Fantasy Hockey: Waiver Wire Targets 🎯 (02/16/22)
Below is a list of players under 50 percent owned in Yahoo! fantasy leagues that are designed to give you an advantage in a variety of league formats. These players have the ability to help you in both the short and long term.
This week we take a look at some players that can help you in specific categories.
Goals
Jeff Skinner – BUF – LW (27% Owned)
Skinner was already on his way to proving doubters wrong with a decent start to the season but has taken it to the next level since Alex Tuch joined the team. In the 14 games they have played together, Skinner has 16 points (10G / 6A) while averaging over four shots per game. It’s unrealistic to assume he will continue a point-per-game pace the rest of the season, but he should continue to accumulate a lot of shots and score some goals in the process.
Jared McCann – SEA – C/LW (27% Owned)
McCann leads the Seattle Kraken in goals, points, and shots on goal. In 44 games this season, he has 31 points (20G / 11A), already setting a career-high in goals and is on pace to shatter his previous career-high of 35 points. McCann can be a nice depth addition to your roster as he will contribute a little bit in all categories, including powerplay points and hits. His only real area of concern is his -17 rating on a Kraken team that ranks 28th in goal differential.
Assists
Robert Thomas – STL – C/RW (20% Owned)
Thomas has been a top-level assist producer all season with 30 assists in 40 games, which ranks 16th in assists per game. His biggest strength, however, is also his biggest weakness. Thomas doesn’t do much other than provide assists. Among all forwards that have registered at least 25 points this season, Thomas has the sixth-fewest shots on goal.
He won’t contribute consistently to other categories but as long as he keeps playing regularly with talented wingers like Pavel Buchnevich and Vladimir Tarasenko, Thomas should have no trouble continuing to rack up assists for the remainder of the season.
Hits
Mark Borowiecki – NSH – D (6% Owned)
Borowiecki isn’t the type of player that gets much consideration in Fantasy hockey, but if your league counts hits and penalty minutes, he holds a lot of value. In his last 10 games, he has one assist, 24 PIM, 43 hits, and 15 blocked shots.
For reference, let’s examine a player like Radko Gudas (56% owned), who is considered a high commodity in leagues that count hits. Over the last 10 games, Gudas carries an almost identical stat line of one assist, 13 PIM, 45 hits, and 18 blocked shots. Gudas is bound to luck himself into a few more assists just because of the immense talent he is surrounded by on the Florida Panthers. That being said, if you are in a league where Gudas holds value, Borowiecki should not be overlooked.
Worth Monitoring
Evgenii Dadonov – VGK – LW/RW (13% Owned)
Since leaving the Florida Panthers, Dadonov has struggled to produce at a consistent rate but has also not had the opportunity to play with elite linemates as he did in Florida. With Jack Eichel returning on Wednesday and expected to play on the top line with Dadonov and Max Pacioretty, Dadonov could be in for an uptick in production.
In his last three seasons in Florida, Dadonov recorded 182 points (81 G / 101A) in 225 games while playing primarily with Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. Things don’t always work according to plan, but Dadonov is at least worth keeping an eye on at this point.