Skater Stream for Week 11
Hot Skaters to Target on Waivers for Fantasy Hockey
So, we have just finished week 10 of the fantasy hockey season, and it seems like we’re continuing to see more roster shakeups across the league. Not too long after the Rangers traded Jacob Trouba to Anaheim, the Ducks ended up trading away defenseman Cam Fowler to the St. Louis Blues. The Fowler move should shore up St. Louis’ blue line, as it seems like third-line defenseman Nick Leddy may be out for an extended period.
There will likely be more moves in the coming week or two, especially if specific teams continue to trend in the wrong direction. The Buffalo Sabres just lost their 10th game in a row, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them shake up their roster with a trade or two.
Until we see those moves, however, fantasy managers have to look ahead and try to find possible roster-boosting skaters off the waiver wire for week 11. Thomas Nestico of TJ Stats recently posted his Fantasy Hockey Schedule Summary on Reddit, which gives an idea of which teams to target on the waiver wire this week based on their schedule load.
Based on this schedule summary, fantasy hockey managers should be targeting players from the Panthers, Capitals, Avalanche, Oilers, and Canucks this week due to their four-game weeks as well as schedule scores over four. Conversely, managers should avoid streamers on the Golden Knights (2.0 score) and Islanders (1.8).
Let’s look at four skater streamers that fantasy managers should target to boost their respective teams for week 11 of fantasy hockey play.
Logan Cooley, C, UTA (38% rostered)
Utah's schedule score is 3.4, primarily due to its three off-day games. That schedule is ideal for fantasy managers looking for playeUtah's schedule score issy s, the week but notter jam (i.e., having active players sit on the bench). Cooley is available in 62% of Yahoo leagues, making him a nice waiver wire stream for managers looking for help at the center position.
The 20-year-old American center has two goals and eight points in his last seven games. He’s averaging 1.14 PTS/G and sports a SH% of 16.7%. That SH% is 4.6% higher than his season average, but in his last seven games, Cooley is averaging 1.7 SOG/G, sports a ZS% of 64.2%, and has a 5-on-5 SH% of 13.5%. Thus, he’s doing what he needs to generate scoring opportunities and simply cashing in at a high rate over the past couple of weeks.
The overall numbers could make Cooley a longer-term streamer for fantasy managers.
His 68.4% IPP shows that he’s a crucial contributor to his lines, and he’s also averaging 1.93 SOG/G and has a PDO of 1060 and CF% of 53.1%. Those three metrics demonstrate he’s generating shot opportunities this season at a solid clip. Lastly, his secondary assist % of 42.1% and 0.87 Hits/G mark make him an additional boost in category and banger-league formats.
Utah started slowly but is surging, with four wins in six games in December. This week, Utah plays tough opponents in Vancouver and Minnesota. However, they will face Vancouver at home and finish the week with Anaheim at home. Cooley could continue his hot performance against this slate of opponents, making him worth streaming if available.
Troy Terry, RW, ANA (24% rostered)
The Ducks continue to struggle, and the trade of Fowler shows that they are “testing” things out on the roster to see what clicks long-term. The injury to Trevor Zegras is also a blow, especially considering his promise a few seasons ago.
That said, as of Sunday, Terry should be on fantasy managers’ radars, especially with him being available in 76% of Yahoo leagues.
In his last seven games, Terry has had two goals and six assists, which is good for eight points. In addition to averaging 1.14 PTS/G over the previous two weeks, he’s also generating 4.1 SOG/G, is getting 2:42 PP TOI, and sporting an 88.9% IPP over that time.
He’s also producing these numbers despite a 5.7 SH% and 48.5% Corsi. The Corsi is aligned to his season average, but his SH% is nearly half his season mark. Despite the shooting slump, Terry has proven to be a force for the Ducks on the scoring end, showing that he can be a consistent fantasy producer, even with the Ducks not competitive.
With a 2.66 SOG/G average, 80% IPP, 1004 PDO, and 43.8% secondary assist % this season in 29 games, Terry is a solid fantasy producer who probably would be rostered more if he was on a better team. He has been playing well with his primary linemates, Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano, as they have produced ten goals and a CF% of 53.1% together in 228:42 TOI this season.
Anaheim does play Winnipeg and Colorado this week, but they get them at home and coming off games from the previous nights. Thus, Terry could catch tired Jets and Avs squads. That could help him produce sneaky fantasy performances in those respective games, making him an underrated waiver pickup this week.
Evan Rodrigues, LW, FLA (5% rostered)
The Panthers have the best schedule this week with a 5.0 score vis TJ Stats. Thus, it made sense to target someone on the Panthers, even though many of Florida's first and second-line options are mostly rostered in Yahoo.
Rodrigues is a peculiar waiver target as he is on a cold streak, with zero points in his last four games. When looking at his stats over the past two weeks (seven), his numbers look a bit better. Over that seven-game span, he’s scored two goals, collected an assist, and averaged 0.43 PTS/G. Furthermore, he also averaged 2.1 SOG/G, had a ZS% of 54.1%, and a Corsi of 58.2%.
Thus, Rodrigues’ low rostered percentage and recent frigid performance shouldn't scare fantasy managers.
He’s primarily been a second-line player, but he has spent most of his time on the ice with Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. In 164:50 TOI this season, the line has produced 12 goals, a +5 plus/minus, and a CF% 59.6%. If Rodrigues stays on that line, he’ll maintain sneaky fantasy production, especially with his current apple production (50% secondary assist %) and his hot shooting this season (12.7 SH%).
Barkov is day-to-day right now due to an illness that caused him to miss the Panthers' most recent game, on Saturday, against Calgary. Rodrigues will benefit points-wise when Barkov returns, though, this week. Thus, Rodrigues should be a primary target for fantasy managers, especially with four games this week for the Panthers.
Mikey Anderson, D, LAK (4% rostered)
The Kings’ first-line defenseman isn’t getting much fantasy attention, as he is available in 96% of Yahoo leagues as of Sunday. However, even though the Kings are a “forward-focused” squad, managers looking for blue-line help could benefit by picking Anderson up this week.
Anderson had three points in his last four games and averaged 0.75 PTS/G. Furthermore, he also averaged 1.3 SOG/G, sported a 75% IPP, and had a 50.2% Corsi over that week-long sample. Granted, his 20% SH% was incredibly high, which isn’t sustainable. After all, his 11.1% SH% for the season is abnormally high as it is. However, the metrics show that Anderson is on a heater, and he could be a nice weeklong streamer who could boost fantasy managers’ blue-line production.
Even though the shooting may regress soon, Anderson’s game has many positives that make him a worthy target in fantasy. He’s averaging 1.50 Hits/G and 1.67 Blocks/G, making him a banger-league darling. He also has a secondary assist % of 83.3%, which helps him accumulate points when the shots aren’t finding the net.
The only negative aspect of Anderson is that he doesn’t spend much time on the Power Play. He averages 0:05 PP TOI, a 1.9% PP%. Thus, he’s not a source for PPP, which explains why he is not utilized much in fantasy.
Anderson may be a more temporary fantasy option than a long-term solution. However, with four road games this week against Pittsburgh, Philly (who will play the previous night), Nashville, and Washington, he could provide some nice production in week 11.
That said, fantasy managers should not expect him to be an option in week 12.
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