DFS NHL Picks (January 26, 2017)

C:
 
Jack Eichel - Buffalo Sabres: Eichel has 47 shots on goal in 10 games since Jan. 5, second-most in the NHL behind Patrice Bergeron (49 in 11 games). He faces the Dallas Stars, whom he had two goals and 10 SOG against on Jan. 16.

W:
 
Nikolaj Ehlers - Winnipeg Jets: Ehlers has been strong against the Chicago Blackhawks with three assists and three SOG in three games this season, and has 24 points in 26 road games.

James Neal - Nashville Predators: Five of Neal's six power-play points have come at home, where he has 14 points and 61 SOG in 19 games.

D:
 
Victor Hedman - Tampa Bay Lightning: Hedman ranks third among defensemen in points with 38 in 46 games, trailing Brent Burns (51 in 49) and Erik Karlsson (39 in 46). Hedman is also tied for first among defensemen in PPP (18).

P.K. Subban - Nashville Predators: Subban has six blocks and nine SOG in three games since returning from his latest injury.

G:

Thomas Greiss - New York Islanders: Greiss is 3-0-1 in his past four games and 2-0-1 since the New York Islanders named Doug Weight coach on Jan. 17.

DFS NHL Picks (January 17, 2017)

C: Mika Zibanejad - New York Rangers: Zibanejad, who hasn't played since Nov. 25 after breaking his fibula, is expected to return for the New York Rangers against the Dallas Stars. Prior to the injury, Zibanejad had five goals, 10 assists and 47 shots on goal in 19 games.

W: Mikael Granlund - Minnesota Wild: Granlund three goals, nine assists, seven blocks and 32 SOG in his past 10 games. 

Artemi Panarin - Chicago Blackhawks: Panarin has a goal, two assists and five SOG in two games against the Colorado Avalanche this season. The Avalanche allow the most goals per game (3.32) this season, so Panarin should have a good night.

D: Justin Faulk - Carolina Hurricanes: Faulk has a goal, three assists, six blocks and 11 SOG in his past three games.

Nick Holden - New York Rangers: Holden has points in six of his last 10 games (four goals, four assists). He plays on the Rangers' top defensive line with Ryan McDonagh, so he should get quite a bit of ice time.

G: Henrik Lundqvist - New York Rangers: Lundqvist faces the Stars tonight, who he had a 27-save shutout against in a 2-0 win on Dec. 15. Lundqvist has 221 wins with a 2.18 goals-against average and .920 save percentage at home in his NHL career.

Waiver Wired: More from Mantha

via RotoWorld/Corey Abbott

Mikael Backlund’s six-game point spree came to an end Saturday, but his ownership in Yahoo leagues increased from 23% to 36% since he was featured on Waiver Wired last week. Vincent Trocheck also got closer to being owned in half of all Yahoo leagues after he went from 45% to 49%

Anthony Mantha (DET) - LW, RW - Owned in 34% of Yahoo leagues

Mantha has been mentioned before, but it’s worth recommending him again. He scored his 11th goal of the season Saturday night and has earned at least one point in eight of his last nine outings. Mantha has scored seven goals and added five assists during that span. He has 19 points in 25 appearances with the Red Wings and should continue to produce in the second half as a key member of the team’s offensive attack. Snatch him up before it is too late.

Mikko Koivu (MIN) - C - Owned in 31% of Yahoo leagues

Koivu has accounted for three goals and four assists during a four-game point streak. He has registered multi-point efforts in three of those matches. Koivu has racked up eight markers and 17 points in his last 16 contests. His career best 19.7 shooting percentage probably isn’t sustainable, but he will continue to generate points for the rest of the season. Koivu has fit in nicely behind a resurgent Eric Staal and he can help if your league uses faceoffs (55.1 winning percentage) and plus-minus (plus-20).

Patrick Maroon (EDM) - LW - Owned in 30% of Yahoo leagues

Maroon is back on the wing of Edmonton’s top line, so he has benefited from the McDavid effect. He has tallied six goals and recorded one assist in the past eight games. Maroon had a hat trick Thursday against Boston on five shots. He has clicked with Connor McDavid for stretches this season before. He is worth rostering until he moves back down the depth chart.

Sam Reinhart (BUF) - C, RW - Owned in 28% of Yahoo leagues

Reinhart may shift back to the wing now that Ryan O'Reilly is back in the lineup, but that won’t hurt his fantasy value. It may even help him if he gets to play alongside O’Reilly or he moves back to Jack Eichel’s line. Reinhart has racked up nine points in his last nine games. He has scored just eight goals in 39 contests, but the potential for more is there. He skates on the top power-play unit, where he has earned four of his goals this year and four of his points during his current hot streak.

Michal Neuvirth (PHI) - G - Owned in 27% of Yahoo leagues

Neuvirth returned to action Saturday against Tampa Bay and turned aside 24 of 26 shots in a 4-2 victory. The win snapped Philadelphia’s five-game winless skid. Steve Mason was great for the most part while Neuvirth was on the sidelines with a knee injury, but his recent struggles could open the door for Neuvirth to see some consecutive starts. It’s a situation worth monitoring. Neuvirth makes for an intriguing depth addition at this time.

Bo Horvat (VAN) - C - Owned in 21% of Yahoo leagues

Horvat has been a bright spot for the Canucks this season. Vancouver has struggled to score again this season, but that hasn’t stopped Horvat lately. He has found the back of the net three times in his last four outings and he is riding an impressive seven-game scoring streak. Horvat has compiled five assists during that span along with the previously mentioned three goals. The 21-year-old pivot leads the team in scoring with 29 points in 42 matches.

Travis Konecny (PHI) - C, LW - Owned in 13% of Yahoo leagues

Konecny has been reunited with Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek. He posted his sixth goal of the season Saturday versus Tampa Bay to give him two markers and two assists in the last four games. Konecny got off to a great start alongside Couturier and Voracek earlier this year and could be primed for another hot streak with games against Columbus (Sunday), Buffalo (Tuesday), Vancouver (Thursday) and Boston (Saturday) on the upcoming schedule.

Tanner Pearson (LAK) - LW - Owned in 12% of Yahoo leagues

Pearson has collected four goals and three assists in his past eight contests. He has scored the game-winning goal for the Kings in two of the last three games and he has failed to reach the scoresheet just two times during his present hot streak. Pearson is back to playing alongside Los Angeles leading scorer Jeff Carter and that has helped with his recent surge.

Michael Frolik (CGY) - C, RW - Owned in 12% of Yahoo leagues

Frolik has been part of Calgary’s red hot combination with Mikael Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk. He has netted four goals in his last four games and he has contributed nine points over the past seven outings. Backlund is still available in 64% of Yahoo leagues and Tkachuk is owned in 45% of Yahoo leagues, but if they are both taken then Frolik could still be available to you.

Connor Brown (TOR) - RW - Owned in 5% of Yahoo leagues

Brown has recorded nine goals and nine assists in 39 games this season. What makes him worthy of a pickup? He has produced five of those goals and nine points in the last eight games. Brown has been playing alongside rookie phenom Auston Matthews and he has been making the most of his chances. It’s easy to forget that Brown impressed last season when he had six points in seven games with the Leafs. Now that he is playing higher up in the depth chart with some talent, he is taking advantage of the opportunity and could help your squad if you are looking for an under-the-radar addition.

DFS NHL Picks (January 7, 2017)

C:
Evgeny Kuznetsov - Washington Capitals: In the new year, Kuznetsov has a goal, five assists and six shots on goal in his past two games. He has nine points in his past 10 with 27 SOG as well. Tonight, he goes against Ottawa Senators, who have allowed 48 goals in 20 home games this season.

W:
Chris Greider - New York Rangers: Kreider has 30 points this season and leads the Rangers in points per game with .86. He has 10 points and 33 SOG in his past 10 games.

Justin Williams - Washington Capitals: Williams has 11 points, six blocks and 23 SOG in his past 10 games. He has been consistent lately, scoring 14 points with 40 SOG in 20 games.

D:
Zach Werenski - Columbus Blue Jackets: Werenski has 15 points, 19 blocks and 52 SOG in 19 home games this season, and has the most points (25) and power-play points (15) by far among rookie defensemen.

Nick Leddy - New York Islanders:  Leddy has seven points, 26 blocks and 26 SOG in 14 games. Teddy plays on the Islanders' top PP unit, and tonight the faces the Coyotes, who have the third-worst penalty-kill rating in the league this season at 75.0.

G:
Cam Talbot - Edmonton Oilers: Talbot is 10-4-5 with two shutouts on the road this season and is 6-2-2 with a .922 SV% in his past 10 games. Among the 14 goalies with at least 30 games played entering Friday, Talbot is tied for sixth in even-strength SV% (.925).

Fantasy top 25 goalie rankings for 2016-17

All season long, NHL.com's David Satriano will rank the top 25 goalies for standard Yahoo leagues (wins, goals-against average, save percentage, shutouts). Players with long-term injuries have been removed from this list.

These rankings are based on expectations for the rest of the season. Value is quantified by projected starts, peripheral category coverage, time-share situations, team defenses, past performance and overall upside in standard leagues. It is important to note that our rankings reflect sheer fantasy value, not necessarily the most talented goalies in order.

It may have come as a surprise when the New York Islanders waived veteran goalie Jaroslav Halak and subsequently sent him to Bridgeport of the American Hockey League. Halak had been getting most of the starts with Thomas Greiss (59 percent owned in Yahoo) backing him up and third-stringer Jean-Francois Berube making a few appearances as well.

It was clear that the three-goalie system was not going to work, and now it looks like Greiss will take the reins as the No. 1 with Berube backing him up. Greiss has a 2.45 GAA, .923 SV% and has won each of his past three starts. He's had a SV% of at least .941 in each, including 32 saves in a 6-2 road win against the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 31.

Greiss had career bests in starts (38), wins (23) and SV% (.925) last season. He also was a huge reason the Islanders won a round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 23 years. This season, Greiss has seen fewer starts (14) than Halak (20), but has improved his even-strength SV% (.938) compared to last season (.933).

With such a bold roster move, general manager Garth Snow and coach Jack Capuano have put their trust in Greiss to be the workhorse as the Islanders attempt to climb the standings in pursuit of the playoffs. After New York's five-day break, it opens a stretch where six of its next seven games come against teams currently outside of postseason position. With two back-to-back sets in the span, it's fair to expect Greiss to be the main man, with a start or two from Berube (2 percent owned).

TRENDING UP

The Vancouver Canucks have won five straight, and Ryan Miller has played a big part in that streak. Miller is coming off of a 22-save shutout against the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday, and has allowed a combined five goals in his past four starts. Miller has won four straight for the first time since the 2014-15 season and is readily available in shallow leagues (51 percent owned). He's had a save percentage of at least .923 in each of his past four games. Jacob Markstrom (15 percent owned) has a 2.60 GAA and .913 SV% and has challenged Miller for playing time, but will take a back seat if Miller keeps this up. The Canucks are quietly one of six teams separated by four points in the push for the two Western Conference Wild Card spots. 

TRENDING DOWN

The Tampa Bay Lightning have lost four of their past six games (2-3-1), and have allowed six goals in each of their first two games in the New Year. Andrei Vasilevskiy (64 percent owned) has started all seven games since Ben Bishop's injury, but is 3-3-1 with a .874 SV%. Bishop isn't expected to be back until the middle or later part of the month, meaning Vasilevskiy should continue to get starts through thick and thin. Kristers Gudlevskis (1 percent owned) has been assigned to Syracuse of the American Hockey League to get more playing time, but could soon return if Vasilevskiy continues to struggle.

WORTH NOTING

- Jared Coreau (6 percent owned) made 34 saves for his first NHL shutout in a 4-0 road win against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. With Jimmy Howard injured and Petr Mrazek struggling, Coreau could be in line for more work.

- Cory Schneider of the New Jersey Devils has bounced back with two impressive starts in a row. He shut out the Boston Bruins at home on Monday and allowed one goal on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. The Devils goalie has two shutouts in his past five games.

- Peter Budaj (76 percent owned) continues to be an outstanding injury replacement for the Los Angeles Kings with Jonathan Quick sidelined. He has 17 wins, a 2.00 GAA, .921 SV% and four shutouts, putting him among the top 30 overall in Yahoo's performance-based rankings (28th). He has allowed two goals or fewer in eight straight starts. Despite a .956 SV% and two SO in the span, Budaj is 4-3-1 because of the Kings' offensive struggles. He's still a must-own player in all formats.

TOP 25 FANTASY GOALIES

These rankings were last updated Jan. 6
1. Carey Price, MTL, (+1)
2. Devan Dubnyk, MIN (-1)
3. Braden Holtby, WSH (+1)
4. Sergei Bobrovsky, CBJ (-1)
5. Tuukka Rask, BOS (SAME)
6. Corey Crawford, CHI (+1)
7. Martin Jones, SJS (-1)
8. Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (SAME)
9. Pekka Rinne, NSH (+1)
10. Marc-Andre Fleury, PIT (+2)
11. Jake Allen, STL (SAME)
12. Steve Mason, PHI (-3)
13. Cam Talbot, EDM (+1)
14. John Gibson, ANA (+2)
15. Roberto Luongo, FLA (-2)
16. Frederik Andersen, TOR (-1)
17. Cory Schneider, NJD (+3)
18. Cam Ward, CAR (+1)
19. Brian Elliott, CGY (+3)
20. Peter Budaj, LAK (+3)
21. Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL (-4)
22. Thomas Greiss, NYI (+3)
23. Mike Condon, OTT (-2)
24. Jared Coreau, DET (NEW)
25. Ryan Miller, VAN (NEW)

Dropped out: Antti Raanta (NYR), Chad Johnson (CGY)

Key injuries: Matt Murray (PIT), Jonathan Quick (LAK), Ben Bishop (TBL), Jimmy Howard (DET), Semyon Varlamov (COL)

DFS NHL Picks (January 1, 2017)

C:
Auston Matthews - Toronto Maple Leafs: Matthews has a five-game point streak going as he has four goals and three assists and 23 shots on goal during those games.

Wingers:
Alex Ovechkin - Washington Capitals: Ovechkin has played well lately as he has three goals and two assists in his last four games.

William Nylander - Toronto Maple Leafs: Like Matthews, Nylander plays outdoors at BMO Field today too. Nylander has two goals and two assists in his last four games.

Defensemen:
Jake Gardiner - Toronto Maple Leafs: Gardiner plays on Toronto's top power play line, and he has six goals and 12 assists this season.

Ivan Provorov - Philadelphia Flyers: Provorov has averaged 23.5 minutes of ice time in his last two games and had an assist, four shots on goal, and four blocked shots during that time.

G:
Frederik Andersen - Toronto Maple Leafs: Like Matthews, Gardiner and Nylander, Andersen gets to play outdoors today in Toronto's BMO Field against the Detroit Red Wings. The Swedish netminder stopped an amazing 45 shots as the Leafs beat the Panthers 3-2. The former Anaheim Ducks goaltender has won his last three starts by allowing only three goals and earning a shutout in the process.