With Robert Thomas sidelined with a fractured ankle, look for Brayden Schenn to step onto the Blues' top line. Logan Stankoven, meanwhile, is expected to play on the Stars' top line.
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.
Forwards
Anton Lundell, C/RW, FLA at NYR (45% rostered)
Aleksander Barkov is expected to return some time during the Panthers' road trip, so this might spell the end of Lundell's role as a top-six center. Have we seen peak fantasy value for Lundell though? That's the key question. I'm not quite sure we have as I don't think he'll be automatically 'demoted' to the third line, so there's plenty of long-term value here. This is a tough matchup but if Barkov is sidelined, expect Lundell to play significant minutes against a potential playoff rival.
Logan Stankoven, C/RW, DAL at BOS (44% rostered)
Stankoven replaced Wyatt Johnston on the top line with Johnston centering Jamie Benn and Evgenii Dadonov. Stankoven did not score a point in his previous game but played a season-high 18:19 with three shots on goal. The Bruins are in flux right now with a lot of line juggling and having trouble winning games.
Matthew Knies, LW, TOR vs. STL (30% rostered)
Knies carries a two-game goal streak into this matchup and generally he's been quite good. He's not going to get moved off their top line anytime soon. Knies offers some offensive upside alongside some shots and hits.
Casey Mittelstadt, C, COL at UTA (30% rostered)
The drop in ice time is slightly concerning, going from 20 minutes a night to just 17 minutes over the past two games. However, Mittelstadt is still a great streaming play with some long-term value. He's one of the handful of forwards Jared Bednar trusts, and there's added value with PP1 minutes.
Mikael Granlund, C/RW, SJ at LA (28% rostered)
Over the past week, Granlund has scored six points in four games and averaging 21:22 TOI/GP, seventh-highest among forwards. He's not an elite player but he's being deployed like on a thin Sharks lineup.
Stefan Noesen, LW/RW, NJ at DET (22% rostered)
Noesen scored a power-play goal last game and that's his biggest strength in fantasy: PP1 minutes with Jack Hughes. At even strength, Noesen is used on a matchup line with Erik Haula and Paul Cotter, but there's upside there, too, because Noesen can rack up the hits.
Cole Perfetti, C/LW, WPG at SEA (21% rostered)
Perfetti can be boom or bust. He's either scoring zero points or three to four. He's coming off a three-assist effort against the Blues, and the Jets' second line has really picked up their play after an extremely slow and somewhat worrying start.
Brayden Schenn, C/LW, STL at TOR (18% rostered)
Schenn should be rostered in all leagues going forward. With Robert Thomas out at least six weeks with a fractured ankle, Schenn has moved up the lineup and he's expected to center L1 with Brandon Saad and Jake Neighbours on his wings, and also see minutes on PP1. The offensive upside isn't like other 1C centers, but the increase in role should boost Schenn's fantasy value by a significant amount. Schenn will offer some scoring, faceoff wins, shots and hits.
Marco Rossi, C, MIN at TB (11% rostered)
With a five-game points streak and a role centering Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, it's a little perplexing why Rossi is so under-rostered. He may not have the name recognition yet, but Rossi and Joel Eriksson Ek will be the Wild's 1-2 centers going forward.
The current season remains a good time to get in on the ground floor. Rossi's scoring at a point-per-game pace in what may be a breakout season.
Defensemen
Jonas Brodin, D, MIN at TB (2% rostered)
With two assists and nine shots in three games, Brodin's a more attractive option than usual because he's providing more than just blocked shots.
Simon Nemec, D, NJ at DET (2% rostered)
We shall have to wait for Sheldon Keefe's presser to see when Brett Pesce and Luke Hughes are returning, but it's speculated to be very, very soon. In the meantime, Nemec has played on PP2 and in his previous game notched a power-play assist. Given the Wings were buried by the Isles in their last game despite winning, 1-0, Nemec certainly has some upside in this matchup.
Update: Both Pesce and Hughes are in the lineup tonight, which means Nemec is likely a healthy scratch.
Scott Perunovich, D, STL at TOR (0% rostered)
This is a highly speculative play, but it's expected that Perunovich will make his season debut and quarterback PP2. A highly-regarded prospect, Perunovich has had trouble getting regular minutes because his even-strength play is subpar and his offensive contributions aren't significant enough to keep him in the lineup. This is a tough matchup, but if you're looking for a deep sleeper option on 'D', at least Perunovich plays special teams.
Honorable mention:
Mason Marchment, LW, DAL at BOS (33% rostered) - L2, PP1
Nick Schmaltz, C/RW, UTA vs. COL (31% rostered) - L1, PP1
Vladimir Tarasenko, LW/RW, DET vs. NJ (24% rostered) - L2, PP2
Tyler Seguin, C/RW, DAL at BOS (23% rostered) - L2, PP2
Alex Laferriere, RW, LA vs. SJ (18% rostered) - L3, PP1
Jordan Eberle, RW, SEA vs. WPG (14% rostered) - L1, PP1
Anthony Cirelli, C, TB vs. MIN (13% rostered) - L2, PP2
William Eklund, LW, SJ at LA (11% rostered) - L1, PP1
Conor Geekie, C, TB vs. MIN (1% rostered) - L2, PP2
Adam Boqvist, D, FLA at NYR (5% rostered) - L3, PP1
