Fantasy Hockey 2024-25: Weekly Strength of Schedule and Streaming Targets — Week 5
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 5 – Strength of Schedule
Week 5 Streaming Targets
Minnesota Wild
The Wild are one of just four teams with four games this week. They have by far the easiest schedule of them all, with an average opponent rating of 65.0. They also have two light-night games, tied for the most of any team this week.
Marco Rossi (C) – 13% Rostered
It’s surprising to see Rossi’s low rostered percentage, considering he has 10 points (3G / 7A) in 11 games and has been centring the Wild top line for most of the season. His linemate, Kirill Kaprizov, is tied for the NHL lead in total points (21) and 5v5 points (12), which has helped out the young centre. Rossi is tied for 14th in the NHL with nine 5v5 points (3G / 6A). He’s tied with names like Leon Draisaitl, William Nylander, Artemi Panarin and Tage Thompson. Those are elite fantasy contributors. The only thing missing from Rossi’s resume is top power-play unit deployment. If he finds his way to that unit (unlikely), he’d be a must-roster in all formats. Still, given his current usage (17:04 ATOI), he’s a streamer that might make you consider dropping someone else at the end of the week.
New Jersey Devils
The Devils are one of the other teams with four games this week and two light-night games. Their schedule isn’t quite as friendly as Minnesota’s, but it’s close and still good for second-best.
Stefan Noesen (LW/RW) – 34% Rostered
Noesen made the streaming targets list in Week 3 when he had eight points in eight games; since then, he’s added another three goals and one assist in six games. Noesen isn’t a long-term solution, but he’s a great spot-start while still on the Devils’ top power-play unit. He’s been an underrated power-play scorer over the last few seasons, and the Devils draw some great power-play matchups this week. They’ll face EDM (worst PK in the NHL), MTL (13th), NYI (30th) and SJS (14th).
Dawson Mercer (C/RW) – 16% Rostered
Even though he’s not on the top power-play unit, Mercer is my preferred streaming target from the Devils. Mercer is skating on a line with Nico Hischier and Timo Meier, and the trio has been terrific. They’ve averaged 2.9 xGF and 36.8 ScoringChances per 60, and it’s led to Mercer picking up five points (2G / 3A) and 14 SOG in his last seven games (18:14 ATOI).