Fantasy Hockey: Weekly Strength of Schedule and Streaming Targets — Week 6

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

Last Week’s Streaming Targets (Results)

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. For context, CBJ currently grades as the worst defensively, with a rating of 92.16. Carolina is the best, with a rating of 12.46.
SCORE: The sum of all of the Defensive Ratings that the team will face this week.
AVG Opponent: The Average Defensive Ratings that the team will face this week.
Strength of Schedule is determined by the sum of defensive ratings, because we want players that play the most games but also have the easiest matchups.
Light Nights: A night in the NHL with eight or fewer games.

Week 6 – Strength of Schedule

Light Night Strength of Schedule

Week 6 Opponent Ratings

Team Ratings are based solely on defensive metrics and goaltending quality in order to identify the best matchups for skaters. They are in no way a reflection of overall team quality. The lower the rating, the better the team is defensively = worse skater matchup.

Week 6 Streaming Targets

SOS = Strength of Schedule Rank (1 good, 32 bad)
Light = No. of games on Lighter days (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)

This is a strange week for streaming. The “busy nights” aren’t that busy, with only nine games on Tuesday and Thursday. In standard-sized leagues, you should have no issues fitting streamers into your lineup on those nights. And from a strength of schedule perspective, most teams with four games have fairly difficult schedules. So, instead of identifying the best teams to target and laying out the best streamers from those teams, I will focus more on the individual players who still have a schedule that makes sense this week.

Robert Thomas (STL – C) – 35% Owned

I could list the entire Blues’ roster this week, but Thomas is the best option right now. The Blues have the No.1 ranked schedule this week, with four games and the 10th-easiest Average Opponent Rating (58.2). Thomas is on an absolute heater right now. He comes in riding a six-game point streak, picking up 10 points (5G / 5A) during that span. He’s over a point-per-game on the season, with 15 points (6G / 9A) in 13 games. It’s shocking he remains available in 65 percent of leagues.

Pavel Buchnevich (STL – C/LW) – 45% Owned

Buchnevich has dealt with some injuries this season but looked fine on Saturday, scoring a hat-trick on six shots in Colorado. The overall numbers on the season don’t look great, but he’s playing big minutes (19:03 since returning from injury) on the top line and top power-play unit, making him a great streamer with the schedule aligning this week. I prefer Thomas and Buchnevich, but if neither are available, Brayden Schenn (C/LW – 37% Owned) is a solid consolation prize. He’s heating up with eight points (5G / 3A) in his last four games, including a hat-trick on Saturday.

Nick Paul (TBL – C/LW) – 36% Owned

I like Paul again this week. He scored two goals with 10 SOG and seven hits for us last week, and I wouldn’t drop him just yet. The Lightning have three games this week, all on traditionally busy nights. But as I said, the nine-game slates on Tuesday/Thursday make that a moot point. Paul is averaging 18:35 TOI/gm in his last six games, skating on a line with Steven Stamkos at 5v5 and remains the net front on the top power-play unit. His usage makes him an asset, especially in leagues that reward PPG/PPP; Paul has seven goals (four PPG) and nine points (five PPP) in 15 games this season.

Cole Perfetti (WPG – C) – 5% Owned

The No.10 pick from the 2020 NHL Draft has had difficulty getting his footing in the NHL in recent years due to injury. He seems to be finding his way to start the 2023-24 season, as he’s been a mainstay on the Jets’ second line and was recently promoted to the top power-play unit. The production has followed, as Perfetti is riding a six-game point streak, with seven points (3G / 4A) during that stretch. The Jets’ schedule is average this week, but Perfetti is one of the best options in deeper leagues.

Alex Iafallo (WPG – LW/RW) – 22% Owned

After Gabe Vilardi was hurt, it took some time for Iafallo, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor to click, but now that they have, they’re red-hot. In his last five games, Iafallo has one goal, seven assists (eight points), seven SOG and three PPP while averaging 17:46 TOI/gm. He likely won’t carry long-term value because he doesn’t score enough, but he can pile up assists and power-play points for you in the short term.

Eeli Tolvanen (SEA – LW/RW) – 20% Owned

The Kraken’s matchups are challenging this week, but they’re one of seven teams with four games. Tolvanen has been on fire over the last two weeks, picking up a point in six of his previous seven games. He has seven points (3G / 4A) and 18 shots on goal (2.6 per game) over that stretch.

Oliver Bjorkstrand (SEA – RW) 27% Owned)

Bjorkstrand has quietly put together a very nice season, posting 11 points (6G / 5A) in his last 11 games. Shot volume (2.3 per game) and power-play production (4 PPP in his previous 11) are assets that Bjorkstrand can bring to your lineup this week.

Adam Fantilli (CBJ – C) – 27% Owned

After posting just one assist in his first four NHL games, Fantilli has eight points (4G / 4A) in his last 11 games. He’s seeing regular minutes in the Blue Jackets’ top-6 and was recently bumped up to the top power-play unit. It has yet to yield great results (2 PPP in his last 11 games), but Fantilli is super talented, and the Blue Jackets have four games this week. The matchups could be better, but they’re not horrifying, either.

Kirill Marchenko (CBJ – RW) – 8% Owned

If Fantilli isn’t available, his linemate likely will be. You’d love to see more consistent playing time for Marchenko, but he gives you high-end shot volume in the minutes he does play. Marchenko has three goals on 17 shots (2.8 per game) to go along with two assists in his last six games. Marchenko enters the week 32nd in the NHL in SOG/60 (10.96).

JJ Peterka (BUF – RW) – 8% Owned

It remains to be seen how long it will last, but Peterka was promoted to the top line over the weekend. That could change once Alex Tuch is back, but Peterka was producing just fine in a second-line role anyway. In his last eight games, the 21-year-old has eight points (4G / 4A), averaging 2.8 SOG/gm and 16:15 TOI/gm.

Connor Zary (CGY – C) – 2% Owned

Zary is an option in the deepest of leagues. Since being called up, he’s tallied four points (2G / 2A), 10 SOG, and 16:53 ATOI in five games. The youth movement is in full force in Calgary, and Zary will likely continue to operate in the Flames’ top 6 and on a power play (currently PP1).