Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Cooley, Grubauer lead pickups to target this week

Working the waiver wire is a crucial part of any championship fantasy hockey season. Finding players to work into your lineup every single week that can add points to your total is the number one way you can control the outcome of your matchup.

In this article every week, I’ll be going over players at every position and at different levels of rostership so that you can fill out your fantasy squad with the best players available in your league. Let’s dig in:

Forwards

Rostered in 41-50% of Leagues: Logan Cooley, C - ARI - (46% rostered)

Fantasy hockey is meant to be fun, and what’s more fun than watching rookie Logan Cooley look like a seasoned pro in his first taste of NHL action? Cooley’s Arizona Coyotes open the week with a nice little back-to-back against the Rangers and Islanders, with a couple of un-intimidating opponents later in the week in the Blues and Ducks.

If Cooley continues to deliver on the hype, you could be looking at a player you hang onto for the rest of the season. He’s already carved out a role on the Coyotes’ top power play unit and doesn’t look likely to give it up any time soon.

Honorable Mentions: Tom Wilson, RW - WSH (47%) & Seth Jarvis, C/RW - CAR (42%)

Rostered in 31-40% of Leagues: Andrew Mangiapane, LW/RW - CGY (40% rostered)

Mangiapane’s Calgary Flames have what I would consider to be the best schedule this week, playing three off-nights on Monday/Friday/Sunday with a Thursday game in there as well. Saturday’s slate has all but the Flames and Devils in action, so rostering Flames players is a great way to get extra games played out of your fantasy lineup.

As for Mangiapane, he's quickly ascended to the top line in Calgary alongside Jonathan Huberdeau and Elias Lindholm and the early returns have been spectacular: two goals and two assists for four points in two games thus far.

Honorable Mentions: Lucas Raymond, LW/RW - DET (40%) & Boone Jenner, C/LW - CBJ (40%)

Rostered in 21-30% of Leagues: Nick Schmaltz, C/RW - ARI (30% rostered)

Cooley may be the fun option from the Coyotes, but Nick Schmaltz might be the best option rostered in less than half of Yahoo leagues. Schmaltz’s role on the top line and top power play seem set in stone after multiple seasons as Clayton Keller’s primary running mate, and he’s averaged 21:27 of ice time through his first two games resulting in a goal and an assist.

Schmaltz won’t stuff the stat sheet with hits, blocks, or penalty minutes, but if you’re looking to jump out to a quick lead in your points league matchup, Schmaltz is a good bet to come away with a point or two in the Monday/Tuesday back-to-back.

Honorable Mentions: J.T. Compher, LW/RW - DET (26%) & Evgeny Kuznetsov, C - WSH (30%)

Rostered in 0-20% of Leagues: Evan Rodrigues, C/LW - FLA (14% rostered)

Rodrigues put himself firmly in the fantasy conversation with a two-goal, two-assist outburst against Winnipeg on Saturday. Averaging 19:32 of ice through two games and skating on the top line and top power play unit, there’s no good reason why Rodrigues is rostered in so few Yahoo leagues currently.

As long as he’s getting this prime deployment I’m going to be all over Rodrigues, as it seems like teammates Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk could turn an AHL enforcer into a stream-worthy fantasy asset at this point.

Honorable Mentions: Barrett Hayton, C - ARI (14%) & Kirill Marchenko, RW - CBJ (8%)

Defensemen

Rostered in 26-50% of Leagues: Bowen Byram - COL (44% rostered)

Byram has been a bit cold to start the season, with a single shot on goal across two games and an average TOI of 19:43. But if you’re in a bangers categories league, Byram will maintain significant value even when he’s not putting up points. He’s racked up four hits and six blocks already, making himself useful to fantasy managers despite the slow start.

I don’t anticipate Byram’s offensive woes will continue much longer, as the Avalanche seem to be in fine form as a team and Byram has been a consistent point producer throughout his young career when healthy. I think the juice is worth the squeeze here with the young blueliner.

Honorable Mentions: Jake Sanderson - OTT (38%) & Michael Matheson - MTL (35%)

Rostered in 0-25% of Leagues: Oliver Ekman-Larsson - FLA (12% rostered)

Ekman-Larsson is a must-roster player in all points leagues for me right now, skating an unbelievable 26:34 per game so far while tied for fifth amongst all defensemen in shot attempts. When you consider that every other player with more shot attempts has played one more game than OEL, you can understand that his current role with the Panthers — both at even strength and more importantly as the quarterback of the top power play unit — is wildly valuable for fantasy purposes. I’d project OEL for a 50+ point pace from now until Brandon Montour comes back from his injury.

Honorable Mentions: Cam York - PHI (5%) & Brock Faber - MIN (10%)

Goalies

Rostered in 26-50% of Leagues: Philipp Grubauer - SEA (46% rostered)

Grubauer has lost both of his first two starts but has stopped 56 of 61 shots so far for a strong .918 save percentage. I expect Seattle will get on track offensively eventually, and if Grubauer can hold up his end of the deal you’re looking at a bargain basement pickup who could become a season-long starter for your fantasy squad.

The Kraken are rolling with Joey Daccord as their backup, and you'd be forgiven if you’ve never heard that name before given that he was a seventh-round pick eight years ago. Grubauer should inherit as much start volume as he can handle, making him all the more valuable for fantasy purposes.

Honorable Mentions: John Gibson - ANA (35%) & Karel Vejmelka - ARI (50%)

Rostered in 0-25% of Leagues: Elvis Merzlikins - CBJ (23% rostered)

I was not interested in Merzlikins as a #ZeroG option to start this season, but Merzlikins has come out red hot, sporting a sparkling .950 save percentage through two games. If Columbus is ready to take the next step as a team, I can see a world in which Merzlikins recaptures the magic of his first two seasons in the league and provides significant fantasy value.

It’s always dicey when picking goalies rostered in less than 25% of Yahoo leagues, but I would characterize myself as “cautiously optimistic” that Merzlikins can be both a volume starter and an above-average performer in the GAA and SV% categories this season.

Honorable Mentions: Mackenzie Blackwood - SJS (6%) & Petr Mrazek - CHI (18%)

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Nate Groot Nibbelink is the creator of Apples & Ginos Fantasy Hockey and the originator of the #ZeroG draft strategy. You can find him pontificating about obscure fantasy hockey strategy topics in the Apples & Ginos Discord Server or on Twitter @applesginos.