Fantasy Hockey: Weekend Streaming Targets – Week 3
Our Weekend Streamers series aims to help you steal your matchup by getting the most value possible out of the limited transactions in your fantasy league. Every Friday morning, we break down the teams and skaters with the most streamer-friendly schedules over the weekend.
This weekend features four games on Friday, 14 on Saturday, and four on Sunday. There are three teams playing on both Friday and Sunday this weekend, so let’s get into it. Happy streaming!
Edmonton Oilers–vs. PIT (Fri), @ DET (Sun)
Now obviously, you are not going to find any integral pieces of the Oil attack in your free agency pool. That doesn’t leave us with a ton of options to stream, but it’s worth checking the status of Viktor Arvidsson (27% owned).
To say Arvidsson has struggled to begin his career as an Oiler would be an understatement. He is pointless through seven games with just 11 shots on goal, but this stream is all about trusting the process. Arvidsson is still skating on the second line with Leon Draisaitl and was on the first power-play unit at Wednesday morning’s practice. Considering the matchups, I would expect Arvidsson to notch his first points as an Oiler if he does maintain this usage throughout the course of the weekend.
New Jersey Devils–vs. NYI (Fri), vs. ANA (Sun)
Thankfully, the depth of the Devils means we have a handful of names to comb through here. First and foremost is Dawson Mercer (13% owned). Mercer has just three points and 13 shots on goal in 10 games, but his usage is noteworthy considering the lack of options this weekend. He averages just under 18 minutes a night while skating with Nico Hischier and Timo Meier on the top line, and also features on the second power-play unit. With that quality exposure and matchup spread, Mercer is worth rolling the dice on this weekend.
Making up the Devils’ third line are Erik Haula (13% owned), Paul Cotter (21% owned), and Stefan Noesen (30% owned), and all three are formidable options this weekend. Noesen is taking advantage of some time with New Jersey’s top power-play unit, racking up three goals and six assists in his first 10 games. A severe lack of shot volume means I’m not expecting this hot streak to last, but it’s worth trying to stay in the flames with him this weekend.
Haula is up to four goals and three assists in his opening ten games and is the most widely available at 87%. Cotter got off to a red-hot start but has since cooled off, tallying five goals and one assist on the season. Both of these players also feature on the second power-play unit, and it’s worth noting Cotter can bring some added value in banger leagues, as he averages 3 hits per game.
Keep in mind head coach Sheldon Keefe said the Devils could have some game-time decisions on Friday, so it’s worth verifying the status of all four of these guys during warmups.
Ottawa Senators–@ VGK (Fri), @ COL (Sun)
Similarly to the Oilers, the Senators don’t have a ton of depth for us to extract value from on the wire, but there is one name to consider. Josh Norris is up to three goals and three assists in his first six games. He’s centering Claude Giroux and Drake Batherson on the team’s second line and is a key component of their top power-play unit, which is currently converting on 40.9% of their chances – the second best rate in the league.
The one red flag here is the shot volume. Norris has only eight shots on goal this season. We’re going to want to see some improvement there if he is going to sustain some season-long value, but he still makes for a great option if available this weekend even with the seemingly difficult schedule. Norris has also been throwing the weight around a bit, averaging 2.7 hits per game.