2024-25 Fantasy Hockey Week 15 Primer And Pickups: Fantilli Steps Up; Talbot Soars

With 13 games each on Tuesday and Thursday, and then 15 on Saturday, Week 15 is going to be one of those weeks where streaming options are either going to be really plentiful or really thin.

It brings a lot of challenges on its own, and it means that if you're falling way behind by Saturday night, it's going to be very unlikely you can make the up difference on Sunday.

In the newest episode of the Sleepers and Keepers fantasy hockey podcast, which drops Monday at 8 a.m PT/11 a.m. ET, Michael Amato and I mentioned that a wave of injuries have hit the league. It's given big opportunities to players lower in the lineup, but not all of them may be worth considering.

Last week, for example, when Ty Smith took over the Hurricanes' top power play, he was generally ineffective and provided little fantasy value. The same could be said for Uvis Balinskis, who's been the Panthers' quarterback at times previously this season and resumes playing that role now with Aaron Ekblad out. Declan Chisholm, who's playing more minutes with Jonas Brodin, Brock Faber and Jared Spurgeon all out of the lineup, has also provided little juice, and the Wild's power play was relatively weak to begin with.

There are players who are obvious pickups - Adam Fantilli, for example, who takes over for the injured Sean Monahan on the Blue Jackets. For the most part, you want to look for established players who are getting a slight bump, and not an unproven player who's getting a test run or thrust into a role they're unfamiliar with.

Schedule

Pick players from teams at the top of the schedule matrix to maximize games and matchups. Green is good. Red is bad. All advanced stats courtesy naturalstatrick.com. All positions and rostered percentages are courtesy of Yahoo Fantasy. Points percentages are as of Saturday.

Season-long adds

(< 50% rostered on Yahoo)

Logan Cooley, C, Utah (48% rostered)

Once in a while, Barrett Hayton will skate as their 1C, but I think a lot of that has to do with his familiarity with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz. Cooley is their top option at center and one of the biggest concerns I have with young centers - their ability to win draws - is alleviated by Cooley's improved FOW%. Without Dylan Guenther, Utah's offense takes a big hit, but expect Cooley to get the best deployment with Keller.

Marco Rossi, C, Wild (47% rostered)

Even with Joel Eriksson Ek back in the lineup, Rossi's their go-to option on offense and this might be your last chance to roster him. The Wild offense is hurting without Kirill Kaprizov and their top three defensemen, but they will return at some point. With only two games in Week 15, it's not an ideal schedule for the Wild, but Rossi has plenty of ROS value.

Pierre-Luc Dubois, C/LW, Capitals (37% rostered)

I've been singing his praises recently in the daily waiver wire articles, and if you're looking for some points, hits and faceoff wins in multi-category leagues, Dubois a good depth option. His goals and shooting volume will always be a problem, but he makes up for it in other areas.

Jonathan Drouin, LW/RW, Avalanche (29% rostered)

Drouin is getting a ton of minutes and he's a great option in points leagues. He offers very minimal value in all other categories, but I find points one of the most difficult categories to fill. Drouin's up to 10 points in 11 games and he should be able to keep scoring at this pace as long as he gets to play a lot of minutes with Nathan MacKinnon.

Jackson LaCombe, D, Ducks (34% rostered)

I've seen enough - I think LaCombe should stay as the Ducks top PP option. I think there will still be times where Greg Cronin plays Olen Zellweger or Pavel Mintyukov, but I think the odds of that happening are getting lower, especially with the way LaCombe has piling up the points.

Cam Talbot, G, Red Wings (45% rostered)

That's now four straight wins for Talbot and the Wings have absolutely turned a corner under Todd McLellan. With Alex Lyon injured, Talbot's going to be the No. 1 going forward and there won't be much confidence - if any - in Ville Husso. If you're looking for a starter, Talbot's a great option while the Wings are hot.

Mid-term holds

(< 50% rostered on Yahoo)

Dmitri Voronkov, LW, Blue Jackets (49% rostered)

I think it's really encouraging that even without Monahan, Voronkov is scoring. He's bagged two apples in two games with four shots on goal. There's still a part of me that thinks Voronkov's production will start slowing because his 23.9 S% is simply absurd, which is the main reason why I'm not convinced he's a season-long hold, but there's no sense in dropping him while he's still scoring.

Anders Lee, LW, Islanders (48% rostered)

I had written Lee off earlier this season but his recent play has really been incredible with six goals in his past seven games and 35 points in 42 games. He's having his best season since his 40-goal campaign, and the Isles have re-jigged their top line with Lee playing opposite Mathew Barzal with Brock Nelson in the middle. If you dropped Nelson earlier this season, it might be time to look at him again.

Matthew Knies, LW, Maple Leafs (46% rostered)

I think Knies is a fine season-long hold; the only reason I'm still on the fence is his production. He binges like no other with scoring spurts, but it's good that he's playing with Auston Matthews. For goals and hits, Knies is a great option if you're okay with the occasional short-term droughts.

Quinton Byfield, C/LW/RW, Kings (38% rostered)

Byfield has gone three games without a point but I'm still optimistic, mostly due to his increased shooting volume. If that dried up, I'd be a lot more worried. But I see a young player who still has time to have a breakout campaign this season. He's been averaging 20 minutes per game since late December.

Adam Fantilli, C, Blue Jackets (14% rostered)

If he's available, you should pick him up now. He's on a five-game points streak and scored a goal on six shots in his first game as their No. 1 center. Fantilli was in line for a potential breakout season but Monahan's exceptional play has kept Fantilli lower on the depth chart; now's his chance, and he offers a lot of upside on a very high-scoring team. Not sure how long Monahan is out for, but it sounds like it could be at least a few weeks.

Connor Ingram, G, Utah (35% rostered)

I think Karel Vejmelka's played so well that Ingram's facing a battle to win back the starting job. He was excellent in his return to action (30 saves, .938 SP) but Utah's mired in a slump and their goal support will dip without the injured Guenther. I can still see Ingram and Vejmelka split the starts, however, assuming Ingram can return to last season's form. You're looking more for quantity than quality.

Short-term streamers

(< 50% rostered on Yahoo)

William Eklund, LW, Sharks (18% rostered)

I get a little concerned about the Sharks offense and their overall output because they're still very young and inconsistent. But Eklund has been on a scoring binge since returning to the lineup with four points and 13 shots in four games. With a matchup against the Jackets coming up, that might be a good game to stream Eklund in what may be a very high-scoring game.

Teuvo Teravainen, LW/RW, Blackhawks (15% rostered)

I find it hard to trust Teravainen, but he's been scoring in bunches. He scored 10 points in four games from Dec. 15-21 and now he's scored five points in his past three games. The Hawks have a game on Monday, so maybe you can stream Teravainen in that game, and if all goes well roster him for the rest of the week.

Jakub Dobes, G, Canadiens (17% rostered)

I think we've seen the last of Cayden Primeau as the Habs backup; he's gotten enough looks, and it just doesn't seem like he has what it takes. Dobes, on the other hand, has continued his strong play and with a back-to-back coming up this weekend, he will see more action. The Habs have been excellent during their winning streak and now stands a good chance to make the playoffs.

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