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Jason Chen
Nov 29, 2024
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Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich carries a four-game points streak into Columbus against the Blue Jackets, who are underrepresented in fantasy leagues despite ranking seventh in goals for per game.

Sleepers and Keepers Podcast: Kent Johnson

Forwards

Gabriel Vilardi, C/RW, WPG at VEG (46% rostered)

Time to get back on the Vilardi train again? I noted before he's streaky, and maybe he's heating up again with a goal in his last game, but more important he's been asked to drive more offense on the top line by taking faceoffs. It's unclear what's bothering Mark Scheifele, but Vilardi has been taking faceoffs with regularity over the past five games (41 wins), and he's adding shots and blocks, too. 

Fabian Zetterlund, LW/RW, SJ vs. SEA (44% rostered)
William Eklund, LW, SJ vs. SEA (23% rostered)

Zetterlund is on a three-game points streak and fired six shots on net while playing a season-high 23:25 in his most recent game. Getting Mikael Granlund (game-time decision) could be a big boost, but without him Zetterlund may stand to skate more minutes than usual. The Kraken haven't been as defensively stout recently and may start backup Philipp Grubauer in the first game of their home-and-home series. 

Eklund, who shares the ice with Zetterlund at even strength but plays above him on PP1 while Zetterlund plays PP2, is also a good option. Eklund tends to shoot less but he's been playing well, too, with four assists in his past three games. 

Will Cuylle, LW, NYR at PHI (38% rostered)

The more discombobulated the Rangers look, the more valuable Cuylle seems to be. He's been consistently one of their top players, scoring three goals and four points during their four-game losing streak. He's now up to 18 points in 21 games and he's a fantastic in multi-category leagues with a high volume of hits. 

Bryan Rust, RW, PIT at BOS (32% rostered)

I previously faded Rust because the Pens didn't look very good and he wasn't playing with Sidney Crosby. Well, he found himself back on Crosby's line Wednesday against the Canucks and scored three points on seven shots, so it's time to eat my words and look at Rust again. The Bruins can be a formidable opponent but Rust is usually a good source of shots and hits. 

Yegor SharangovichYegor Sharangovich

Yegor Sharangovich, C/RW, CGY at CLB (25% rostered)

I told ya he was heating up! It's feeding time for 'Sharky,' who's on a four-game points streak with 20 shots, four faceoff wins and four blocks during that span. He had a slow start returning from injury and despite the recent scoring spike is still underperforming relative to his career shooting percentage. The Jackets allow a lot of scoring chances and it's highly unlikely they'll be able to keep the Flames off the board. 

Kent Johnson, C, CLB vs. CGY (14% rostered)
Dmitri Voronkov, LW, CLB vs. CGY (4% rostered)

This matchup will be far more desirable if the Flames start Dan Vladar over Dustin Wolf, but Johnson and Voronkov's play has been so good it might not even matter anyway. The Jackets are seventh in GF/GP and I contend their players are vastly under-rostered in fantasy largely due to their reputation as a low-scoring team.

Johnson has scored five points in three games since returning from injury, and it's clear Dean Evason has no qualms putting him on the ice in all situations. At this pace, Johnson has plenty of ROS value. Johnson should gain RW eligibility soon, playing L2 with center Adam Fantilli and also sees minutes on PP1. 

Playing with Sean Monahan and Kirill Marchenko on both L1 and PP1, Voronkov's on a four-game points streak and played over 18 minutes in each of his past two games. He's a good streaming option with good deployment and a hot streak, though I find his production to be streaky and volatile. 

Maxim Tsyplakov, LW/RW, NYI at WSH (5% rostered)

The offense is limited because it comes in spurts, but once in a while, Tsyplakov will have a game where he stuffs the score sheet in every category. He's coming off a two-point effort with six hits against the Bruins. On a busy night where all but two teams are playing, Tspylakov is a sneaky add for hits, shots and perhaps some offense. 

Defensemen

Jake Walman, D, SJ vs. SEA (50% rostered)

The competition for PP1 minutes can be intense with Jack Thompson and Timothy Liljegren in the mix, but Walman certainly has the most fantasy value. He's scored an assist in three straight games and offers a steady stream of shots. He's currently their QB and I suspect he'll stay in that spot for most of the season. The Kraken PK ranks a pedestrian 18th. 

Honorable mention:

Jake DeBrusk, LW/RW, VAN at BUF (49% rostered)
Tyler Seguin, C/RW, DAL vs. COL (42% rostered)
Sean Monahan, C, CLB vs. CGY (40% rostered)
Kirill Marchenko, RW, CLB vs. CGY (35% rostered)
Pavel Dorofeyev, LW/RW, VEG vs. WPG (22% rostered)
Teuvo Teravainen, LW/RW, CHI at MIN (16% rostered)
Yegor Chinakhov, LW/RW, CLB vs. CGY (15% rostered)

Lane Hutson, D, MON at NYR (33% rostered)
Simon Edvinsson, D, DET vs. NJ (5% rostered)

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