Fantasy: 5 moves you need to make in Week 11

Every Monday, theScore will offer a weekly fantasy hockey column detailing a handful of moves you should make. Ownership percentages and position eligibility are courtesy of Yahoo.

Pick up Ondrej Kase

Team: Anaheim Ducks
Position: RW
Ownership: 29 percent

After missing the start of the season with a concussion, Kase has eight goals and 14 points in 16 contests, including five goals and seven points in last five games. He's been bumped up to the Ducks' top line with Ryan Getzlaf and he's also seeing time on the second power-play unit.

Kase is even more valuable in leagues that count shots on goal, as he's averaging nearly 3.5 per game, which ranks among the top 20 players in the league.

Now that he's healthy, the 23-year-old is showing why he was considered a breakout candidate coming into the campaign.

Add Chiasson despite Oilers' light schedule

Matthew Stockman / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Team: Edmonton Oilers
Position: RW
Ownership: 22 percent

Sometimes in fantasy hockey, as in life, it's important to take a long-term view.

It's not ideal that the Oilers only play two games in Week 11 (on a busy Tuesday and a jam-packed Saturday, unfortunately), but waiting another week to grab Alex Chiasson would simply be too risky. He remains on the top line with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and also continues to play on the No. 1 power-play unit with the same dynamic duo, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and the suddenly potent Darnell Nurse.

Those roles alone warrant an add in most fantasy leagues, but Chiasson's also justified the promotions with production. He has four goals and six points in his last six games, and for the season ranks third on the Oilers in goals, fourth on the team in points, and second on the squad behind only McDavid in goals per game.

Yes, Chiasson's shooting percentage (31.9) will regress, and yes, he's managed only four assists in 28 games. But don't let those concerns - or the Oilers' low game total this week - deter you. He should keep producing as long as he's playing with exceptionally talented linemates.

Take a flyer on Aston-Reese in deeper leagues

Team: Pittsburgh Penguins
Position: C/LW/RW
Ownership: 7 percent

Zach Aston-Reese isn't a universal must-add just yet, but he deserves a long look in shallow leagues and should be scooped up in deeper formats. The 24-year-old's been moved up to play with Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel on the Penguins' second line, and he's already made an impact there, registering two goals, an assist, and five shots on goal in Friday's win over the Boston Bruins.

It also helps that Aston-Reese has positional versatility, as he qualifies for all three forward positions in Yahoo leagues.

The Penguins play four times in Week 11, including matchups on Monday and Wednesday, which are ideal in fantasy given the typically lighter schedule on those nights. And they'll face the Ducks - who are giving up the second-most shots against per game in the NHL - in their first matchup of the week.

Drop Crawford in shallow leagues

Bill Smith / National Hockey League / Getty

Team: Chicago Blackhawks
Position: G
Ownership: 58 percent

Unless you're in a very deep league with a premium on goaltending, it's safe to bid farewell to Corey Crawford.

The veteran netminder suffered another concussion Sunday, and while his long-term status is unclear, his history of head injuries and his subpar performance this season on a last-place Blackhawks team make him an even less reliable option than usual.

Stashing Crawford on your injured reserve now that he's on the real-life IR wouldn't be a mistake by any means. However, given all of the circumstances, you'd be better off moving on entirely to keep that spot free for an injured player worth retaining, while adding someone like Jacob Markstrom of the Vancouver Canucks or David Rittich of the Calgary Flames, who are 45 percent and 55 percent owned in Yahoo leagues, respectively.

Even if Crawford does overcome his latest setback in short order, he's still not going to get you many wins and his peripheral stats have been more inconsistent than usual this season.

Hang onto Konecny

Len Redkoles / National Hockey League / Getty

Team: Philadelphia Flyers
Position: LW
Ownership: 49 percent

The Flyers are a complete mess at the moment - having fired head coach Dave Hakstol on Monday following four straight losses - but fantasy owners should be patient with Travis Konecny, the team's talented top-liner who's owned in about half of Yahoo leagues.

Konecny's gone pointless during the four-game skid after racking up six goals and 11 points in the previous eight contests, but he's shown the ability to bounce back and (for now) appears to be staying on the top line under new head coach Scott Gordon.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *