Each week at Sportsnet, we will offer up three goalies you should start and three goalies that you should sit in your fantasy lineup.
A team’s schedule will often dictate whether the goalie is a start or sit candidate. But other factors such as home/road record, records against certain teams, back-to-back games and of course, the goalie’s recent performance, may affect their fantasy value that week. As always, you can get the latest starting goalie information at Goalie Post (and as a bonus, you can sign up for free email notifications on last minute starting goalie changes).
Here are the goalie sits and starts for the week of October 12 to 18.
START
Sergei Bobrovsky, CBJ (@BUF, vs. OTT, vs. TOR, @CHI)
Bobrovsky checks off many boxes under reasons why you should start him this week: he’s fairly reliable, his team plays four games and two of those games are against perceived weaker opponents (Buffalo and Toronto). Since the Toronto game is the first of back-to-backs, he may lose the Toronto start to Curtis McElhinney. Last season, Bobrovsky posted a combined 5-2 record against this week’s opponents, with a 2.00 goals-against average or lower against each opponent. Start him with confidence.
Roberto Luongo, FLA (@PHI, @CAR, vs. BUF, vs. DAL)
Like Bobrovsky, Luongo also plays four games this week in which the opponents tend to sit at the bottom half of the league. It’s possible that Al Montoya could take one of the back-to-back road starts on Monday in Philadelphia or Tuesday in Carolina.
The one challenge for Luongo might come Saturday start against the high-scoring Stars. Last season, Luongo was a combined 8-1 against this week’s opponents, including a combined 6-0 record against Buffalo and Carolina with a goals-against average of 1.25 or lower against the two teams.
Frederik Andersen, ANA (vs. VAN, vs. ARI, vs. COL, vs. MIN)
Dobber himself believes that Andersen wasn’t ranked high enough by various fantasy hockey sites. The Ducks’ schedule this week could augment his argument. Andersen and the Ducks play four games – all at home, and none back-to-back. Andersen went 18-7-2 with a 2.39 goals-against average at the Honda Center a year ago, which should project to at least two wins this week. With no back-to-back games, Andersen could even start all four games for the Ducks, although they may decide to find out what they have in Anton Khudobin in one of those games.
SIT
Jonathan Bernier, TOR (@CBJ, @PIT)
The Toronto Maple Leafs probably have the toughest schedule of the week, fantasy-wise. They play just two games, both on the road, and they are back-to-back. That probably means that Bernier and James Reimer will split the starts, minimizing their win capability for the week.
In 2014-15 the Leafs were a ghastly 8-27-6 on the road, so even one win between the two goalies might be a reach. Bernier was particularly ineffective against the Penguins last season, allowing 11 goals in three starts while failing to earn a win.
Chad Johnson, BUF (vs. CBJ, @FLA, @TB)
This status goes for any Buffalo Sabres goalie. With Robin Lehner’s injury “not expected to be short term,” according to Sabres GM Tim Murray, the Sabres appear to be in the market for another goalie. Lehner’s numbers last season (3.08 goals-against average, .889 save percentage) aren’t promising to begin with, and the Sabres aren’t a drastically improved team defensively from the one that gave up an average of 35 shots on goal per game last season. Despite the off-season upgrades, the Sabres simply aren’t ready to contend for the playoffs, and they do not present an ideal situation for any goalie.
Steve Mason, PHI (vs. FLA, vs. CHI)
Philly plays only two games this week, but at least both are at home. Usually Mason’s value in fantasy comes from a high save percentage (.928 in 2014-15) resulting from facing a ton of shots (nearly 30 per game in 2014-15). Last season Mason was a decent 2-2 against this week’s opponents, so you could use him if better options aren’t available.
But this recommendation simply results from the lack of games. Mason is expected to face a Florida team that torched him for four goals on eight shots before he was pulled on Saturday.
Visit DobberHockey sister site Goalie Post to consult the starting goalie grid
