Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups, Adds & Sleepers for Fantasy Hockey

Joe Hannon analyzes some NHL forwards for Week 4 that are fantasy hockey waiver wire pickups, adds and potential sleepers for your fantasy hockey teams off the waiver wire.

Hey RotoBallers, welcome to my weekly edition of the fantasy hockey waiver wire. Below are a few skaters at each NHL position that will help steer your fantasy hockey team in the right direction.

Whether your fantasy hockey team is dealing with injuries or lack of production, these NFL players can be considered waiver wire pickups or sleepers depending on the league format, size and depth.

Be sure to check back weekly for my waiver wire recommendations, and check out all of our fantasy hockey analysis and articles throughout the NHL season. We'll be here every week to try and help steer your teams towards fantasy glory.

Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire - NHL Forwards

Frans Nielsen (F, NYI) - 83% Owned

The Islanders have been one of the most impressive teams in the early going and Frans Nielsen has contributed mightily to that success. With 4 goals in his last 2 games and 8 points on the year, Nielsen is a must-add in all fantasy formats. He is sporting a +4 rating with 25 shots on goal in 8 games. Frans is poised to best his career-high 58 point season a year ago. Pick him up now if he is still available.

Derek Stepan (F, NYR) - 56% Owned

After scoring 57 points in 82 games last season, Derek Stepan has yet to lace up the skates this year following a fractured fibula. Stepan has been skating on his own and should be joining the Rangers lineup within the next few weeks. He will be a big part of the offense once he returns, and very likely slot in between dynamic wingers Rick Nash and Chris Kreider. Stepan is worth stashing on the bench now for fantasy owners that can afford to do so.

Nick Bonino (F, VAN) - 46% Owned

Another skater looking to put up career highs in goals and points this year is Nick Bonino. After spending his first five seasons in Anaheim, Bonino was acquired in the Ryan Kesler trade and is getting the opportunity to be a top-six forward in Vancouver. Skating on the Canucks second line, Bonino has scored 7 points in 8 games and 5 in his last 3. He's been impressive so far and has a good opportunity to produce going forward.

Antoine Vermette (F, ARI) - 22% Owned

Every player has his strengths. Some players score points and others make a career in the penalty box. Fantasy owners benefit most from skaters who can do a little bit of everything. Antoine Vermette is that jack-of-all-trades type of player. Vermette is averaging 19:37 minutes per game this season and has been on the ice for over 20:00 minutes in each of his last three contests. He has 1 G, 3 A, 12 PIM, and 11 SOG in seven games. Vermette has been a steady player in his career, having not missed a game since the 2008-09 season. He seems to be good for about 40-50 points and 40-50 penalty minutes each and every season.

Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire - NHL Defensemen

Dennis Wideman (D, CGY) - 77% Owned

Dennis Wideman's career-high for goals in a season is 13. He has 5 in his last 6 games. The journeyman defenseman is skating on the Flames top power play unit which should allow him to continue his impressive scoring trend. Calgary is off to a solid start this season and Wideman should be part of the top defensive pairing throughout the year. Pick him up and start him with confidence.

Lubomir Visnovsky (D, NYI) - 66% Owned

Injuries have plagued him over the past few seasons, but even at 38-years-old Lubomir Visnovsky still has some gas left in the tank. Lubo started the year on injured reserve but was activated last week. He scored a goal and added an assist in over 20:00 minutes of ice-time against Dallas last week and can provide some offense for owners in need. He may not be a long-term solution, but he has value as long as he is healthy.

Kris Russell (D, CGY) - 36% Owned

Much like Wideman, Kris Russell has been key to Calgary's early success. Russell had a decent season last year for the Flames and is in line to set career highs again this season. Kris has points in four straight games and has 6 assists and a +5 rating in 10 games. His value continues to rise as he sees more time on the Flames power play and he is a strong option for a lower-level fantasy defenseman going forward.

Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire - NHL Goalies

Ray Emery (G, PHI) - 16% Owned

When the season started, Steve Mason was the number one goaltender in Philadelphia. Now a few weeks in, Mason is still searching for win number one, while Ray Emery has 3 wins to go with a solid 9.14 save percentage and 2.60 goals against average. The starting goalie job may be Mason's eventually, but Emery has the hot hand. He should continue getting the bulk of the starts in the near future and is a worthy pickup for owners needing help at the goaltender position.

Ben Scrivens (G, EDM) - 73% Owned

Last week I wrote about Edmonton's struggling goaltender, Ben Scrivens. While he took the loss in his first three starts of the season, the Oilers themselves were sluggish in front of him. Naturally, Ben has now won four straight starts and the Oilers seem to have found their legs. Scrivens was excellent in his last outing, stopping 29 shots on the way to a shutout. Scrivens may be as inconsistent as the team in front of him, but he seems to be much more confident on home ice. He is worth adding in all formats, but choose his starts carefully.