Fantasy Hockey: Week 2 Waiver Wire Pickups
We are one week into the Fantasy Hockey season. Some of the players that you had high hopes for are underperforming, and it’s time to move on. Below are players who are off to a great start and can have long-term Fantasy value.
To be eligible for the Waiver Wire this week, players had to be under 60 percent rostered in Yahoo Leagues. So, the likes of Vincent Trocheck (67 % Owned – 5 pts in 4 GP), Matthew Barzal (63% Owned – 3 Pts in 2 GP) and Ivan Provorov (61% Rostered – 3 Pts in 3 GP) were not eligible. However, they all should be owned ahead of the names below if available in your league.
*in order of Yahoo Rostered Percentage*
Alexis Lafreniere (NYR – LW/RW) – 53% Rostered
- 4 GP – 1 G – 2 A – 3 Pts – 15 SOG – 6 hits – 16:36 TOI
Lafreniere has burnt his fair share of fantasy owners since going No.1 overall in the 2020 draft with lofty fantasy expectations. It seems the time has finally come for the 20-year-old to have a permanent roster spot, as the winger is rolling early on in 2022-23. Lafreniere is firing the puck at will (15 SOG) while paired on a highly effective line with superstar Artemi Panarin (9 Pts) and Trocheck (6 Pts). Lafreniere has never averaged more than 14 min TOI throughout his first two seasons, making his current 16: 36 ATOI a glaring positive when looking for signs of taking steps forward. The young forward had also averaged only 1.31 shots per game before this season, meaning if he can keep his current 3.75 SOG per game pace up, he would be in for a massive leap forward. Lafreniere prefers to play the left side but has looked good at RW so far. If he remains with Panarin and Trocheck, the third-year winger could be in for a breakout season. He won’t be available in deep leagues, but if he’s still available on the wire, don’t waste time adding the 21-year-old.
Matty Beniers (C) – 51% Rostered
- 3 GP – 1 G – 4 A – 5 Pts – 9 SOG – 17:38 TOI
After starting his career with nine points (3G/6A) in a successful 10-game stint in 2021-22, Beniers has continued his impressive NHL start collecting four points in three games. He trails only Oliver Bjorkstrand for the team forward lead in ATOI (17:38). Available in almost half of Yahoo Fantasy leagues, there are few players available who occupy both their team’s line and top power-play unit, like Beniers does. Mix in the 19-year-old’s incredible talent as the 2021 No.2 overall pick, and he should be owned in almost all leagues, no matter the format.
Shayne Gostisbehere (D) – 42% Rostered
- 3 GP – 2 G – 3 A – 5 Pts – 9 SOG – 23:41 TOI
Another week and another suggestion to pick up the Coyotes’ best fantasy defenseman. Gostisbehere was one of the few bright spots from Arizona’s first three games, collecting five points (2G/3A) on nine shots while playing close to 24 minutes per night. With all the good, comes the glaring bad, as Gostisbehere has already proven his plus/minus will be an issue throughout the season, racking up a minus-4 rating already. If you need immediate offensive category help from a defenseman, there are few better than Gostisbehere that you will find on the wire. He should be owned in most leagues as he makes an elite goal producer on the back end (14 G in 2021-22).
Travis Konecny (RW) – 36% Rostered
- 2 GP – 3 G – 1 A – 4 Pts – 6 SOG – 18:48 TOI
Konecny has come out of the gates flying in Philadelphia’s first two games, impressing new head coach John Tortorella with four points on 18:48 ATOI while occupying the top line and top powerplay unit. The 25-year-old had solid shot volume (9.5 SOG/60) while only scoring on 7.3% of those shots. If the seven-year veteran can continue to get pucks on the net while shooting closer to his 11.8% career average, he would clear the 25-goal mark for the first time ins his career. With a 24-goal, 61 points (in 66 GP) season behind him from 2019-20, he has proven he is capable of fantasy relevance before. As long as the winger continues to spearhead the Flyers’ offensive attack, he should be on any roster as he becomes one of the most sought-after free agents in the upcoming weeks.
Nico Hischier (C) – 33% Rostered
- 1 GP – 0 G – 0 A – 0 Pts – 3 SOG – 17:16 TOI
Missing the Devils’ opening game due to a hamstring injury, Hischier struggled in his first game back. Up against the Red Wings, he failed to record a point with a minus-3 rating across 17:16 worth of ice time. However, Hischier still makes an intriguing pick-up as he produced career highs a season ago with 21 goals and 60 points across just 70 games. At 23 years old and on New Jersey’s top line and powerplay, he should be in for another solid year as he continues to prove why he was drafted No.1 overall in 2017. You know Hischier is going to play big minutes, and the Devils have up-and-coming offensive wingers that can help him sustain the career rates from a season ago.
David Krejci (C) – 27% Rostered
- 3 GP – 1 G – 3 A – 4 PTS – 1 PPP – 3 SOG
Krejci made us all forget that he took off the 2021-22 season with his remarkable three-point (1G/2A) return performance in the Bruins’ 5-2 opening night win over Washington. Paired on a line with David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha, Krejci makes a solid pick-up for those looking for nightly assist production. His value is capped due to his low goal and shooting volume, but you can rarely find a player who has surpassed 60 points six times in their career on the waiver wire.
Gabe Vilardi (LW/RW) – 9 % Rostered
- 4 GP – 3 G – 2 A – 5 PTS – +3, 10 SOG, 16:25 TOI
Vilardi is off to a blazing hot start with four points (3G/2A) through the Kings’ first three games to start 2022-23. The 2017 first-round pick (No.11 overall) has watched his ice time steadily increase game-by-game. Vilardi has collected all five of his points at 5v5 so far, but has been skating on the top power-play unit. If he starts producing on that unit, Vilardi is a breakout candidate that no one thought about before the season started. He makes a very intriguing deep league stash as he holds both upside and a nice position on a team that may require all the scoring help they can get most nights.
Kailer Yamamoto (RW) – 8% Rostered
- 1 GP – 0 G – 1 A – 1 PTS – +2 – 14:35 TOI
What better pick-up for a deeper league selection than someone who plays in Edmonton’s lethal top-6 alongside Connor McDavid and Evander Kane? Yamamoto enjoyed a decent season in 2021-22, finishing with 20 goals and 41 points across 81 games. After missing the Oilers’ opening night matchup with an undisclosed injury, he found himself back on the scoresheet (1A) in his first game of 2022-23 while playing a modest 14:35. We’ve seen him play in the top-6 and let us down before. Still, it’s difficult not to think about the possibilities while playing with McDavid, who has led the NHL in even-strength points over the last three years.