The fantasy season continues to chug along as we enter week seven of the season. By now you’ll start to see some division within your leagues between the contenders and the pretenders. In order to keep the competitive edge each week, optimizing your streaming is a must. Below are four players worth taking a look at before week seven kicks off on Monday.
Taking Advantage of the Fantasy Schedule
It’s a light week next week as just three teams play four times, while seven teams play just twice. The only teams with four games on the schedule are the San Jose Sharks, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Utah Hockey Club.
William Eklund, W – San Jose Sharks
As mentioned the San Jose Sharks are one of just three teams to play four games next week, so winger William Eklund is worth a look. Eklund is currently skating on the Sharks second line alongside Mikael Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund, as well as the teams top powerplay unit. He’s playing heavy minutes for the Sharks right now and has started to heat up a bit as of late. In his last two games he’s played over 20 minutes both times and has three points, as well as two shots and six hits. The Sharks also play on two off days this week which is a bonus.
Marco Rossi, C – Minnesota Wild
How Marco Rossi is just 19% owned right now is a mystery. The 23-year-old has had a solid start to the season and now with Joel Eriksson Ek out with an injury, Rossi has been thrust into the number-one center role for the Wild alongside superstar Kirill Kaprizov. He’s also skating on the team’s second powerplay unit and may get time on the top unit with Eriksson Ek out.
Across his last 10 games, Rossi has two goals, six assists, and 19 shots despite averaging under 17 minutes a game. On the year he’s sitting with 14 points and 32 shots in 16 games. Even without a promotion to the top line, Rossi is worth a look. If Eriksson Ek misses a couple games next week, Rossi is a must-add.
Anders Lee, W – New York Islanders
Anders Lee is on fire right now. After a tough start to the season, the New York Islanders captain has exploded recently and is once again a target in fantasy. Over his last seven games, Lee has produced four goals, six assists, 16 shots, and seven hits. He currently has points in six of his last seven games and seems to have brushed off his early season woes. Only four players in the entire NHL have more points than Lee since the start of November.
He may not hold full-season value, but as long as this hot streak continues, it’d be a mistake to leave Lee on the waiver wire. With games against three very average opponents next week, Lee should be added to most leagues and held as long as he’s producing like this.
Calvin Pickard, G – Edmonton Oilers
To no one’s surprise, Stuart Skinner is struggling right now. This has opened the door for backup Calvin Pickard to earn some starts as of late. Pickard has started three of the Oilers’ past seven games, including their most recent one against Nashville, in which he helped guide them to an overtime win. With four games on the schedule next week including a back-to-back against Montreal and Ottawa, Pickard is guaranteed at least one if not two starts. The Oilers are heating up with three wins in a row so Pickard is certainly worth a look if you need help in net.
