Fantasy hockey stock watch: Brock Faber, Cam Atkinson maintain strong run
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Victoria Matiash, Fantasy Hockey
Ready to nail the last full fantasy week before the All-Star break on a high note? With seven games scheduled Wednesday, another nine Thursday, and four Friday, there’s ample chance to get a leg up before nearly everyone plays Saturday and very few do Sunday.
So, without further ado, here’s a heftier-than-usual handful of assets to consider — some more permanent than others — ahead of the upcoming run of inactivity. There will be plenty of time to take a greater in-depth look into your fantasy roster once we hit next week’s pause.
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Stock up
Charlie Coyle, F, Boston Bruins: Competing with David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, the Bruins’ top center has three goals and five assists in his past five games — every one of them a Boston victory. Coyle’s club hosts the Hurricanes Wednesday, before visiting the Senators Thursday and Flyers on Saturday. Lots of fantasy hay to be made before this week concludes.
Boone Jenner, F, Columbus Blue Jackets: He’s back after missing six weeks with a broken jaw. While the Columbus center isn’t going to wow you with sparkling production numbers, there’s additional value to appreciate via his taste for banging bodies and blocking shots. Before sustaining a busted face, Jenner averaged 2.2 fantasy points/game in ESPN.com standard leagues. Not too shabby.
Jeff Skinner, F, Buffalo Sabres: The Sabres winger is back, retucked in on top line and power play with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. Before suffering an upper-body injury this month, Skinner enjoyed a five-game run with three goals and five assists. Scooting up the state of California this week, Buffalo visits the fumbling Kings Wednesday and league-worst Sharks on Saturday.
Patrick Kane, F, Detroit Red Wings: The Wings are hinting Kane could return to competition before the All-Star break. So, if not this week, perhaps next Wednesday versus the visiting Senators. Right now, the veteran forward is available in more than a quarter of ESPN.com leagues.
Warren Foegele, F, Edmonton Oilers: After last week’s feature, another kindly reminder that Leon Draisaitl’s and Evander Kane’s linemate remains available in 97% of ESPN.com competition. Foegele scored another goal and assist Tuesday, amounting to 4.4 fantasy points all told.
Cam Atkinson, F, Philadelphia Flyers: The Flyers aren’t losing again because of a lack of scoring, including from Atkinson. Skating on a top-six line with center Morgan Frost , the winger is riding a six-game point streak, comprising five goals and five assists on 23 shots.
Brock Faber, D, Minnesota Wild: Anchoring the Wild’s top power play, the rookie blueliner has two goals and six assists, including four points with the extra skater, while averaging about 25 minutes of ice-time/hair less than 4.0 fantasy points, through five games, yet remains available in well more than half of all ESPN.com leagues.
Simon Nemec, D, New Jersey Devils: While managing some obvious NHL growing pains, the rookie is still producing and blocking shots with regularity. By some margin, the 19-year-old has served as the Devils’ most valuable fantasy commodity on the blue line this past month.
Stock down
Pierre-Luc Dubois, F, Los Angeles Kings: Coach Todd McLellan on Dubois’s ho-hum performance for the Kings to date, as per Hockey Royalty’s Russell Morgen:
“At the end of the day whether PL gets four minutes or gets 24 minutes he has to be a difference-maker. And with or without the puck we’ve gone through this long enough, it’s time.”
If the 25-year-old ex-Jet/ex-Blue Jacket doesn’t come busting through the boards, revving it up a few ticks, after being fed this challenge — beginning Wednesday against the visiting Sabres — then drop him asap. It’s time, is right.
Tristan Jarry, G, Pittsburgh Penguins: If not for one 22-save shutout against Seattle mid-month, Jarry would sit well in negative fantasy territory in 2024. As it stands, he has all of 5.8 points to show for seven appearances. Aside from Sidney Crosby, the Penguins aren’t putting in a great showing these days. Play a netminder other than Jarry until/if Pittsburgh turns matters around.
Streamer specials
Wyatt Johnston, F, Dallas Stars: It appears Johnston enjoys setting up Roope Hintz. Skating on a scoring line with Hintz and Jason Robertson, the sophomore registered three primary assists in Tuesday’s 5-4 win over the Red Wings. Two games earlier he scored himself and earned another primary assist (on another Hintz goal) in New Jersey. I’m all over streaming this kid against the Ducks Thursday, if not just picking him up outright. For however long he remains on that top Stars unit.
Michael Bunting, F, Carolina Hurricanes: While I’m less enthusiastic about streaming the feisty winger in Boston Wednesday, Thursday against the visiting Devils is a whole other fantasy story. If, of course, he’s still subbing in on a Hurricanes’ top line in place of a banged-up Andrei Svechnikov. Bunting scored from that spot — assisted by Sebastian Aho, naturally — and registered six shots against the Wild on Sunday.
Ilya Samsonov, G, Toronto Maple Leafs: The recently downtrodden netminder was near-great in Sunday’s victory over the Kraken, earning his first win in seemingly forever (since Dec. 9). Now he’s pegged to start Wednesday against a Laurent Brossoit-backed Jets squad that could be without Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi once more. Fantasy-wise, do with that what you will.
Nicolas Roy, F, Vegas Golden Knights: Settling into his role centering Jonathan Marchessault and Ivan Barbashev, Roy has a pair of goals and three helpers in his past two games, capping off eight points in five contests altogether. I’d definitely stream the widely-available forward on a light Friday when the Knights visit the Rangers in New York.
Joey Daccord, G, Seattle Kraken: We’re, relatively enthusiastically, back on the Daccord fantasy bandwagon Wednesday with the Blackhawks in town. And maybe again Friday against the Blues, then Sunday versus the Blue Jackets. Sure, the Kraken just lost four straight, but that was to the Penguins, Rangers, Oilers, and Maple Leafs. Different stretch ahead.
