Every Tuesday and Thursday, THN Fantasy expert Jason Chen will highlight his best picks to stream or roster for the rest of the season. The recommended players and goalies are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues and can be selected in standard fantasy leagues or for daily fantasy games.
Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies, defensemen and forwards.
Goalies
Charlie Lindgren, WSH at LA (31% rostered)
The Caps are going for their sixth win in a row and he will be a popular streaming option. The Kings are also on a roll with three straight wins, but there’s little doubt the Caps are the better team, and they’ve dominated this matchup in recent seasons with a 9-2-0 record against the Kings since 2019.
I like the Caps to win this game but it’ll be tough. Despite their winning record in the past 11 matchups, all of their games were decided by two goals or less. Lindgren isn’t having the strongest season but he’s won four of his past five.
Tristan Jarry, PIT vs. STL (9% rostered)
What year is it?! Jarry has now backstopped the Pens to two straight wins, allowing just three goals on 67 shots (.955 SP) against two tough opponents. He has a chance to make it three in a row and it’s worth noting Jarry has been stronger at home throughout his career with a .913 SP and 2.70 GAA compared to a .907 SP and 2.78 GAA on the road.
Obviously, there’s still considerable risk in this matchup but with so few streaming options available, Jarry’s the hot goalie to target. History is also on his side; the Pens have won six of their past seven meetings and Jarry is 6-1-0 all-time with a .929 SP and 1.85 GAA against the Blues. Rolling with a hot goalie is always risky, but I think there’s definitely a chance Jarry provides a win and a good save percentage.
Click for the full list of streaming options for goalies.
Defensemen
Matt Roy, WSH at LA (12% rostered)
On nights where there aren’t many quality defensemen available, I like to default to Roy, who has a high floor and fills multiple categories. Ranked sixth in the league among defensemen with a plus-27 rating, Roy has also registered a shot in nine straight games and blocked 15 shots in his past five games. This will likely be a grind-it-out game, which means Roy should at least help in both hits and blocked shots.
Artyom Levshunov, CHI at SJ (5% rostered)
All things considered, it was a pretty good NHL debut for the highly-touted Russian defenseman. Playing with steady veteran Alec Martinez, Levshunov registered three shots and two blocks, which is a hint at the multi-category value he can provide. I think his fantasy upside is limited due to his inexperience, but given the amount of time he’s getting and his role on PP2, I think it won’t be long until he scores a point.
Click for the full list of streaming options for defensemen.
Forwards
Pavel Dorofeyev, LW/RW, VGK at CBJ (32% rostered)
Dorofeyev was featured in this space last time due to his momentum that’s carried on through the week. He scored a goal and an assist against the Pens and faces another team that tends to allow a lot of goals. Dorofeyev’s high-volume shooting ensures that he’ll have a pretty high floor but note he doesn’t contribute in any other categories other than scoring.
Pavel Zacha, C/LW, BOS at OTT (15% rostered)
Linemate David Pastrnak has feasted on the Sens throughout his career – six points this season, 19 goals and 44 points in 31 career games – so we’re riding on his coattails with Zacha. He’s a better option than Morgan Geekie because Geekie’s more of a finisher, and what we’re looking for instead if seeing Zacha set up Pastrnak for a few goals.
Will Smith, C/RW, SJ vs. CHI (13% rostered)
This matchup will be billed as Macklin Celebrini vs. Connor Bedard, but watch Smith force his way into the conversation. He’s a bona-fide top-line player who has really turned it on in the second half of the season with 20 points in 26 games after scoring just two points in 10 games in December. He’s playing on Celebrini’s wing on a really high-upside offensive line, and their chemistry together has been very good. The biggest key to Smith’s fantasy value is the increased playing time, going from 13 minutes per game at the beginning of the season to 18 minutes in March.
Click for the full list of streaming options for forwards.
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