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Sean Allen, Special to ESPN.com
The fantasy playoffs will begin in a lot of leagues as we kick of Week 23 of the fantasy season. The final regular season games are scheduled to be played just one month from now.
Time is ticking.
This week starts off with a light Monday, a busy Tuesday and then a light Wednesday of NHL action. All teams manage to get a contest into the beginning of the week with the exception of the Florida Panthers.
If you need an early-week boost, the Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs all play twice through Wednesday, but note that the Sabres, Wild and Leafs are all on the road and all in back-to-back sets.
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Stock up
Marc-Andre Fleury, G, Minnesota Wild (81.7% available): He’s still the headline for fantasy as we enter another week, Fleury has taken the reins in the Wild’s bid to make a playoff push. Note the schedule though, as the Wild have a back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Anaheim Ducks and Kings, so we are likely to see Filip Gustavsson spell Fleury on Tuesday in the softer matchup. Overall, in 14 remaining games, the Wild face the Sharks and Kings twice, as well as the Blackhawks, Ducks and Kraken — all teams in the top 10 for fantasy points against per game (FPAPG) for opposing goaltenders.
Nick Schmaltz, C/W, Arizona Coyotes (72.7% available): Widely available, playing in the prime position for the team and streaking with points of late, Schmaltz makes a nice addition to any fantasy team down the stretch. He has 2.32 fantasy points per game (FPPG) across his past 10, compared to his 1.71 mark for the season.
Daniil Miromanov, D, Calgary Flames (99.5% available): With the playoffs more or less out of the picture, the Flames have opted to go “all in” on Miromanov to test him for the future. He’s playing top minutes on the power play over both MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson during the last three games, scoring two goals and 9.2 fantasy points (3.07 FPPG) across those contests.
Seth Jarvis, W/C, Carolina Hurricanes (30.6% available): The depth chart has been kind to Jarvis with all the changes in Carolina. He’s clicking on a top line with Sebastian Aho and Jake Guentzel, while also joining them both on the advantage. He has goals in three straight contests.
Brett Leason, W, Anaheim Ducks (99.8% available): With the exodus of Adam Henrique at the trade deadline, Leason has taken over the top-six role that Henrique formerly occupied. He’s getting time with Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano and making the most of it on some nights. That said, he’s only managed to be right on the edge of fantasy-useful, so is a streaming option for deep leagues at best.
Stock down
Be careful with your elite goalies: We are talking about both Connor Hellebuyck and Igor Shesterkin here, and this warning is especially sharp for the those in fantasy leagues with head-to-head playoffs starting. Yes, Hellebuyck and Shesterkin got you here, but this is an ugly week for them schedule-wise.
Shesterkin and the New York Rangers face the Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins and Panthers, the teams currently ranked first, third and fifth in the overall standings. Now, the Rangers are ranked second, but this is a tough road ahead of them this week.
In not quite as bad a schedule, the Jets and Hellebuyck face the Rangers, then the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Capitals — all on the road. Hellebuyck should be OK, but consider this a warning that it’s also going to be a tough week.
Streamer specials
Matt Roy, D, Los Angeles Kings (38.6% available): The Kings start the week with a set against the Blackhawks and Wild. Roy remains decently available in fantasy leagues despite his stellar play of late. Check to see if you can stream him into your lineup. In his past 12 games, he dished 30 hits and blocked 38 shots to fuel his 2.41 FPPG.
Darren Raddysh, D, Tampa Bay Lightning (99.2% available): Locked in with Victor Hedman at even strength and backing him up on the secondary power-play unit, Raddysh has potential thanks to an offensive touch. Furthermore, the Lightning’s four-game week includes the Kings, Ducks, Sharks and Golden Knights, which is a beneficial gauntlet for fantasy.
Yanni Gourde, C, Seattle Kraken (97.3% available): With a week ahead that includes the Coyotes, Sabres, Canadiens and Golden Knights, streaming in a body from the Kraken’s top six could yield benefits. Gourde has a modest 9.1 fantasy points (1.82 FPPG) across his last five.
Bowen Byram, D, Buffalo Sabres (32.4% available): Starting the week off with the Kraken and the Thatcher Demko-less Canucks is a decent spot for the Sabres. Byram, despite the goose egg and minus-3 on Saturday, remains an overall revelation for the Sabres: three goals, two assists and 11.4 fantasy points (2.28 FPPG) in five games.
Timothy Liljegren, D, Toronto Maple Leafs (94.6% available): Mitch Marner‘s absence might be having a bigger impact on Liljegren than any of the Leafs forwards. Pontus Holmberg has been elevated to the top line with Auston Matthews, but it’s Liljegren that has jumped onto the top power-play unit on the blue line to replace Marner. The Leafs start the week against the Flyers and Capitals.
Connor McMichael, C, Washington Capitals (99.0% available): Playing on the top line with Alex Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie, McMichael has another mini streak going with points in three straight games. The Capitals have a four-game week with no back-to-back sets and three of those contests at home, which is about as good as a schedule gets. McMichael, Hendrix Lapierre and Tom Wilson all could be worth a look for your lineup, depending on league size.
Source: www.espn.com