Welcome back to the weekly Fantasy Hockey waiver wire article highlighting teams to stream and best pickups for Week 3 of the 2023-24 NHL season!
You should be able to fill out your lineup on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, which are the bigger slates throughout the week, while Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday usually have fewer games.
In Week 3, there are 16 games on Tuesday, 11 on Thursday, and 9 on Saturday. That leaves Monday (1), Wednesday (1), Friday (6), and Sunday (4) as the lighter days this week.
In this article, we’ll be highlighting a few teams that play on lighter nights in order for you to maximize your roster for any given week. The Fantasy Hockey Waiver wire is key!
Optimizing your lineup is crucial in any fantasy sports league, and fantasy hockey is no different. Given the NHL’s weekly scheduling, there are certain teams that have better schedules on certain weeks throughout the year.
If you are in a shallower or deeper league –– or just have a question or comment –– feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (@RGilbertSOP) or in the SGPN Discord!
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Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Week 3: Teams to Stream
The Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, and Minnesota Wild all play four times this week, including on three light nights. These are the teams to key in on for your fantasy hockey waiver wire and pickups for Week 3.
Buffalo Sabres
- Monday vs. MTL
- Tuesday @ OTT
- Friday @ NJD
- Sunday vs. COL
Owen Power (D – 46% Rostered)
Owen Power is one of a handful of great young defensemen that the Sabres are building around. While he may not get the recognition that Rasmus Dahlin does, Power is worth a look on the fantasy hockey waiver wire.
Power plays on the second pair and the second power-play unit as well. He has two assists, seven shots on goal, and 10 blocked shots through five games. The right-handed defenseman is averaging over 24 minutes a night, so the opportunity is there.
Casey Mittelstadt (C – 14% Rostered)
Most of the Sabres’ top forwards aren’t available, but second-line center Casey Mittelstadt is a bit underrostered.
Mittelstadt centers Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch on the second line, so he should get in on some scoring chances with them. He’s also on the second power-play unit with Power, although the rest of the unit leaves much to be desired.
The 2017 first-round pick has four points (one goal, three assists) and six shots on goal in five games this season. He set career-highs in goals (15), assists (44), and points (59) in a breakout year last season.
New Jersey Devils
- Tuesday @ MTL
- Wednesday vs. WSH
- Friday vs. BUF
- Sunday vs. MIN
The Devils have six players rostered in over 90% of leagues, so we’ll be looking at a few deeper-league options for New Jersey.
Jonas Siegenthaler (D – 13% Rostered)
Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler excels at, well, just that: defense. Unfortunately, that’s not sought after too much in fantasy hockey, but he may be worth an add, depending on your league type.
Siegenthaler plays on the top pair with Dougie Hamilton, so there may be some vulture assists at 5-on-5 for him. He also plays on the penalty kill, which is attributed to his seven blocked shots in four games.
He’s not going to contribute offensively, but Siegenthaler is a solid add in banger leagues and can help fill the gap in a busy week.
Erik Haula (LW – 10% Rostered)
Veteran forward Erik Haula is currently day-to-day for the Devils after a red-hot start to the season.
Haula scored in the season opener against the Red Wings, then added two points (one goal, one assist) while firing six shots on goal a few nights later. He hasn’t played since then, though, so keep an eye on his status if you pick him up this week.
Washington Capitals
- Tuesday vs. TOR
- Wednesday @ NJD
- Friday vs. MIN
- Sunday vs. SJS
Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson are the only Capitals rostered in more than 50% of leagues, so we have a lot of players to choose from here. Unfortunately, it may be hard to find a great option for this top-heavy Washington roster.
Dylan Strome (C – 22% Rostered
Young forward Dylan Strome has found a home in Washington after starting his career in Arizona and Chicago. He had a career year last season with 23 goals and 42 assists for 65 points.
This year, Strome is getting a chance to play alongside Alex Ovechkin on the top line, but he’s only on the second power-play unit.
The Capitals have only scored six goals in four games this season, but Strome has two of them. Both came in Saturday night’s loss, with Strome getting five shots on goal in total.
Matthew Phillips (C – 0% Rostered)
Yes, Capitals forward Matthew Phillips is really rostered in zero percent of leagues. Well, at least fewer than 0.5% of leagues, I would imagine. So why is he included here?
This is strictly an opportunity play. Phillips is currently the right wing on the top line with Ovechkin and Strome. If he stays there, give him a look.
Phillips has one goal and two assists in four games this season.
