Underdog Fantasy Champions Picks for January 7th

Four Players to Pick for Tuesday's Slate

I don’t know what it’s like in other areas of North America. However, I have been getting a little stir-crazy here in Kansas City, thanks to a blizzard that dropped over a foot of snow in most of the metro.

For some parts of the continent, especially up north, that’s probably nothing. However, that’s quite uncanny in Kansas City, even in the Winter around this time. All the shoveling around my house and neighborhood reminds me of my days when I lived in Spokane, Washington, for roughly 10 years (six as a kid and four for college). My time in Spokane was a big reason I love hockey, even though I live in a part of the country that is mostly NFL, MLB, and College Basketball-heavy.

Speaking of hockey, I wanted to do another set of Underdog Fantasy Champions picks, especially with 10 games scheduled for Tuesday. My last set of picks didn’t go so hot, as I only hit one of four. However, Shayne Gostisbehere of the Hurricanes went on the IR right after I made my picks, so I was fighting an uphill battle right out of the gate.

In this set of Underdog Fantasy picks, my category focus is on points. Based on recent statistical trends, I select two skaters who will surpass their points benchmarks and two who will fall short.

Let’s break down my Champions picks for January 7th, my first set of Underdog Fantasy picks in 2025.

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Patrick Kane, DET, Higher 0.5 Points

Kane has appeared to benefit from new head coach Todd McLellan’s arrival in Detroit. The former Blackhawk and Ranger weren’t ones I expected to benefit primarily from the coaching change, but I did expect the Red Wings to bounce back a bit thanks to McLellan’s coaching style.

The Red Wings are averaging 4.25 Goals/GP in their last four, and Kane has been a primary contributor to Detroit’s recent scoring surge. He has seven points in his previous four games, which include three goals, four assists, and four power-play points. The 36-year-old Detroit winger benefits from a 21.4% SH%, 10.4% higher than his season mark. However, the Wings get the Senators at home against Anton Forsberg in goal for Ottawa, who’s been up and down this season (4-7-0 record, 0.885 SV% in 12 GP).

Justin Huberdeau, CGY, Lower 0.5 Points

I discussed Huberdeau as a hot skater to stream in a December 30th post. Thus, it seems funny that I would pick the “under” for him today, especially against a lackluster Anaheim Ducks team.

Huberdeau has been on a heater for the Flames in the last two weeks, with three goals in the previous five games. Unfortunately, his fantasy value has been tied to goals, as he has only four points total and one assist. He also has a crazy-high 37.5% SH% in his last five games. That is likely coming back down to earth, especially against a physical Anaheim blue line that consists of Jacob Trouba, Radko Gudas, and Jackson Lacombe. The Ducks have only allowed 2.33 goals in their last three games, which isn’t a good sign for the Flames and Huberdeau.

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Dylan Holloway, STL, Higher 0.5 Points

As someone who lives in KC, I sometimes feel biased toward the Blues, especially since they’re essentially the “local” team and have the most coverage of any NHL team in this area. That said, Holloway has been on a heater over the past two weeks, and he needs to be targeted in all fantasy formats, whether season-long or in DFS.

The 23-year-old Blues winger has 10 points in his last six games, which includes four goals, six assists, and two PPP. His SH% is high, but nothing too crazy at 19% over those two weeks. He also has maintained his physical play style, with 17 hits and three blocks in the previous six.

St. Louis has a tough road contest in Minnesota against the Wild and Filip Gustavsson, who is 18-6-3 with a 0.926 SV% and 2.20 GAA. Despite the Wild’s tough blue line (2.00 Goals/G allowed in the last three), I like Holloway doing his part (90.9% IPP in the previous six) to get the Blues on the board in this matchup.

Fabian Zetterlund, SJS, Lower 0.5 Points

The Sharks have been a rollercoaster of a squad this season. They have won two in a row (Tampa Bay and New Jersey) after losing their previous eight games. They depend a ton on rookie forward Macklin Celebrini and rookie goalie Yaroslav Askarov, who both have been critical in the Sharks’ past two wins.

Zetterlund, though, has been on the cold end fantasy-wise. He has only three points in his past six games, including no goals and a zero SH%. His 5-on-5 SH% is high at 10.9%, but his CF% in the past two weeks isn’t encouraging at 43.9%. Add that with a 50% IPP over that same period, and it’s hard to get too optimistic about Zetterlund’s fantasy outlook against a tough Vegas team (1.50 GA/GP in their previous five), even at home at the Shark Tank in San Jose.

Photo Credit: Lindsey Wasson | AP