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) 47% Owned (+2% Change from last week)
This will probably be his last appearance on the waiver article. The rookie sensation has really helped lift the Flyers out of the basement in the Eastern Conference putting the playoffs in sight. In the last two weeks the D man has recorded six points, two of them powerplay goals, 11 shots, and a +2 rating. He isn't going to get many hits or blocks but if he doesn't hurt you in the +/- department the scoring alone can add a ton of value to your fantasy team after Christmas.
Alex Goligoski (DAL, D) 50% Owned
He is right on the borderline of being eligible for the article. I picked my players on Sunday and by Tuesday, when writing this article, he has gone up to 51% ownership. He has been playing very solid lately with points in four of his last five games and has added a +4 rating in that time. He is now up to 16 points on the year with an impressive +14 rating for the Stars and their #1 offense. A great addition to any fantasy blue line.
Morgan Rielly (TOR, D) 28% Owned
The 5th overall pick in 2012 draft is really starting to come into his own in the NHL. He is an offensive minded blue liner who has tallied 18 points this year and points in three of his last four games. The big surprise for Rielly is his +7 rating over the past two weeks. He is only going to get better with time so grab him now before its too late.
Also Available - Johnny Oduya (DAL, D) 9% Owned
Goaltenders
Cam Ward (CAR, G) 39% Owned
Finding a starting goaltender is a tough task if you are in a 10+ person league. After being drafted in most leagues this year he was dropped and now sits at 39% owned. He has struggled mightily this season to the tune of a 2.49 GAA and .901 save % but has been playing his best hockey of the season as of late. He has posted a 2-2 record even though he has only given up 2 goals once in that period. He isn't going to add a ton of wins to your team as the Hurricanes are ranked near the bottom in offense but he will get you added saves and save % as long as the good play continues.
Chad Johnson (BUF, G) 24% Owned (+5% change from last week)
The Buffalo Sabres are a young team that will be on the rise very soon. They have stock piled young talent and are relying on 29 year old Chad Johnson between the pipes. Since mid december he has gone 3-1 with a .952 save % and added a shutout vs. the Ducks. If your league counts saves as a total he makes a great option as the Sabres have been allowing over 30 shots a game lately when he is in net.
Also Available - Thomas Greiss (NYI, G) 47% Owned