With the fantasy playoffs already underway in many head-to-head leagues, fantasy owners need to shift their thinking toward the short term. In other words, any player could become a useful option, particularly if his team plays a relatively high number of games.
Take Carolina, for example. If you noticed that the Hurricanes play five games this week, you may have added Jaccob Slavin like we suggested. If so, you were rewarded with a hat trick plus an assist and a plus-3 on Monday. The Hurricanes play on Saturday and Sunday, so Slavin could still help your end-of-week push.
Here is a list of teams that play twice over the final three days of this week (Friday, Saturday, Sunday): Anaheim, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Florida, Minnesota, Montreal, New Jersey, Ottawa, Pittsburgh
Of those teams, Calgary, Florida, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh play on the off nights of Friday and Sunday, which can potentially help fill roster gaps on otherwise slow nights. We will list a few players to target from those teams, along with other players that could also come through in the clutch for you.
Jake Guentzel, C/LW, PIT
As we’ve been saying over at Dobber Hockey, pick up Conor Sheary if he happens to still be available. But if he isn’t, add his linemate Guentzel. We profiled Guentzel a few weeks ago because he plays on Sidney Crosby’s line (along with Sheary), and he certainly hasn’t cooled off since then. Over his last six games, Guentzel has six points (2g-4a) as a rookie playing on one of the league’s most dominant lines at the moment. With 0.66 points per game this season (21 points in 32 games), there certainly have to be less productive players on your roster unless you play in a very shallow league.
Nick Schmaltz, C/LW, CHI
Schmaltz was also featured here a few weeks ago. But since the last time we checked up on him, Schmaltz has been moved onto the top line with Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin now that Artem Anisimov will miss the next three-to-four weeks. He’s not the hottest player on the wire right now with just one point in his past five games, but he had scored 12 points in his previous nine games. His ownership level is still so low that you could likely scoop him up and reap the rewards.
[relatedlinks]
Brandon Dubinsky, C, CBJ
Dubinsky plays at a usually deep centre position, but he can help you if you are trying to fill up a few peripheral categories in your roto league. His over 200 hits makes him a top-flight option in that category, while his over 600 faceoffs won places him in the top 20 in that category. His scoring has also increased as of late as he has four points over his last five games and 17 points over his last 20 games. In single-season leagues, you may be throwing away a normally superior scorer for the 45-50 point Dubinsky, but it’s also worth evaluating what your more pressing needs are.
Jannik Hansen, RW, SJ
Hansen wasn’t the biggest name to be moved before the trade deadline, but the Sharks have made big plans for him since arriving, placing him on the top line with Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. Although he hasn’t scored much since arriving (a single assist in five games with San Jose), the opportunity of playing alongside the two Joes might be impossible to ignore. Hansen had a career-high 22 goals last season while mainly on the Sedin line, so there’s the potential for something to happen late in the season.
Micheal Ferland, LW/RW, CGY
The Flames have struggled to find a bona fide third option to play alongside their top two scorers in Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. It didn’t work with Alex Chiasson, so they have now turned to the physical Ferland. If you’ve watched Ferland play, you’ll already know that he should be targeted in leagues that count hits, as his 207 hits last season placed him in the top 15 in that category. But he’s provided an added benefit this season by scoring 14 goals, including eight during February and March alone. That success could continue with Gaudreau and Monahan.
Damon Severson, D, NJ
One look at his season minus-25 ranking and you probably want no part of Severson on your fantasy team. So it’s worth mentioning that Severson is actually a plus-5 over his last two games. He’s also bumped up his offence during that time, recording three assists over those two games. Severson is the first-unit power-play blue-liner for the Devils, so that at least counts as something. Plus the Devils play two more games this week, which could make him a sneaky short-term pickup if you need points.
