NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Defensemen Pickups Jan. 16 - Lohrei Takeover; Drysdale On Fire

On every game day this season, THN Fantasy will highlight players and goalies for fantasy managers to stream or roster for the rest of the season. The recommended players and goalies can be used in standard fantasy leagues or for daily fantasy games.

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Jackson LaCombe, ANA at TB (38% rostered)

LaCombe did not register a point in two of his past three games but the good news he played a team-high 24:18 among Ducks defensemen in their 3-0 loss to the Caps. The Ducks have a low-upside offense because they don't have an elite scorer (yet), but LaCombe is their best option on the blueline. Overall, he's still been very good with 16 points in his past 21 games.

Cam Fowler, STL vs. CGY (33% rostered)

It's hard to pin down the Blues defense because they don't have a go-to unit, but even without PP1 minutes, Fowler has managed to produce points. He's scored four points in his past five games, all at even strength, including a helper Tuesday against the Flames in the first of their two-game series. His 25:05 TOI was seven minutes more than PP1 QB Justin Faulk.

Nikita Zadorov, BOS at OTT (22% rostered)

If you're looking for banger stats - blocks and hits - Zadorov is a good option. He played just 18:24 against the Lightning but that was a blowout win and Zadorov spent seven minutes in the box. With Charlie McAvoy on IR, Zadorov stands to play a lot of minutes, and I'm sure he'll be seeing a lot of Brady Tkachuk. There is some upside for points just based on the big minutes Zadorov's expected to play, but it's not very high.

Alex Vlasic, CHI at NSH (8% rostered)

It's small but still noteworthy; in the Blackhawks' most recent game against the Flames, Seth Jones was briefly replaced by Vlasic on PP1. Though Jones has more experience and seen as the veteran leader, his play has been very poor lately; he skated just 16 minutes, second-lowest among Hawks defensemen, while Vlasic was the only one to play over 21 minutes. If Jones is benched yet again, look for Vlasic to play an outsized role. The offensive ceiling won't be high - the Preds PK is also quite good - but more minutes generally means more fantasy value.

Jamie Drysdale, PHI at NYI (4% rostered)

The Flyers are rolling going 2-0-1 in their past three games during Drysdale's point streak. He's collected a goal and three assists during that span, the best stretch of hockey he's played this season. This isn't an attractive matchup because the Isles tend to play low-scoring games and the Flyers offense isn't particularly dangerous, and Drysdale doesn't get a lot of minutes, but his hot streak is noteworthy for managers who want to capitalize on someone with the hot hand.

Mason Lohrei, BOS at OTT (2% rostered)

If you're looking for points on the B's blueline, Lohrei's taken over as their PP1 QB. He's a steady defenseman and and doesn't possess game-breaking offensive skill; he's more of a placeholder and a defenseman who can skate, pass and shoot because the Bruins don't really have anyone else. Lohrei's a boom-or-bust play because other than power play usage he doesn't offer much in shots, blocks or hits.

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