Once a solid fantasy squad is in place, the most effective way to seize an edge on your competition is to maximize every player’s opportunity to contribute. By hacking the schedule ahead of every month — sussing out which teams are more active when most others are not — you can seize more flexibility in boosting your lineup’s potential each night.
The larger number of players in action on every occasion provides the greater capacity for positive fantasy returns. A tangible benefit, especially in tight head-to-head competition, where each point can mean the difference between weekly victory and defeat.
Setting the benchmark at six games — when another 20 teams, at minimum, are idle — a handful of teams are worth recognizing when deciding which available players to keep, pick up, or stream, all else being equal, on so-called slower nights from Jan. 1 to Jan. 31.
Leading up to the Olympic break, January features a more balanced schedule through our lens. Nonetheless, it’s worth noting the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators and Utah Mammoth compete on six occasions, as compared to, say, the Buffalo Sabres, which do so only once. A handful of players from clubs that battle on five such dates are also worth mentioning, with the aim of maximizing games-played in fantasy competition where lineups are set every day.
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Ottawa Senators
On a roster where Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson garner greater fantasy attention, let’s spare a moment for the team’s eldest statesman. On the cusp of turning 38, Claude Giroux is currently putting up numbers like in the olden days (three years ago, really). Before coming away empty-handed against the Columbus on Monday, Giroux strung together a pair of goals and six assists in five games, including two power-play points. Widely available and historically streaky, Giroux could provide your own deeper-league roster with a little extra fantasy punch when the Senators compete on lighter nights.
Anaheim Ducks
Flying into the Christmas break with a goal in four games straight, while also earning a couple of helpers, Mikael Granlund now finds himself on a top unit with Leo Carlsson. If he maintains a grip on that role, the veteran forward could merit investment in deeper leagues. On the flipside, rookie Beckett Sennecke feels due to return to form after a slow three-week spell. Before hitting the skids, the soon-to-turn 20-year-old amassed 10 goals and 16 assists in his first 30 games. This weekend’s one assist/three-shot performance against the Kings suggests the young lad might be primed to return to form. He’s still skating on a Ducks’ scoring line and top power play.
Los Angeles Kings
I like that Alex Laferriere is shooting on net a lot. I also appreciate that the forward plays well defensively and blocks a fair number of shots; that nine-shot showing was impressive, along with last weekend’s hat-trick versus the Ducks. There isn’t much else to appreciate about the Kings’ production of late, so let’s ride with a somewhat promising package from the top-line winger — one who also plays on the Kings’ No. 1 power play. L.A. needs to bring more to the table offensively. The 24-year-old could/should/must be part of that push.
Utah Mammoth
As with the Kings, the Mammoth’s offense isn’t exactly humming at the moment. So, let’s instead turn our attention to Utah’s blue line, where Sean Durzi has seven points in his past nine games, including a pair of power-play assists. Only forward Dylan Guenther has been more productive since Dec. 10. The top-pair defender is also shooting on net and blocking shots at a nice cadence. Never mind the schedule; when healthy, Durzi belongs in all but the shallowest of fantasy competition. Right now, he’s available in more than half of ESPN Fantasy leagues.
Several other teams compete on five so-considered slower days in January, including the Columbus Blue Jackets, Seattle Kraken, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, and St. Louis Blues.
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While he isn’t a special teams’ guy, right now Aliaksei Protas is everything else a fantasy manager covets. Skating on a Capitals’ top line with Alex Ovechkin, the big forward has failed to register a single point only once since mid-December, otherwise collecting four goals and four assists on 16 shots in six games. In fact, after a lousy first half of November, Protas has nine goals and nine assists (plus-15) to show for 21 contests altogether. He should be rostered in significantly more than 44% of ESPN leagues.
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Just like the Blue Jackets are better with a healthy Boone Jenner in the lineup, so is your deep-league fantasy squad. Particularly in competition that rewards blocked shots and hits, in addition to scoring. The power forward does it all, with great gusto. Since returning from an upper-body injury, Jenner is averaging 2.6 fantasy points per game (FPPG) through eight contests — more than top forward Kirill Marchenko over the same stretch. Unlike Marchenko, Jenner is available in 73% of ESPN competition.
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The Kraken are scoring! At least a handful of forwards are finding the back of the net these days, namely Eeli Tolvanen, Chandler Stephenson, and Jordan Eberle. Of the three, Eberle sports the most appeal at present, skating on the top line and power play with Matty Beniers, and there for the grabbing in more than 75% of ESPN leagues. I also like that the 35-year-old winger put up points, on a pile of shots, in both entering and exiting the Christmas break. Four days off didn’t pose any interruption at all.
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Fantasy managers in-the-know are well aware that Samuel Girard serves as a solid performer when he’s on — which is the case at present. Banging out nine points in his past eight contests, Girard is putting up (nearly) Cale Makar-like numbers yet remains available in a whopping 97% of ESPN leagues. Siphon whatever you can from Girard before the production dries up once more.
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Are you in a deep league, where free-agent pickings are perennially wafer slim? Then know that Jimmy Snuggerud is back for the Blues, after losing most of December to a wrist injury. While November was rather dry for the rookie, he’s already a goal-to-the-good in two games back, competing on a scoring line and top power play. The gifted young forward could be worth a flier for managers with little to lose.
