You’ll need help every week to make those tough fantasy football lineup decisions, especially now that we’re into the semi-final round of the playoffs in most leagues. Luckily for you, the team at Yahoo has everything you need to prep for the week with updated rankings for Half-PPR and Full-PPR, as well as plenty of analysis via articles, video and audio. Below you’ll find a complete set of links to help you with all your fantasy football needs for the week.
The Philadelphia Flyers have suspended radio play-by-play broadcaster Tim Saunders after he was heard making an inappropriate comment during Thursday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.
Thinking he had just thrown the broadcast to a commercial break, Saunders made a reference to oral sex before being alerted by his partner, former NHLer Todd Fedoruk, that they were still live on air.
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“I think we’re still on the air, Tim,” Fedoruk informed Saunders.
“No we’re not, are we?” Saunders replied after chuckling.
The Flyers announced on Friday that Saunders has been suspended for two games.
“These remarks do not reflect the standards of conduct or values we expect from anyone associated with our organization,” read the team’s statement.
“During last night’s game in Buffalo, I made an error in judgement with my comments that were made when I thought we were in a commercial break,” Saunders wrote in a statement. “I recognize how offensive my remarks were, and the harm it has caused.
“I take full responsibility and sincerely apologize to the Flyers, 97.5 The Fanatic and all those affected by my remarks.
“To all Flyers fans and listeners of our broadcast, I promise that I will hold myself to a higher standard moving forward to ensure our broadcast is a safe and respectful place everyone can enjoy.”
Saunders has called Flyers games for 29 seasons since joining the team in 1997.
He will miss the the Flyers upcoming games against the New York Rangers on Saturday and Monday against the Vancouver Canucks.
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Saunders will be back in the broadcast booth for the Flyers’ final game before the NHL holiday break on Dec. 23 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Baltimore Orioles have acquired starting pitcher Shane Baz from the Tampa Bay Rays, the team announced Friday.
Outfielder Slater de Brun, catcher Caden Bodine, right-handed pitcher Michael Forret, outfielder Austin Overn and a Competitive Balance Round A pick will be going to the Rays in exchange for the 26-year-old right-hander.
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Baz was a 2017 first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates and was dealt to the Rays as part of the Tyler Glasnow-Chris Archer deal. Baz has pitched all four of his MLB seasons in Tampa, compiling 293 strikeouts over 286 innings with a 4.25 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 17-17 record.
But injuries have limited Baz to only 54 career starts. In 2022, he made six starts after undergoing arthroscopic elbow surgery. Later that season, after being diagnosed with a right elbow strain, he underwent Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss the entirety of the 2023 season. He returned in 2024 and made 14 starts.
The Rays weren’t finished with moves following the Baz trade. They also sent second baseman Brandon Lowe to the Pirates as part of a three-team deal. In that swap, the Pirates also receive outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery, the Houston Astros get righty Mike Burrows, and the Rays pick up two of the Astros’ top-10 prospects in outfielder Jacob Melton and righty Anderson Brito.
There’s no question that Tarik Skubal is the best pitcher in the sport, and his undeniable talent combined with the passion he exudes on the mound makes him exactly what any team would want in an ace. The Detroit Tigers have enjoyed reaping the benefits of Skubal’s greatness over the past two seasons. After a long rebuild, the Tigers reached the postseason in back-to-back years in 2024 and ‘25. In that same time, Skubal took the crown as the best pitcher in the world.
But now time is running out on the Tigers’ run with the back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner, and it might be time for the team to make an uncomfortable decision.
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It’s no secret that Skubal is one year away from free agency, and anytime a player of his caliber is on the precipice of hitting the market, speculation begins to swirl about the possibility of a trade. Of course, the one thing that could silence those trade rumors is an extension, but given the exorbitant price, extending baseball’s best starting pitcher is easier said than done for Detroit. And when that pitcher’s agent is Scott Boras, who famously steers his clients away from extensions and toward the open market, it adds another complex layer to the situation.
The Tigers and Skubal have reportedly been far apart in extension conversations and unable to get close to a resolution in their discussions. At this point, the best decision for both sides might be to walk away from the table and for the Tigers to shift their efforts to trade conversations.
When you have a talent such as Skubal, Plan A should always be to try to win with that player. But because an extension doesn’t seem realistic, the Tigers are seemingly backed into a corner and running out of options.
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The Tigers currently have one of the most valuable commodities in the game. Even though Skubal has just one year of club control remaining, there are teams that would pay top dollar for one year of the best pitcher in the game. By trading Skubal, the Tigers could get a haul in return, and because the AL Central isn’t particularly strong, they could likely still be the best team in the division, especially if they’re able to get major-league talent in the deal.
Of course, while the Tigers might benefit in the long term, the reality is that Skubal is a generational type of starting pitcher, and there is no replacing him once he’s gone. But at the same time, not trading Skubal comes with its own risks.
Should the Tigers keep their ace and play out the 2026 season, they’d have one more shot to try to win with the best pitcher on Earth. After that, if Skubal leaves in free agency, all they’d get in return is a draft pick between the first round and Competitive Balance Round A as a revenue-sharing recipient. That doesn’t seem like nearly enough for the best pitcher in baseball.
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And the worst-case scenario involves an injury. If Skubal gets hurt, the value to the Tigers is gone, and any thought of trading their ace goes out the window.
There are definitely things to weigh from Skubal’s perspective as well. The Tigers’ ace is 30 years old and pitching in his prime. This close to free agency, signing an extension doesn’t make much sense from a business standpoint. Most players in this situation let the process play out and enter the free-agent market at season’s end.
However, the situation involves a level of risk for the southpaw, too.
Pitchers have a much higher risk of injury than position players because of the nature of the position. Skubal had one Tommy John surgery in 2016, when he was in college, and in today’s baseball, many starters have to undergo a second elbow procedure at some point, whether that’s full Tommy John or an internal brace procedure.
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This reality is something teams have begun to incorporate in their calculations before signing pitchers to long-term deals. And for Skubal, who is in the 99th percentile for velocity and as max-effort as it gets on the mound, every pitch he throws without an extension or long-term deal is going to be a risk. It makes sense for the all-world ace to bet on himself at this point in his career, but betting on continued health is a far riskier proposition.
As teams around the league look for ways to upgrade their rotations without having to spend at the top of the free-agent market, the trade market will continue to heat up. Which makes now the perfect time for the Tigers to, at the very least, actively shop Skubal. It would be difficult for contending teams to dream up a better one-year rental than a back-to-back Cy Young winner.
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This is hardly an ideal situation for Detroit, and getting true value for Skubal at this point likely won’t be possible. But time is no longer on the Tigers’ side. With the entire sport waiting to see what they decide to do, moving Skubal might hurt, but it also might be for the best.
“It’s just the next game,” Sirianni said, “and we know it’s an opportunity to win the division. And as my dad used to always say: We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
The bridge the Eagles are on the cusp of crossing has not been crossed in 21 years. Not since the 2003 and 2004 seasons has any team in the NFC East defended its division title, which is to say won the division two consecutive seasons.
For 20 straight years, the division has changed hands annually. The Eagles, this weekend, have the chance to snap that streak.
Philadelphia travels to Washington as 7-point favorites against a Commanders team that has sidelined quarterback Jayden Daniels (elbow) for the remainder of the season. Beat the Commanders, and the Eagles clinch the NFC East.
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The Eagles can also clinch this weekend if they and the Dallas Cowboys tie their games, or if the Dallas Cowboys lose Sunday to the Los Angeles Chargers (the Cowboys are 2.5-point home favorites, per BetMGM).
Philadelphia’s simplest and earliest route to division-champion hats and T-shirts is a Saturday win.
And while the seemingly-always-present-in-Philadelphia tension has lingered through the 9-5 Eagles’ season, particularly surrounding the offense, they’re on the doorstep of a level of continuity that is common in the NFL albeit not in the NFC East.
The NFC East’s recent history diverges wildly from its counterpart divisions.
Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley have heard their share of criticism of the Eagles’ offense this season, however, the team is now a near lock to win the NFC East for the second straight year. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
(Mitchell Leff via Getty Images)
Since the NFC East was last defended by the Eagles from the 2003 to the 2004 season, every division has featured a repeat champion. Twenty-three of the 28 teams in the seven non-NFC East divisions have won repeat titles, a Yahoo Sports analysis of Pro Football Reference data showed. The other seven divisions have been defended 72 unique times by those 23 teams since the 2004 to 2005 season, when the NFC East began its wild reign of changing hands.
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“I’m not surprised by it,” said Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, whose eight years in the division have included six with the New York Giants before two in Philadelphia. “It’s a hard, hard division throughout the history of this game. Being in this division for the last eight years, you know how tough it is.
“So to do something that hasn’t been done in 20 years is pretty cool. But again, that can’t be the focus.”
The NFL structures its guidelines around the goal of parity, aiming to thwart dynasties via the salary cap and draft format. And yet: Six of the league’s eight divisions were defended last year. Outside of the East, the only other NFC division not defended last year, the NFC West, was defended the year prior.
Still, it was the NFC East who sent two teams to the conference championship game last season. The Eagles beat the Commanders, 55-23, before ultimately winning the Super Bowl.
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In the 20 years of defenseless NFC East play, the Cowboys and Eagles each have won the division seven times, while the Giants and Commanders have won it three times a piece.
Philadelphia and New York have each won two Super Bowl titles in that stretch. Only Dallas has not advanced past the divisional round.
Until the division has been clinched, the Eagles are hesitant to celebrate. After all, history suggests this is a division that does not want to be defended.
But the chances that the streak breaks are high. The chance that it breaks this weekend: also high.
Could that momentum shift the panic in Philadelphia, reminding the city how difficult it is to sustain success in the division?
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“You win the division, you can guarantee yourself a playoff position,” Barkley said. “You get to the playoffs, you guarantee yourself a chance to compete for the Super Bowl. And that’s what you want.”
The Eagles enter this Week 16 game with the league’s fifth-ranked scoring defense and 18th-ranked scoring offense. Philadelphia’s defense ranks 13th in total yardage compared to its 22nd-ranked offense, which rebounded to a 31-0 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders last weekend to snap a three-game skid.
Winning in the postseason will take more than the caliber of play that was needed to beat the spiraling 2-12 Raiders and next the 4-10 Commanders in two of the coming three weeks. But Barkley advocated for peaking at the right time. Hitting a stride in September is rarely what makes an NFL champion.
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“If you look at some of those teams that were the guys or the teams halfway through the year, they’re falling off,” Barkley said. “It’s a long season. It’s hard and everything that we want is still out in front of us and we can finish the season the way we want to.
“But the focus has got to be on the little things. Put ourselves in position to do it and obviously we’ll take advantage of it.”
Before Thursday’s overtime defeat against the Seattle Seahawks, Nacua made comments about the officiating on a live stream with streamer Adin Ross.
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“The refs are the worst,” Nacua said. “You don’t think [a ref] is texting his friends in the group chat, like, ‘Yo, you guys just saw me on ‘Sunday Night Football’? That wasn’t PI, but I called it.’ … These guys are human beings, too.”
When asked about Nacua’s comments, head coach Sean McVay said he was unaware and declined to directly address the tweet. He also defended Nacua by calling him “a great kid that’s continuing to learn about the platform he has.”
“I’ve never quite seen anything like what happened on the 2-point conversion, where you’re lined up to kickoff, then they say it’s a fumble because you have a clear and obvious recovery,” McVay said. “Now, you tack it on, make it a 30-30 game. Very interesting. Didn’t get clear explanation of everything that went on just because of the timing of it.
“Never been a part of anything like that, and I’ve grown up around this game. I’m not making excuses … but we do want clarity and an understanding of the things that we can do minimize that when we rejected the 2-point conversion.”
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Nacua’s comments came after a 12-catch, 225-receiving-yard, two-touchdown performance on 16 targets against the Seahawks. Nacua has recorded 573 receiving yards over the past three weeks. He leads the NFL with 114 receptions and is second in receiving yards with 1,592. He has eight receiving touchdowns on the season.
With the NBA Cup past us — congrats to the Knicks! — we’re inching closer to the turn of the calendar. As such, it’s about that time we seriously start considering All-Star selections. All-Star voting officially opened Wednesday, giving us an opportunity to highlight some of the tremendous seasons taking place right now.
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In case you need the reminder, we’ll have a new All-Star format this season as the NBA attempts to breathe life into its premier showcase game on Feb. 15. We will see the introduction of a Team USA vs. Team World format, but with a bit of a twist.
There will be three teams of eight players (24 total, no positional limit) involved in a round-robin mini-tournament. Among the player pool, 12 must come from each conference.
The teams will play each other once — Team A vs. Team B, the winner facing Team C in the second game, then the loser of Team A vs Team B facing Team C in the third game — with each game consisting of a 12-minute period.
The top two teams will play each other in the championship game. If the initial three games end with each team having a 1-1 record, the tiebreaker will be the overall point differential.
(Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
Last month, I took an all-encompassing view of what the All-Star teams — and the three-team constructions — may look like. For this piece, I want to focus on the potential first-time selections. The only thing more exciting than a new All-Star format is a group of newbies entering the fray for the first time. A couple of notes before we get rollin’ and scrollin’:
While there isn’t an official games-played minimum for All-Star festivities, I personally use it as a consistent guardrail since I’m keeping tabs for award selections anyway. A 65-of-82 limit comes out to roughly 79% of games played; the league average for games played right now is about 27, meaning players would need to have appeared in at least 20 contests for me through Dec. 19. It’s why honorable mentions from last month’s piece, like Aaron Gordon (13 games) and Stephon Castle (17 games), or guys like OG Anunoby (17 games) won’t appear here.
For this piece, I’ve separated players into three categories. The “Clear Your Schedule” group are essentially the locks — or at least, players I feel should be locks. The “Stay Ready” group consists of players who are on the bubble — I can make arguments for them, but could also see them losing out to bigger names, their own teammates, or both. The “Make Sure Your Vacation Is Refundable” group is a tier below that — really good seasons that I don’t expect to be rewarded, but I’ll leave the “injury replacement” or “Team World needs someone” doors cracked open.
Let’s dig in, shall we?
EAST
Clear Your Schedule: Jalen Duren (DET), Jalen Johnson (ATL)
Duren is, figuratively and literally, at the center of the East-leading Detroit Pistons’ success this year. Boasting a career-best 18 points (62.9% on 2s), 11 rebounds (career-best 4.2 offensive rebounds), 0.9 steals and 1 block, Duren has leveled up in important ways on both ends of the floor.
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Duren’s screen-setting has made life easier for MVP candidate Cade Cunningham. His decision-making in space has popped as well; whenever Cunningham draws a second defender, Duren has more consistently taken advantage of those opportunities with quicker processing as a passer (shoutout the dump-offs and lobs to Ausar Thompson) and improvement as a short-roll scorer. He’s quietly making 53% of his floater-range shots this season, and he’s been one of the league’s most effective drivers (1.18 PPP on 80 drives, per GeniusIQ tracking data) when he’s put his head down.
On top of that, Duren has grown into a legitimately positive defender. When asked to drop back in coverage, there’s a bit more nuance and understanding to the space he gives and when he decides to take that away with handplay or full commitments. He’s more often asked to defend at the level of screens, where his athleticism more readily shines. The Pistons are allowing a sturdy 0.8 points per possession on trips featuring a ball screen defended by Duren; only the Rockets’ Steven Adams has produced a lower figure (0.796), and that’s with Duren outpacing him by 200 reps (513 to 313) to this point.
As for Johnson, it’s hard to express how much fun it’s been to watch him 1) build on the All-Star campaign he was establishing last season before injuries derailed it, and 2) grow as a legitimate offensive engine.
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The box-score numbers speak for themselves: 23.6 points (57/39/82 splits; 62% true shooting), 10.5 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.6 steals. He and Nikola Jokić are the only two players averaging at least 20-10-8-1 this season — pretty good company, if you ask me!
Beyond the “what” is the “how” of Johnson’s game. He’s been empowered more as a grab-and-go threat, and the Hawks have done well to move him around the board as an early ball-screen initiator, high-post hub, and even a recipient of off-ball screens to get him head starts as a driver. From there, his (late) jump passing, budding midrange jumper (41% on middies, up from 37% last season) and bulldozer drives have popped all season.
He more than held down the fort without Trae Young, who made his return on Thursday night after missing 22 games with a knee sprain. If Johnson isn’t firmly Atlanta’s best player yet, he’s at least established himself as the Hawks’ most important player moving forward.
Stay Ready: Norm Powell (MIA), Franz Wagner (ORL)
Powell put together a fringe All-Star case last season with the Los Angeles Clippers and has leveled up again with the Miami Heat. In their wide-open offense, Powell is averaging career highs in points (24.4 on 54/43/86 splits), rebounds (3.8) and assists (2.5). Though the Heat have notably cut down their screening usage this year, they’ve been smart to weaponize Powell with a mix of handoffs, regular pindowns and staggered screens to get him shots — or driving opportunities — with a head start.
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This isn’t the space to have a Wagner vs Paolo Banchero debate, but I think it’s fair to note that Wagner (who is currently out with a high ankle sprain) has at least been the most consistent of the two this year — and #TheThing is happening again. Wagner’s box-score averages are strong again: 22.7 points (54/36/82 splits), career-best 6.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals. His drives and early transition seals in particular have been big parts of the Magic’s paint-heavy attack, and he’s an underrated part of Orlando’s top-10 defense.
Make Sure Your Vacation Is Refundable: Josh Giddey (CHI), Michael Porter Jr. (BKN)
The Bulls have fallen off the proverbial cliff after an entertaining (and impressive) 6-1 start. Still, Giddey is in the midst of a career year. He’s one of three players — Jokić and Johnson being the others — currently averaging at least 20 points (20.3), 9 rebounds (9.4), and 8 assists (8.9), and he’s still knocking down 3s at career-best efficiency (40.4%) and volume (4.8 attempts). The Australian having Team World eligibility could open a door for him.
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In more of the injury replacement realm, could I quickly highlight the season Michael Porter Jr. is having in Brooklyn? He’s averaging nearly 26 points per game while shooting the leather off the ball (39.6% on 9.2 attempts), and I’ve really enjoyed the way head coach Jordi Fernandez has utilized him to this point. He’s done a great job of scheming around Porter Jr.’s on-ball limitations, instead moving him around the board as an off-ball weapon — and helping him develop great two-man chemistry with Nicolas Claxton, another guy having an under-the-radar breakout.
WEST
Clear Your Schedule: Austin Reaves (LAL), Chet Holmgren (OKC)
The Reaves case is an easy one to make, at least today: he’s right at the 21-game threshold for me. Still, in light of LeBron James missing the beginning of the season, and Luka Dončić missing a handful of contests, Reaves leveling up to this degree should be celebrated.
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Before suffering a calf strain, Reaves was having the season of his life: 27.8 points (61/37/88 splits), 5.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1 steal per game. He found a new level of command offensively, balancing full-steam drives with more off-tempo ones to keep defenders off balance — and thus, making it easier for them to fall susceptible to Reaves’ deep foul-drawing bag. The playmaking has perked up, and his growing comfort as an off-the-dribble 3-point threat — this is the first season he’s taken more 3s off the bounce than off the catch — has made him one of the league’s best offensive players.
While we’re on offensive leaps, I’d like to toss Holmgren’s hat into the ring. It’s a career year for Holmgren, averaging a shade under 19 points in 29 minutes. He’s draining over 40% of his 3s for the first time in his career, but I’ve been more impressed with his work inside the arc. He’s more comfortable and effective as a driver, and the midrange shot-making from him — 53% on the season, per Cleaning The Glass — has been outstanding and timely. Add in his defensive chops and the fact he’s putting this season together on one of the best (regular-season) teams in NBA history; I’d be shocked if he wasn’t a lock.
Stay Ready: Jamal Murray (DEN)
I suppose there’s some potential for Murray being a “West is deep” casualty if the Nuggets slide from the 2-seed to the 4-seed, but I’d also be surprised if he ultimately doesn’t make it — especially considering his Team World eligibility. Murray’s been awesome this season, boasting career-highs in points (25.2), rebounds (4.3), and assists (6.6). He’s never shot this well (45.6%) or this much from deep (7.3 attempts), but the drives have really stood out to me. Among 53 players to log at least 200 drives so far this year, only three have produced more efficient offense on a per-possession basis than Murray (1.17).
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Make Sure Your Vacation Is Refundable: Deni Avdija (POR)
It’s pretty easy to make an All-Star case for Avdija. In what has easily been the best season of his career, the sixth-year swingman is averaging 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists for an injured-but-pesky Blazers group. Jokić, Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only other players averaging at least 25-7-6 this year.
Avdija leads the league in drives (527) and is producing elite offense (1.10 PPP) on those forays due to his finishing ability and (understandably annoying) foul-drawing craft. In light of the injuries and lack of reliable shooting around him, the Blazers have needed every one of those drives. It helps explain why they’re a slight positive with Avdija on the floor, but fall off a cliff whenever he goes to the bench.
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Between the depth of the conference, the Blazers’ current record (11-16, half a game ahead of Dallas for 10th), and the looming LeBron All-Star case — he hasn’t played (well) enough for top-12 status this year, but he’s LeBron James in what could possibly be his last All-Star appearance — I have my doubts about Avdija’s case.
The trial lasted three months, and jury deliberations began Monday.
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Settlement terms have not been made public. The Skaggs family was seeking $118 million in potential lost earnings plus added damages. After the settlement, the jury foreman said the jury had agreed to award Skaggs’ family around $100 million before they were told to stop deliberating, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“The Skaggs family has reached a confidential settlement with Angels Baseball that brings to a close a difficult six-year process, allowing our families to focus on healing,” the family said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to the members of this jury, and to our legal team. Their engagement and focus gave us faith, and now we have finality. This trial exposed the truth and we hope Major League Baseball will now do its part in holding the Angels accountable. While nothing can bring Tyler back, we will continue to honor his memory.”
The Angels issued a statement that read in part: “The death of Tyler Skaggs remains a tragedy, and this trial sheds light on the dangers of opioid use and the devastating effects it can have.”
Skaggs died in his hotel room while on a road trip with the team in 2019. He was 27. Toxicology reports revealed Skaggs died due to a combination of “alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone intoxication with terminal aspiration of gastric contents.”
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It was later revealed that Skaggs was receiving pills from Eric Kay, then the team’s communications director. Kay was found guilty of distributing pills laced with fentanyl to Skaggs and was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for his actions.
In 2021, Skaggs’ wife, mother and stepfather filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit against the team, contending the Angels should have known Kay was distributing pills to Skaggs.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in November that the league will review testimony from the trial, with possible punishment for the Angels coming at some point in the future.
Our top-notch fantasy analysts will answer your lineup questions live during the 90-minute show, starting at 11:30 a.m. ET.
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Yahoo Fantasy’s Matt Harmon, Justin Boone and Chris Allen join host Jason Fitz to guide you right up to kickoff of the 1 p.m. ET games. The crew will cover it all in their holiday/ugly sweaters!
Here’s what’s coming up on this week’s show:
Justin Boone’s live rankings updates
Top fantasy storylines:
Backup RBs turned starters in semifinals
Aftermath of Week 15 injuries
Will George Pickens let you down this week?
Identifying matchup-proof players
Previewing some of the week’s key fantasy games:
Patriots vs. Ravens on SNF
Sharing our favorite player props for the week
And most importantly — answer YOUR lineup questions
Analyst Scott Pianowski will be answering start-sit questions on Twitter/X (@YahooFantasy) beginning at noon ET — just tag your questions with #AskFFL (consider it your fantasy Bat Signal).
Analyst Joel Smyth will also be live on TikTok at noon ET, ready to help with any last-minute decisions.
Fantasy impostor syndrome is real. After 10 weeks in the 14-team RotoWire Staff Hockey League, I’m in first at 9-1. I’ve also accumulated the most fantasy points from the head-to-head matchups. At the same time, my opponents have scored the second-fewest points. And while I’ve got a couple stars at forward and defense, none of my four goalies (Karel Vejmelka, Juuse Saros and the Detroit tandem) would be called elite.
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Regression is coming. I can feel it. Some players are performing well above expectations. And Connor Bedard just went down, though he should be back sometime next month. I’ve been pretty fortunate with injuries overall, so I’m just waiting for a flood that may never end up happening. The key is to stay active and (relatively) positive to ensure fantasy decisions aren’t made too quickly and/or without proper consideration.
So be sure to take your time and check out the latest suggestions.
(Rostered rates as of Dec. 19)
Forwards
Ryan O’Reilly, NSH (Yahoo: 32%): O’Reilly has been a fairly reliable scorer throughout his career with only a handful of injuries over 17 seasons. Even on a subpar Nashville offense, he’s recorded 27 points — with 14 coming in the last 11 games. O’Reilly also centers the top line during all attacking situations, having recently rejoined the lead power play while reuniting with Filip Forsberg. Throw in a handful of shots and his continued mastery on faceoffs (averaging almost 10 wins on a 57.7% success rate) to further enhance his fantasy appeal.
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Vasily Podkolzin, EDM (Yahoo: 30%): It’s taken a while for Podkolzin to get settled in the NHL since he was drafted 10th overall by Vancouver in 2019. He showed some flashes of brilliance last year and even racked up 10 points during the playoffs. Podkolzin has potted five goals over eight outings to go with an assist, 13 shots and 26 hits. And while there’s no man-advantage minutes, the even-strength spot next to Leon Draisaitl will do just fine.
Mikael Granlund, ANA (Yahoo: 24%): A lower-body injury kept Granlund out for more than a month, and then he returned to post six straight scoreless efforts before a goal and assist on Tuesday. He may have been shut out on the scoresheet during that stretch, but he managed to contribute 11 shots, seven blocks and six hits on 18:27 of ice time per game — 3:46 of that on Anaheim’s lead PP. As long as Granlund stays healthy and is surrounded by skilled teammates, he needs to be on more lineups.
Boone Jenner, CBJ (Yahoo: 22%): On the topic of multi-category veterans missing significant action, Jenner recently came back and has delivered two goals, two assists, 11 shots, 14 hits and six blocks from four matchups. It’s been a while since he’s been able to go even close to a full campaign without getting hurt, though he’s a fantasy player’s dream when available. Jenner should also get more clicks holding down a top-six slot and skating on the Blue Jackets’ second power play.
Anders Lee, NYI (Yahoo: 20%): Lee can claim three performances of at least three points this season while being blanked 21 times. That kind of inconsistency and a middle-six role will put a dent in your coverage, but maybe not for a forward with a somewhat successful pedigree who continues to direct plenty of pucks on net. Lee’s latest mini-run has him tallying three goals, five assists and 16 shots from seven games with three of those eight points of the PP variety. Expect him to keep producing, as three of the Isles’ next five opponents are bottom-10 defenses (Canucks, Sabres, Blue Jackets).
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Vladimir Tarasenko, MIN (Yahoo: 13%): Quinn Hughes’ arrival in Minnesota should benefit some of his new teammates, especially those who regularly share the ice with him. Tarasenko lines up with the blueline star on the first PP, a group that also boasts Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek. That’s a pretty big opportunity, provided he can stay there for more than a couple of outings. Mats Zuccarello could eventually replace Tarasenko within that elite unit after he comes back, though the latter is there right now and grabbed three points on Tuesday with a goal and three shots Thursday.
Chandler Stephenson, SEA (Yahoo: 12%): Stephenson set a career high last year with 18 PPPs and is already at eight, with four during his current seven-game scoring streak that also covers 20 shots and 68 faceoff wins. And he’s been doing all that on a 19:57 average ice time. It’s hard to rely on any Kraken forward for offense, as the club ranks 31st in average goals, yet Stephenson seems too hard to pass up based on recent form and ice time.
Jackson Blake, CAR (Yahoo: 12%): After a successful second half last season and a hot start to this campaign, Blake registered a string of zeroes surrounding a night where he delivered two goals, an assist and five shots. He’s gotten back on track, picking up points in each of his last two contests — two of the three on Carolina’s top power play — while joining forces with Logan Stankoven and Nikolaj Ehlers at five-on-five. Blake is talented and part of a top-10 offense, so he deserves more fantasy attention. Give him a chance.
Defensemen
Zeev Buium, VAN (Yahoo: 58%): To no one’s surprise, Buium immediately operated as Vancouver’s top power-play quarterback and posted two PPPs during his debut on Sunday. He doesn’t do much in other areas but still offers offensive upside outside of that prime man-advantage placement. Even with the Canucks rebuilding, Buium represents their future centerpiece who’s also going to log decent ice time right now. Get him while he’s still available.
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Josh Manson, COL (Yahoo: 25%): December has so far been productive for Manson, as he’s notched six assists, 13 shots, a plus-8 and 26 hits. The 17-minute average may be a bit low and his points probably can’t be sustained based on previous output, though he’ll keep getting chances being paired at even-strength with Brent Burns. And even if the scoring dries up, Manson’s secondary stats should keep him on enough fantasy lineups.
Sean Durzi, UTA (Yahoo: 9%): Durzi has been impacted by injuries the last couple of seasons, with the latest setback sidelining him for six weeks. While his stats weren’t great right after he returned, he’s found the scoresheet from five of the last six games in which he’s totaled six points, 13 shots, 16 PIM and 10 blocks. Durzi is also on Utah’s backup man-advantage, where he registered a PPA on Tuesday. And if you’re concerned about him maintaining this type of offense, don’t forget he recently established back-to-back campaigns with at least 38 points.
Tony DeAngelo, NYI (Yahoo: 4%): A significant share of DeAngelo’s scoring used to be dependent on the power play, yet that’s changed the last couple years. In fact, his first 10 points this season came at five-on-five, as the Isles had been horrendous while up a man. And DeAngelo’s last three have all been PPPs as part of a solid second unit. He’s not going to supply much else besides offense, though that should be enough to warrant additional coverage.
Goaltenders
Pyotr Kochetkov, CAR (Yahoo: 57%): Brandon Bussi was featured last week and is now up to nine straight wins. Kochetkov returned two weeks ago and is essentially splitting the starts, as Frederik Andersen hasn’t played since Dec. 4. Kochetkov has performed well in his last two outings, only allowing a combined four goals while coming out on top in both. Bussi may be the one grabbing the headlines, though Kochetkov is Carolina’s long-term No. 1 and will be given enough opportunities to prove that. Playing behind a strong attack and league-leading defense for shots allowed also won’t hurt his fantasy production.
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Joel Hofer, STL (Yahoo: 11%): We’re not sayingJordan Binnington is in danger of losing his starting role in St. Louis, but he’s been pulled twice this month with a 3.89 GAA and .870 save percentage from his last 11 appearances going into Thursday. Over that same stretch, Hofer has posted a 2.22/.920 line alongside three shutouts, including one on Wednesday against the Jets. If Binnington continues to struggle, Hofer should keep getting enough work.
