Lee, LW, NYI at CGY (20% rostered)
Note Palmieri's on a four-game points streak, and on a night where I don't see a lot of top-tier streaming options, he's at the top of the list. Scoring hasn't really been a problem for the Isles lately even though they're still missing Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair, scoring at least three goals in five of their past six games.
My concern with his matchup is the Flames are expected to start Dustin Wolf, who's been excellent this season and capable of stealing any game.
Marco Rossi, C, MIN at STL (18% rostered)
Joel Eriksson Ek is expected to return which, thankfully, pushes Matt Boldy back to the wing and also allows Rossi to slot in behind Eriksson Ek. John Hynes has made it pretty clear that Rossi's game has been inconsistent, which explains his relatively limited minutes, but Rossi remains productive and play L2 and PP2. The Blues have lost five of their past six and allowed at least four goals in four of those five games.
Anthony Cirelli, C, TB at PIT (18% rostered)
Nick Paul, C/LW, TB at PIT (13% rostered)
Both Cirelli and Paul have become some of my favorite streaming targets lately due to their outsized roles in Brayden Point's absence. Cirelli is centering the top line and the power play and provided three points in his past two games. He doesn't shoot the puck a lot, but sharing the ice with Nikita Kucherov really helps, and he's winning a ton of faceoffs.
Paul is good in his own way, namely winning faceoffs with his LW eligibility and providing some hits, but he's also hitting the score sheet lately. He's scored two points in his past two games.
Note, however, that Point could return Tuesday. If he does, Cirelli and Paul's fantasy values will take a dive because they won't be top-line options anymore, and in Paul's case may even drop lower on the depth chart. The good news is even in a reduced role, they're still viable options against a very poor Penguins defense that allows a lot of shots.
Michael Bunting, LW, PIT vs. TB (8% rostered)
After a slow start where he was a healthy scratch and had just one assist (!) in just 12 games, Bunting has really picked up his scoring with five points in his past seven games, including his current three-game points streak. The Lightning will be tough to beat when Andrei Vasilevskiy is playing so well - he was named one of the league's three stars this past week - but the L2 and PP2 role ensures Bunting will keep getting opportunities.
Defensemen
Olen Zellweger, D, ANA at CHI (13% rostered)
Zellweger seems to have claimed the role as the Ducks' top offensive option from their blueline. His goal against the Stars on Monday was his fourth point in two games, and he's getting loads of attention right now after being rostered in just eight percent of leagues over the weekend.
Alex Vlasic, D, CHI vs. ANA (5% rostered)
It's more about the role than anything. Vlasic takes over PP1 from the injured Seth Jones, but considering the Hawks have scored just six goals over the past four games, there's not a lot of offense to speak of. But, the exposure is nice, and Vlasic usually provides a healthy dose of hits and blocked shots.
Honorable mention:
Josh Norris, C, OTT vs. EDM (29% rostered) - L2, PP1
Marcus Johansson, LW, MIN at STL (1% rostered) - L2, PP2
Ryan Hartman, C/RW, MIN at STL (6% rostered) - L2, PP1
Brayden Schenn, C/LW, STL vs. MIN (29% rostered) - L2, PP1
Evan Rodrigues, C/LW, FLA vs. WPG (8% rostered) - L1, PP1
Conor Garland, RW, VAN vs. NYR (28% rostered) - L3, PP1
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