Hey there! It’s Lackeydrinksonme!
It’s the return of my weekly long-run streamer column. I’m here to offer some pickups for the short-slate games in the upcoming week, with a focus on putting more players on the ice than your opponent. ESPN has changed everything so I don’t have Games Started data for the new year, but bear in mind that the odds of coming out with a win are strongly related to the number of players you put on the ice.
Last I updated, out of 580 fantasy matchups I have recorded, teams who put at least 10 more skaters on the ice than their opponents are 65-5-6. Those who have gotten at least 5 more skaters won 62% of the time. This column will focus on getting additional player starts several times a week, especially on days with fewer games, and maximizing player usage so as not to leave points on the bench. If you see a guy you like, pick him up with the objective of getting an extra 2-4 decent starts a week.
The season is still young, so I’m going to go more off line combinations and who has taken shots than my usual go-to of shots plus expected goals.
Let’s get to it!
Week of 10/8
Anaheim Ducks- M-W-ST-SU
Anaheim has a great schedule this week, and if you have Rakell or Getzlaf, that’s a great start to getting skater numbers up.
Troy Terry – 14:55 ATOI. If you’re committed to simply putting men on ice, then Terry is your guy this week. Skating on the top line with Rakell and Getzlaf means he’ll see enough scoring opportunities to maybe be relevant, although in ANA’s two games he’s been pretty quiet.
Maxime Comtois – 13:41 ATOI and two goals in two games. Just 19 years old, Comtois skates on the second line with Henrique and Silfverberg and has already flashed some talent. It’s likely that his quick start is a flash in the pan, but you can always take a chance on a hotter hand.
Sam Steel – 14:22 ATOI, Steel is finally breaking into the NHL after being drafted in 2016. Centering up the third line and possessing a badass name, Steel is worth a look in very deep leagues, considering he put up 214 points in 120 games with the Regina Pats.
VGK: M-W-TH-ST
After Vegas’s season last year, people reached way too deep for Vegas players, so it might be hard to find anything in your leagues. If I grabbed a VGK player, I would keep them M/W and then set them loose for spot starts on the weekend.
Tomas Nosek – 12:47 ATOI. Probably the only good stream for Vegas is Nosek, as everyone else has too high of ownership to be on waivers consistently. Nosek is on the third line with Carpenter and Lindberg (who?) but has fired off 5 shots and is worth a flyer in deep leagues.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – 13:32 ATOI. Yeah, he’s on the fourth line and is essentially a no-namer. Like I said, it’s slim pickings. Bellemare has 13 minutes of ice time so far and has fired off three shots. He’s also grabbed a short-handed point. I don’t know how deep your leagues are, but Bellemare could be on your radar, I guess.
OTT- M-W-ST
Ottawa managed to clobber TOR on Saturday, which somehow still doesn’t indicate much talent on their roster.
Thomas Chabot – 21:19 ATOI. I’m surprised he’s only owned at 8% in ESPN, clearly heading up Ottawa’s much-maligned D but managing to contribute six shots and four points across two games. Chabot is a good quick grab if he’s available.
Ryan Dzingel – 17:14 ATOI. Tons of ice time skating on the second line, Dzingel has fired off three shots in two games and is in a not-awful situation linemate-wise. Worth a look if you’re stacked on Saturday and just want a M/W flyer to cut loose.
Zach Smith – 16:25 ATOI. Barely owned in any leagues, Smith is skating alongside Mark Stone and has three points in two games. I could see production of some kind continuing, but probably only worth a look in deep leagues.
I’m planning on doing a deep dive Wednesday night, so will have an article up Thursday and also a continuation of this series next Monday. Feel free to ask any questions you might have, and good luck!!
