NHL Fantasy Hockey Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickups: Charlie Lindgren Making a Case For More Playing Time
Welcome to another edition of the Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Report. The NHL season is in full swing, which means we need to start looking at the waiver wire. This part of the year is critical to be able to claim players that might have been missed in drafts. Some of these players will help you win a championship, so make sure you aren’t asleep at the helm of your fantasy team. Let’s take a look at some players worth targeting this week.
NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Pickups
Cole Perfetti - Winnipeg Jets - Centre
Cole Perfetti is quietly putting together an outstanding season. The young forward has five goals in the last six games and is seeing a decent amount of ice time each night. He’s not on the top power play unit, so that does limit his upside, but his production hasn’t been limited because of that. We know he’s a talented kid who can score goals and he’s showing us that. If he can keep this pace up, there’s no reason to believe that he can’t top 60 points this year.
Owen Tippett - Philadelphia Flyers - Winger
The Philadelphia Flyers are currently riding a five-game winning streak and Owen Tippett is a big reason why. He now has 13 points on the season, including seven points in the last five games. His ice time has been good and he has found a home on the second line and top power play unit. It’s taken Tippett a while to find consistent production, but we may be witnessing a player starting to blossom. If he can keep this production up, then he is worth a roster spot in deeper formats.
Connor Zary - Calgary Flames - Centre
The Calgary Flames are struggling to put wins together but Connor Zary is a bright spot. The rookie has eight points in as many games and is playing steady minutes on the second line. He’s seen over 18 minutes multiple times this season and seems to be gaining the trust of the coaching staff. Calgary needs players to contribute and Zary is making a case to stay with the big club. He only has centre position eligibility, but that will change over the next couple of weeks, making him even more of an asset. He’s a perfect candidate to add to any fantasy team, especially in deeper formats.
Zach Werenski - Columbus Blue Jackets - Defence
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a mess but there are some players still worth targeting. Zach Werenski has one goal on the season but he does have ten assists, including five in the last six games. He’s also doing a good job at blocking shots and generating shots on goal. His ownership has been dropping steadily, but this might be a good time to scoop him up, especially in banger leagues. He’s an offensive defenceman who is going to get every chance possible to produce offensively.
Charlie Lindgren - Washington Capitals - Goalie
The Washington Capitals need stability in goal and Charlie Lindgren is giving them that. Darcy Kuepmer has battled injuries this season and even when he has been healthy, his numbers have not been good. Lindgren is 4-1-0 this season with a 2.01 GAA and a .940 SV%. It’s a small sample size, but he has earned the right to play more games and even take over as the starter. He’s allowed just three goals in his last two starts and has won four in a row. It’s quite something to see him at only 25% ownership in Yahoo! leagues because he’s a player who can help you win a championship.
All stats provided by NHL.com
Player News
Taylor Ward went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI, and three runs scored in the Angels’ 7-6 win over the Dodgers on Tuesday.
Ward put the Angels on the board with a base hit in the first inning to drive in a run. He then took Emmet Sheehan deep for a solo homer in the third. Ward started the bottom of the tenth inning as the runner on second and scored the game-winning run on a base hit by Jo Adell. The 31-year-old outfielder has hit 28 homers while driving in 89 RBI, hitting .234/.314/.489 across 509 plate appearances.
Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored, and two walks against the Angels on Tuesday.
Ohtani drew a walk and scored a run in the first inning and walked again in the second. He later came up in a big spot for the Dodgers. With the game tied in the top of the ninth, the took Kenley Jansen deep for a solo homer to give the Dodgers the lead. The 31-year-old star is up to 43 homers, 114 runs scored, 79 RBI, and 17 steals while slashing .284/.391/.629 across 546 plate appearances.
Dalton Rushing went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer against the Angels on Tuesday.
Rushing took Victor Mederos deep for a two-run homer in the second inning for his second home run of the season. He added a base hit in the sixth before Will Smith pinch hit for him in the eighth. The 24-year-old backstop is playing once every three games, hitting .202/.269/.298 with 15 RBI across 104 plate appearances.
Victor Mederos allowed three runs with three strikeouts over four innings in a no-decision against the Dodgers on Tuesday.
Mederos drew a tough matchup against the Dodgers for his first career start. He issued a walk and hit a batter before Teoscar Hernández singled in a run. Dalton Rushing then took him deep for a two-run homer in the second inning. Mederos would give the Angels two more scoreless innings before ending his day after four frames with three strikeouts. The 24-year-old right-hander lines up for a start against the Reds in Anaheim on Monday.
Emmet Sheehan allowed five runs with six strikeouts over five innings in a no-decision against the Angels on Tuesday.
The Angels got to Sheehan in the first inning, bringing three runs in to score on a walk and three hits. Taylor Ward added a run in the third with a solo homer off Sheehan. A walk and a double would bring home a fifth runs before Sheehan’s day was done after five frames. He struck out six. The 25-year-old right-hander will take a 3.86 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and a 37/13 K/BB ratio across 35 innings into a start against the Rockies in Colorado next Tuesday.
Jackson Merrill went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in San Diego’s 5-1 win over the Giants on Tuesday.
Merrill doubled in the sixth inning, then took Carson Seymour deep for a solo homer in the eighth to extend the Padres’ lead. It was just the second home run in the second half for the 22-year-old outfielder. He’s up to nine on the season while slashing .263/.322/.419 across 371 plate appearances.