Fantasy Hockey 2024-25: Weekly Strength of Schedule and Streaming Targets — Week 2

Fantasy Hockey 2024-25: Weekly Strength of Schedule and Streaming Targets — Week 2

Identifying the players with four games each week and filling your roster with those players can increase your chances of winning your fantasy hockey matchup. That’s why our Weekly Schedule tool is so helpful!

I combined that weekly schedule with a Team Defense Score I created using key defensive metrics to find which teams/skaters have the best schedule this week.

How it Works:

  • Team Defensive Ratings are given on a scale of 0-100, with 0 being the best possible defensive team and 100 being the worst.
  • SCORE: The sum of all the Defensive Ratings the team will face this week.
  • AVG Opponent: The Average Defensive Ratings that the team will face this week.
  • The strength of the Schedule is determined by the sum of defensive ratings because we want players who play the most games but also have the easiest matchups.
  • Light Nights: A night in the NHL with eight or fewer games.

Week 2 – Strength of Schedule


Week 2 Streaming Targets

Colorado Avalanche

It was a tough first week of the season for the Avalanche, but they have the perfect streaming schedule for Week 2. They have the top-graded schedule overall, and all four of their games are on light nights, meaning you’ll be able to get these players into your lineup every game. With no Jonathan Drouin, Artturi Lehkonen, or Valeri Nichushkin available, the Avalanche top-6 has opened up a lot of potential streaming options.

Casey Mittelstadt (C – 22% Rostered)

Mittelstadt is the best stream this week. He has scored in each of the season’s first two games while firing five shots and averaging a robust 21:11 TOI/gm. Mittelstadt is currently on Colorado’s top power-play unit, and he saw a few shifts on the wing with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen over the weekend. It’s unclear if that will continue on Monday, but either way, he’s in a great spot to succeed with this schedule this week.

Ross Colton (C – 5% Rostered)

Colton has been bumped up to the top power-play unit in the absence of Drouin, who could miss the entire week. With a thinned-out lineup, Colton has seen a drastic increase in usage, going from 13:43 ATOI last year to 17:03 in two games this season. He’s scored one goal with one assist, five shots and eight hits through two games.

Nikolai Kovalenko (RW – 2% Rostered)

Kovalenko had a really strong preseason but has yet to get on the scoresheet in the regular season. He has three SOG and four hits so far but could have a massive opportunity this week. He started Saturday’s game on a line with MacKinnon and Rantanen but was dropped back to the second line later. It’s unclear if the Avalanche will go back to the original configuration on Monday. Still, he’s a deep-league streamer while he’s in the top-6 and second power-play unit.

Calum Ritchie (C – 1% Rostered)

Like Kovalenko, Ritchie made the Avalanche roster after a strong preseason but has yet to record a point through two games. He’s fired five shots with four hits in 15:38 ATOI and seems locked into a top-6 role with Colton and on the second power-play unit. He’s a deeper league target that could have a big week.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings have the second-best schedule this week and are one of six teams with four games. Three of those four games come on light nights.

Quinton Byfield (RW – 62% Rostered)

Byfield is heavily owned, but if you’re in the 38 percent of leagues where he is not, he’s a must-add. Not only will he be great for this week, but he has breakout potential and could have season-long viability in shallow formats. Through two games, Byfield has two assists and seven shots on goal and has seen a two-minute increase in ice time compared to last season.

Brandt Clarke (D – 21% Rostered)

Clarke was a hot preseason commodity following the injury to Drew Doughty, but he hasn’t delivered yet. Clarke has been held pointless with just one SOG through two games but is still on the Kings’ top power-play unit and has tremendous offensive upside. If you need a blueliner this week, there’s no better option than Clarke, given his usage and schedule.

Phillip Danault (C – 8% Rostered)

Danault is a dull, deep-league target. There’s little sizzle to his game, but he plays a ton and is a 50-point player, so he’ll have weeks where he will contribute. So far, he has just one assist and four shots on goal through two games.

Alex Laferriere (RW – 2% Rostered)

Laferriere has sneaky upside this week. The schedule is excellent, and he’s looked strong in two games. Laferriere has just one assist but hs five SOG on 11 attempts while averaging 16:50 TOI/gm on the Kings’ top line and second power-play unit. The 22-year-old hasn’t put up prolific NHL numbers yet, but he had 42 points (21G / 21A) in 34 games at Harvard University, so there’s plenty of offence in his game.


As I mentioned in Week 1, streaming is a great practice as we get deeper into the season, but early on, you should focus on targeting players with high-upside to see if they have season-long potential. Heading into week 2, I would still be dropping aging veterans with obvious ceilings for players with potential league-winning upside on the wire. Here are a few examples under 50% rostered and some for deep leagues:

  • Logan Cooley (UTA – C) – 45% rostered
  • Logan Stankoven (DAL – C/RW) – 43% rostered
  • JJ Peterka (BUF – RW) – 38% rostered
  • Gabe Vilardi (WPG – C/RW) – 38% rostered
  • Nick Schmaltz (UTA – C/RW) – 31% rostered
  • Matthew Knies (TOR – LW) – 27% rostered
  • Barrett Hayton (UTA – C) – 25% rostered
  • Cutter Gauthier (ANA – LW) – 23% rostered
  • Jake Neighbours (STL – LW/RW) – 21% rostered
  • Josh Norris (OTT – C) – 13% rostered
  • William Eklund (SJS – LW) – 12% rostered
  • Marco Rossi (MIN – C) – 10% rostered
  • Maxim Tsyplakov (NYI – RW) – 9% rostered
    Kirill Marchenko (CBJ – RW) – 8% Rostered
    Yegor Chinakhov (CBJ – RW) – 4% Rostered
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