Wondering which goalies to start and sit in your fantasy lineup? Here are this week’s suggestions.
Keep in mind that a start recommendation doesn’t necessarily mean that you should start a goalie in all formats — only that the goalie has an upgrade in value for the week. Likewise, a sit recommendation doesn’t necessarily mean you should bench the goalie in all formats, but rather just be aware of what you’re up against.
START:
Ryan Miller, VAN (vs. PHI, vs. PIT, @BUF, @NJ)
Miller has been an absolute workhorse this season, starting the Vancouver Canucks‘ first 10 games of the season. The Canucks finally rested him on Friday night, giving Richard Bachman the start in a 4-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes.
Miller should start a minimum of three games this week, and it wouldn’t be a complete shock if he started all four games – even the back-to-back contests against the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils on Saturday and Sunday. Last season Miller won all four of his starts against this week’s opponents, with shutouts against three of them (the Sabres were the only exception). It doesn’t line up any better for Miller, who has a 2.16 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage so far this season.
Corey Crawford, CHI (vs. LA, vs. STL, @NJ, EDM)
Like Miller, Crawford also has an ideal schedule this week with four games (three at home) and no back-to-backs. Keep in mind that Scott Darling is a stronger possibility to start one game for the Chicago Blackhawks than Bachman is for Vancouver.
Regardless, only six teams play four games this week. Even though the Blackhawks might be a step below last season’s Stanley Cup team, Crawford has been stellar so far this season (1.76 GAA, .938 SV%). He posted at least one win against each of this week’s opponents last season, so he should be a threat to earn multiple wins this week.
Jonathan Quick, LA (@CHI, @STL, vs. CBJ, vs. FLA)
Last week we mentioned Quick as a sit because of his brief two-game schedule. This week you’ll want to get him back into your lineup as quickly as possible.
As expected, Quick has started all but one of the Los Angeles Kings‘ games in October, although it’s possible that Jhonas Enroth could earn his second start of the season either Monday in Chicago or Tuesday in St. Louis.
After a horrible start, the Kings have reeled off seven consecutive wins heading into the week. Quick was in net for six of those starts, allowing just eight goals. Right the hot hand into this week.
SIT:
Devan Dubnyk, MIN (vs. NSH, vs. TB)
The Minnesota Wild play two games this week: one against last year’s Stanley Cup runner-up and the other against a team that has shot out of the gate with a 7-1-2 record. Last season’s surprise Vezina Trophy nominee has stumbled a little recently, allowing a minimum of three goals over each of his last three starts.
The Wild are one of a handful of teams to play two games this week, so this isn’t so much an outright sit recommendation as it is a downgrade.
Cam Ward, CAR (vs. DAL, vs. OTT)
What’s worse that a two-game schedule for a goalie? How about a two-game schedule in which the two games are back-to-back? That’s what Ward is up against this week.
Although he has started the majority of the Carolina Hurricanes’ games over Eddie Lack, Ward will probably sit either Friday against Dallas or Saturday against Ottawa. To boot, the two opponents this week are two of the top-10 scoring teams in the NHL so far this season.
Ward allowed a minimum of three goals against both Dallas and Ottawa last year, although he also earned wins against both teams.
For more on how to deploy Ward in fantasy leagues, check out Steve Laidlaw’s Ramblings from Saturday at Dobber Hockey.
Any Calgary goalie (@COL, vs. PHI, vs. PIT)
Round and round we go.
No one has stood out in the Flames’ net this season, with no goalie (Jonas Hiller, Karri Ramo, Joni Ortio) allowing fewer than two goals in a game this season.
After Hiller went down with an injury on Wednesday against Ottawa, the Calgary Flames recalled the recently-demoted Ramo. With Hiller out for about a week, Ramo and Ortio could be splitting the three starts this week. Since the Flames now have the league’s worst goals-against average, “none of the above” seems like the correct choice here until one of these goalies can grab the ball and run with it.
(Hey fantasy owners: Have you ever had a goalie that was confirmed to start and in your lineup, only to see the coach perform the ol’ switcheroo 10 minutes before game time? Subscribe to Goalie Post’s free email notifications. Go to Goalie Post for more information.)
