What’s poppin’, Razzpimples?
If you’re new to this column or have no idea what the Friday/Sunday split is, it’s a simple yet effective way to maximize your weekly output no matter the format of your league. Typically — and it’s not always the case — heavy game loads are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, whereas Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays are lighter. Streaming players on those lighter days is almost a necessity to ensure you’re getting the most of each week, but this column focuses on just Fridays and Sundays. Reason being is that you get more bang for your waiver add buck in picking up a guy who will play those two days and will almost always be able to slot into your starting lineup without having to sacrifice someone else to the bench.
Let’s do it to it.
Note: All Rostered% numbers and position eligibilities via Fantrax. All line deployment projections via Left Wing Lock.
Welp, cheating again this week. Ding dang dadblasted schedule is a little heavy this weekend to make up for no games for that there holiday. Speaking of, hope you all had a nice time, whether you celebrate Christmas or not!
*nerd emoji* Technically, an off night is when there are eight games or fewer. Almost always, a Friday/Sunday split is going to fall in that category. This week, we’ve got nine games on both Friday and Sunday, so it’s close! Of those, there are eight teams who play both days: the Isles, Wings, Sens, Stars, Ducks, Avs, Flyers, and Hawks.
Anaheim Ducks (FRI vARI || SUN vEDM)
Adam Henrique was hot little schmotato recently, netting 6 G and a five-game span, including a hat trick. Since then, he’s gone two games with just a total of 5 SOG. Still a very solid stream for a speculative goal or two, and he’s extra sexy in FOW leagues. The ES+PP TOI is there, so that’s about the best you can ask for in terms of streaming.
Ilya Lyubushkin is your man for H+BLK. Radko Gudas is DTD, so if he doesn’t suit up, expect extra goodies from Lyu.
Alex Killorn sees good ice time and is averaging a little over 2 SOG per game. Not the best by any stretch, but also not the worst. Give him a shot if the wire’s thin.
Chicago Blackhawks (FRI @DAL || SUN @DAL)
Philipp Kurashev was highlighted in last week’s column and delivered a couple of assists, one being on the powerplay. You’ll have to eat his plus-minus if that’s a thing for you, and I’ll admit the double whammy against Dallas doesn’t inspire the most confidence.
Connor Murphy, Nick Foligno, and Jason Dickinson are the guys to snag if you need extra peripherals to stuff your categories before the week is up.
Colorado Avalanche (FRI @STL || SUN vSJ)
Jonathan Drouin is seeing big time minutes, even on the PP1 unit. That’s all you need to know. The Avs PP is, um, pretty loaded.
Need PIM? Miles Wood can help. Has 51 PIM in 34 GP so far this season. Also pretty damn solid for SOG streaming.
Dallas Stars (FRI vCHI || SUN vCHI)
Thomas Harley is making a name for himself, y’all. Been a hot prospect for a long time and things are starting to mold together. The kid has 9 G on the year and is about to play two games against the Hawks. Even if he doesn’t score — which of course is pretty likely, being a defender and all — he brings solid SOG, plus-minus, and blocks from the blueline.
Tyler Seguin ain’t even a little bit what he used to be, it’s safe to say. However, he’s got 6 PTS in his last 8 GP. Ain’t nothin. Decent FOW contributor as well.
Detroit Red Wings (FRI vNSH || SUN vBOS)
The Wings are a top-heavy group, meaning that the good dudes are already on most rosters. They’ve got some niche guys, though:
J.T. Compher for FOW and some points upside, and then Andrew Copp for solely FOW.
Jake Walman for H+BLK and some extra SOG.
Michael Rasmussen for extra H+BLK from a forward slot.
New York Islanders (FRI vWSH || SUN @PIT)
Anders Lee can still score, folks. Goals in three straight (1 PPG), with 2 A as well in his last game. The SOG are pretty strong from a streamer standpoint, and he still throws the body around some, too. Really solid option for a couple games.
Look no further than Alexander Romanov for your bangs: 21 H+BLK in his last five. Cal Clutterbuck is the dude for hits: 20 over that same span (and 7 BLK!). So really, stream Cal for the H and Romanov for the BLK.
Love me some JGP in cats leagues. Jean-Gabriel Pageau has 2 A, 11 SOG, 1 SHA, 11 H, 7 BLK, and 32 FOW in his last five. That’s good stuff.
Ottawa Senators (FRI vNJ || SUN vBUF)
The Sens are another top-heavy team. Some deep cut streamers are:
Ridly Greig for PIM, H, and FOW. And…
Artem Zub for H+BLK.
Philadelphia Flyers (FRI @SEA || SUN @CGY)
Tyson Foerster might get you the odd point, but really you only should stream him for extra SOG in a category league. He shoots quite a bit for only having 5 G on the season. Maybe one of those goes in for you. He’s getting a bunch of ice time these days, both at ES and on the PP. Take a stab!
Joel Farabee has 7 PTS over his last eight. Also shooting at a steady clip, but he’s apparently luckier or just plain better than Foerster (15.1 SH%, while Foerster is less than half that). Interesting that Foerster is the one with much more ice time, but who am I to judge.
Never forget Nicolas Deslauriers for your hits/PIM streaming. It’s literally the only thing he’s paid to do.
That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading. Leave me a comment below so I feel all warm and fuzzy.
I specialize in bullpens, and I also do some fantasy hockey as well here at Razzball. Find me on Elon’s Disaster: @jkj0787. DMs are always open for questions, comments, concerns, complaints, etc. Odds are good I’m drinking black coffee, dark beer, or some form of bourbon at any given time of day.
