It's one of those weeks where I don't have a lot to say, so I'll keep it short before getting to the waiver wire outlook. This is more of a mindset thing, but in fantasy sports generally, luck plays a huge part in success.
There's the weeks where you get everything right -- you've got goalies in a groove, forwards are scoring hat tricks, everyone on your roster's contributing to the cause. Those weeks feel good. Anyone who has an ounce of competitive spirit knows winning feels better than losing.
Other weeks, you lose top players to injuries, everyone's in a slump. Sometimes the guys on the wire aren't any better than what you've got.
You have to go into each week fresh. Control what you can -- set your lineups, make your moves and hope it's enough. Create a little luck along the way by making informed choices. Sometimes it's as easy as playing the player who is better. Other times, you might want to take advantage of a good matchup, even if it means sitting someone you rather have in the lineup. If you're doing well, those lineup decisions come down to which players you think will do better, rather than who will be less bad. Either way, stick with your convictions and don't let the losses outweigh the wins. It's all supposed to be fun, after all.
There's been a couple of Bruins having plenty of fun lately. First and foremost is Trent Frederic, who is tickling the twine with five goals and an assist over his last four games. He's a strong power winger who has grown into a true middle-six forward this season. It'll almost certainly be a career year for him -- he's at 21 points, 70 hits and 29 PIM through 38 contests after posting a career-best 31 points last season. Frederic's a clear example of making some luck, as he's shooting 22.2 percent this year. That number will drop, but he's useful in any banger league given his role on a strong team.
He won't be as widely available, but Jake DeBrusk is also making waves. He's racked up four goals and four assists during a six-game point streak while operating on Boston's second line. DeBrusk is the first of a handful of players I'm highlighting this week because they've bounced back from rocky starts to the season. The 27-year-old isn't a lock for a top-six role, but he has one right now and can be a solid complementary option in fantasy when he's producing.
Similarly, Rickard Rakell would likely prefer to just erase the first two months of the season. He had four assists over his first 17 games before going on long-term injured reserve for a month with an upper-body injury. Take a look at what he's done since his return: four goals, five assists, 25 shots on net and two power-play points. You can't see top-six minutes in Pittsburgh and come up empty for long. Rakell is notoriously streaky, but his recent play seems more like course correction than a flash in the pan.
Again on the luck topic, we have Cole Sillinger. I talked about him last week, but he's worth mentioning again for his prospect pedigree and his role on a team still in a rebuild. The 20-year-old was vastly unfortunate with just one goal on 42 shots and four assists over his first 24 games of the campaign. Like Rakell, Sillinger sustained an injury, and since returning, he's flipped a switch. Sillinger had a hat trick Saturday in an overtime loss to the Wild, giving him eight points over the last nine games. There's a bit more risk in his fantasy profile -- the Blue Jackets have found ways to lose, but they're hardly a boring team for fantasy purposes. Sillinger's got a bright future, and some of that may be shining through over the last half of 2023-24.
I've already been big on the Thomas Harley train this season, but it bears repeating now that Miro Heiskanen (lower body) is out week-to-week. Harley has been quietly operating as a top-four defenseman with a focus in his own zone for much of the season, yet he's popped for 19 points over 35 outings. Now, he's going to have a chance to earn a permanent power-play role. It's possible the pressure of the larger role takes a toll on his play, but I'm scooping him up wherever I can. Harley's trajectory isn't all that different from Heiskanen's early years, and we all know how No. 4 in Victory Green plays now.
I'll also circle back on Brock Faber, since Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon are both sidelined by lower-body injuries. I'm a little surprised to see Faber sitting at just 24 percent rostered in Yahoo formats. Unlike Harley, Faber's been eating big minutes all season, and he's also produced 19 points, albeit in 38 appearances. It's been a rough week for skaters, and it seems that's especially true on defense, so go get these young guys now before they're household names. The Calder buzz might be a bit much, but Faber's for real.
Over the last six games, Vladislav Namestnikov has two goals and six helpers. The 31-year-old is a known player -- he holds his own as a middle-six forward with solid defensive numbers. He's enjoyed a midseason surge while also playing more in the Jets' top six lately. The Jets have had a steady third line throughout the campaign, allowing Namestnikov to get better looks, currently alongside Cole Perfetti and Alex Iafallo. Namestnikov will give you a little of everything, but don't expect him to stand out in any one area.
Joel Farabee is back in the mix, racking up four goals and 10 assists over the last month (14 games). He's been rewarded for his solid play with a move to the top line recently -- that's a big improvement over getting a near full-game benching at the end of November. The winger is enjoying a breakout year, as long as he can stay out of the doghouse. His current pace would put him in the neighborhood of a very serviceable 25 goals and 60 points.
It's generally a good idea to keep an eye on whoever gets the golden ticket for a top-six role with the Oilers. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman are the stars of the show, and Evander Kane usually gets enough playing time to be in that conversation, though he's recently been on the third line instead. Warren Foegele is the one to target now. He's earned nine points over his last 10 games, one of which was a five-point explosion of offense. The thing that separates him now is that he has 34 shots in that span compared to just 54 shots over his first 26 outings. Good things happen when the puck goes toward the net, and Foegele's showed a significant improvement in doing just that.
Turning attention to the crease, I'm starting to come around again on Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. This comes with the caveat that the Sabres will do everything necessary to set up Devon Levi as the goalie of the future. For now, he still has to earn the No. 1 job, which Luukkonen has made a bit more difficult by winning his first two starts since the holiday break. With the way the standings look, the Sabres should be pivoting fully to 2024-25, but a timeshare in goal makes sense -- no need to overwork either netminder while trying to chase down an unlikely playoff berth. Luukkonen is worth a look in fantasy as long as he gets that steady playing time and performs well with it.
If you're turning to Columbus for goaltending, you're already in a bit of a pickle (or a really deep league). Of their three goalies, I feel most confident in Daniil Tarasov in the long run. He's gone 2-2-2 since making his season debut Dec. 16, but he's also faced a lot of shots (208) in those six games. At 24 years old, Tarasov has a chance to show he's part of the team's future, while Elvis Merzlikins and Spencer Martin are veterans who may be worth more in trade by the deadline. Tarasov is rightfully getting a large chunk of playing time, and while I wouldn't bank on him for wins, he can help you pile up saves without completely tanking your team's ratios.
The Devils will need to address goaltending to be a true contender this season. Vitek Vanecek won't get the job done. Nico Daws has allowed 10 goals across his first three games, but he's done well enough to seemingly earn a 50-50 share of starts in goal -- that's enough to warrant fantasy discussion. Daws didn't see any NHL action last season, but he was alright in 2021-22 with a 3.11 GAA and an .893 save percentage before the Devils' rebuild took a step forward. I'm not jumping in with both feet, but I'm testing the waters to see if he can maintain his playing time for a while.
By next week, we'll be at the virtual midpoint of the season. I can't say for sure when I'll do midseason awards, but it will be some time in January. May luck be on your side heading into this week, and check back next Monday for more.
