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Brenton Kemp gives advice on which goalies to start or bench this week in Fantasy Hockey Leagues.
Welcome to the NHL Week 4 edition of RotoBaller's fantasy hockey goalie start/sit advice! In this article, you'll find our NHL goalie starts/sits for fantasy hockey for Week 4 - from Monday, October 30 through Sunday, November 5. It's going to be a pleasure providing in-depth goalie analysis throughout the campaign!
Of course, you are going to roster the star goaltenders every time they are between the pipes. However, this advice is tailored more to the bubble netminders who are in either an excellent or poor spot for the week. These pieces are certainly important for those fantasy managers in weekly lock leagues but also aim for advice on daily leagues, as well.
Also, be sure to check out our awesome NHL tools, including our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, Projections, and DFS Cheat Sheets. Make sure to monitor the NHL news feeds for the latest player status and injury news. Feel free to follow me on Twitter @BKemp17 as I will be here dishing out goalie start/sit advice throughout the 2023-24 NHL regular season. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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Fantasy Hockey Starts - Goalies
Karel Vejmelka, Coyotes - 20.4% ESPN rostered
This is already the second time in four weeks that we have highlighted Coyotes netminder Karel Vejmelka as a starting option at a fairly low rostership.
The 27-year-old has been excellent early in the 2023-24 season. Vejmelka enters the week sporting a 2.51 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage across four starts and five appearances, going 2-3-0 in that time. His 3.22 goals saved above average ranks 11th in the league, as per Hockey Reference.
He also has a fine-looking week ahead of him. He should get the starting nod Monday night against the Chicago Blackhawks on home ice before starting against one of the Anaheim Ducks or Montreal Canadiens mid-week. The Coyotes conclude their week by hosting the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.
When it's all said and done, the Blackhawks, Canadiens, and Ducks should all end up as bottom-10 offenses this season. The Blackhawks are currently 27th with just 2.25 goals per game on the season, giving Vejmelka an excellent opportunity to start his week on the right note on Monday night.
His impressive play and encouraging schedule make him an easy start between the pipes this week.
Jonas Johansson, Lightning - 52.5% ESPN rostered
Jonas Johansson is being started in roughly half of ESPN leagues at the moment but he is a must-start with three games on his schedule this week.
The 28-year-old begins his week by hosting the Seattle Kraken on Monday before potentially taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators on the road on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. With only Matt Tomkins, who allowed four goals in his NHL debut with the Lighting this season, behind him on the depth chart at the moment in Tampa Bay, fantasy managers can be optimistic that Johansson will start all three contests this week.
After all, he is white-hot at the moment after posting back-to-back shutouts over the Hurricanes and Sharks last week. Those impressive outings improved Johansson to a 2.56 GAA and .925 Sv% in seven starts this season while he leads the NHL in shots against (239) and saves (221) in this young season.
The Kraken sit 28th in overall offense and the Blue Jackets check in at 26th. The Senators are a tough matchup as they're averaging four goals per game on the season to tie for third in offense but Johansson, at the very least, gets two fantastic matchups to begin his week before seeing a stiff test on Saturday.
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Fantasy Hockey Sits - Goalies
Jordan Binnington, Blues - 55.6% ESPN rostered
One of the more volatile fantasy hockey netminders over the last few seasons, the Blues' Jordan Binnington can be exiled to the bench in week 4.
He has had a nice start to the season by way of his 2.33 GAA and .926 Sv% across five starts. However, he was shelled for five goals in a shutout loss to the Canucks his last time out and doesn't exactly have a favorable schedule on tap.
The Blues don't play until Wednesday when they pay a visit to the lethal Colorado Avalanche. While it's still a three-game week for St. Louis, they have a back-to-back with the Devils and Canadiens on Friday and Saturday, meaning it's certainly likely Binnington gets just two starts at a maximum this week. Considering his first opponent and the threat of the Devils on the schedule as well, it's not a rosy outlook for the controversial netminder.
He's also not getting much help from his team. His offense sits 31st with just 1.86 goals per game on the season while his defense ranks 24th in terms of high-danger scoring chances against per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, as per Natural Stat Trick. A lack of offensive support and a leaky back end could lead to more results like what Binnington saw in Vancouver.
Jacob Markstrom, Flames - 62.1% ESPN rostered
The Calgary Flames will need a big season from Jacob Markstrom if they are to return to the postseason in 2023-24 but so far that hasn't been the case.
He hasn't been a disaster but his 2.88 GAA and .901 Sv% are pedestrian, at best. His five losses lead the NHL and his offense is struggling to support him with their 2.11 goals per game sitting 30th league-wide.
After giving up four goals to the rival Edmonton Oilers outdoors in the Heritage Classic on Sunday night, it's a light week for the Flames in week 4. They have a tough matchup against a visiting Dallas Stars team on Wednesday before taking on the Seattle Kraken in Seattle on Saturday. Both clubs have struggled offensively to start the season but that's a two-week schedule and it's even possible backup Dan Vladar gets the nod in one of those two contests.
Subpar play and an unfavorable schedule should have Markstrom stapled to your bench this week.
NHL DFS News and Injury Alerts
