Welcome to the new Daily Fantasy Hockey weekly waiver wire report. Each week I will be updating some of the players we should targeting on the waiver wire to help us build a championship fantasy hockey team. The recommendations will focus on, for the most part, standard Yahoo Hockey leagues with the following stat categories:
- Goals
- Assists
- Powerplay Points
- Short Handed Points
- +/- Rating
- Shots on Goal
- Hits
- Faceoffs Won
- Goalie Wins
- Saves
- Save %
- Goals Against Average
- Shutouts
Only players who are under 50% owned in Yahoo Fantasy Hockey will be considered for the waiver wire report. If you have specific questions about how a player fits your league settings please hit me up on Twitter(@Jager_Bombs9)
Let us now take a look at this week's low owned waiver wire options:
Fantasy Hockey Sleepers and Waiver Wire Pickups at Defense and Goaltender
Defense
Shayne Gostisbehere (PHI, D) 41% Owned (-3% Change from last week)
The ownership dropped off a bit after missing the last game and a half due to a lower body injury. This opens up an opportunity to pick him up if still available in your league. The injury doesn't look serious and he is already back practicing as of today. There is a good chance he suits up against the Bruins on Wednesday but the Flyers might play it safe with their young star and rest him until the 16th when they face the Rangers. He has started his rookie campaign in the NHL with 16 points(four on the PP) in 23 games and already has three game winning goals.
Justin Braun (SJ, D) 5% Owned
The defense options this week are pretty thin. If you are in a deeper league or desperate for help on the point, Braun can provide some stability. He hasn't gone more than two games without a point since mid November and has been averaging around two to three shots on goal per game. The Sharks are hot right now scoring 15 goals in their last three games which has seen the value of a few players start to rise and making them valuable assets in fantasy.
Also Available - Marc-Edouard Vlasic (SJ, D) 17% Owned
Goaltenders
Louis Domingue (ARI, G) 39% Owned
He is coming off a shutout vs. Nashville last game and has won three straight and four of his last five games. It has been a terrific start to his career after he was thrust into the role after Mike Smith went down with a long term injury. He has helped propel the Coyotes into 2nd in the Pacific Division and right in the middle of a playoff run. He is 6-2-2 with a .936 save % in his first 10 starts in the NHL. He makes a great addition to any fantasy team.
Al Montoya (FLA, G) 10% Owned
If you have two solid goalies on your roster but looking for a streaming option or a deep bench stash, keep an eye on Montoya. Roberto Luongo has been red hot over the last month and at one point made six straight starts. The Panthers have been somewhat of a surprise with their #1 rated defense making any goaltender that starts a valuable option. Montoya has been better than just a serviceable option for the Panthers with a 7-1-1 record and .940 save % this year. If anything should happen to Luongo or the Panthers decide to give him more rest down the stretch, Montoya would become a terrific option that will help you in all goaltending categories.
Also Available - Cam Ward (CAR, G) 40% Owned