Subsequent week’s group is essentially formed by alternative somewhat than long-term certainty. Accidents, short-term promotions, and shifting line mixtures have opened quick home windows the place a handful of gamers are seeing extra ice time, higher line mates, or power-play appears to be like than they normally get. A few of these roles will disappear rapidly as lineups settle, however others have an opportunity to stay if the efficiency matches the utilization. That is the sort of week the place staying versatile issues. The worth comes from recognizing when to behave early, driving the position whereas it lasts, and being prepared to maneuver on as soon as the deployment modifications.
Knowledge Sources:
Participant Knowledge From Pure Stat Trick
Yahoo roster percentages through Frozen Instruments.
Line mixtures and power-play deployment through Each day Faceoff and Frozen Instruments.
All info present as of January twenty first, 2026.
Minnesota Wild — Vladimir Tarasenko (23%, F)
Tarasenko’s fantasy worth proper now’s being propped up by position stability greater than title recognition, and that issues given how banged up Minnesota has been. By way of 44 video games he has 28 factors (0.64 P/GP, 52-point tempo) whereas holding down constant PP1 utilization at just below three minutes an evening. The minutes aren’t elite, however the power-play share is actual, and that has been sufficient to maintain his manufacturing afloat even when the five-on-five traces have shuffled beneath him.
The latest stretch exhibits why he is again on the radar. Over his final 5 video games he has seven factors, together with back-to-back multi-point nights towards Toronto and Montreal, with PPTOI spiking north of three minutes in these contests. The quarter breakdown tells an analogous story. Quarter 1 leaned closely on the facility play, Quarter 2 cooled off at even power, and Quarter 3 has mixed regular minutes with improved ending. He isn’t firing the puck like peak Tarasenko, however he is nonetheless hovering round two pictures per sport and changing at a decent charge.
The larger image hinges on well being of these round him. With Matt Boldy working his method again and Marcus Johansson returning on Thursday night time, Minnesota’s prime six is about to look extra crowded. That would stabilize Tarasenko’s line mates or push him right into a barely lower-leverage position if the Wild resolve to redistribute offense. For now, although, he continues to see significant PP touches and is trusted late in video games, which retains the ground intact.
Takeaway: Tarasenko is a short-term maintain or add in normal leagues whereas he stays on PP1 and continues to see near-three minutes of power-play time. The ceiling isn’t what it as soon as was, however the position is powerful sufficient to justify rostering till Minnesota will get totally wholesome and the ahead hierarchy reshuffles.
New York Islanders — Anthony Duclair (7%, F)
Duclair’s present fantasy attraction comes right down to timing and alternative. With the Islanders banged up, he has been pushed right into a extra offensive position than his season-long averages counsel, and he has taken benefit. He’s driving a five-point stretch over his final 5 video games, seeing extra offensive-zone utilization, and logging 17-18 minutes on nights the place New York wants scoring. That could be a significant soar from his early-season workload, when he was buried nearer to 12–13 minutes and provided little or no fantasy relevance.
The utilization is doing many of the work. Duclair has spent latest video games skating alongside Mathew Barzal, which instantly raises the help and purpose upside even with out heavy power-play quantity. His PP time stays modest general, however it has ticked up barely throughout this latest stretch, and his taking pictures effectivity has been robust sufficient to show restricted appears to be like into actual manufacturing. This isn’t a volume-driven breakout, however somewhat a participant being positioned in higher spots and changing whereas the door is open.
The chance is clear and approaching rapidly. Bo Horvat is predicted again round January 24, and his return is prone to compress the Islanders’ prime six once more. When that occurs, Duclair is the kind of winger who can slide again right into a lower-usage position with out a lot warning. His fantasy worth isn’t insulated by pictures, hits, or particular groups work, so if the minutes fall again into the 12-13 vary, the factors will dry up quick.
Takeaway: Duclair is a short-term add whereas the chance exists. Journey the sizzling stretch and the Barzal publicity now, however keep prepared to maneuver on as soon as Horvat returns and the traces settle. It is a traditional “use it whereas it is there” scenario, not a rest-of-season guess.
Chicago Blackhawks — Frank Nazar (17%, F)
Nazar’s fantasy relevance proper now’s far more about the place he is taking part in than the truth that he is simply returned from harm. After lacking a brief stretch, he has stepped straight again right into a significant position, holding top-six minutes at even power and seeing actual power-play time. That speedy deployment issues, as a result of it tells you the teaching employees views him as a part of the offensive combine somewhat than somebody easing again in on a sheltered line.
By way of 34 video games he has 21 factors, good for a 50-plus level tempo, whereas averaging practically 18 minutes an evening. The utilization has been regular throughout completely different line mixtures, with Nazar spending prolonged time subsequent to established wingers like Teuvo Teräväinen (Presently DTD) and Tyler Bertuzzi. Even when Chicago rotates personnel, he continues to remain in offensive appears to be like as a substitute of drifting right into a purely defensive project. The ability-play position has additionally been constant, hovering across the 2:30 to three:00 PPTOI vary most nights, which supplies him a repeatable path to assists.
The profile isn’t constructed on flash. His shot charge sits just below two per sport, and the worth comes extra from involvement and contact quantity than pure ending. That does introduce some week-to-week variance, particularly on a Chicago workforce that may battle to attain, however the minutes and utilization present a secure sufficient basis to maintain him fantasy-relevant whereas he is on this position.
Takeaway: Nazar is a role-driven add now that he is again within the lineup. The harm itself isn’t the story; the speedy return to top-six minutes and power-play utilization is. So long as that deployment holds, he affords a legit path to regular factors somewhat than a short-term streamer profile.
Colorado Avalanche — Josh Manson (50%, D)
Manson’s fantasy worth is as simple because it will get: minutes, muscle, and position stability. By way of 48 video games he has simply 21 factors, so this isn’t a scoring guess, however the underlying utilization explains why he retains displaying up as related anyway. He’s averaging a contact over 18 minutes an evening, usually matching up towards prime competitors, and doing the sort of work that quietly piles up worth in multi-cat codecs.
The manufacturing profile has barely modified throughout quarters, however the involvement has. He’s constantly north of two hits per sport, blocks at a powerful charge for a non-shot-blocking specialist, and performs heavy minutes in all conditions besides the facility play. The shortage of PP utilization caps the ceiling, however it additionally clarifies the position. You’re rostering Manson for defensive workload and peripheral accumulation, not for shock offense.
What makes him extra attention-grabbing proper now’s the pairing utilization. He has rotated subsequent to Brent Burns, Samuel Girard, and Cale Makar at completely different factors, which indicators belief somewhat than sheltering. When paired with Makar or Toews, the help potential ticks up barely simply from proximity and puck motion, even when he’s not driving offense himself. That mentioned, Devon Toews is predicted again quickly, and that might tighten the rotation once more. If Manson loses a few of these higher-leverage minutes as soon as the blue line is totally wholesome, the worth thins out rapidly.
The latest sport log displays the precise profile you count on. One- or two-assist nights pop up often, however most video games are constructed on hits, blocks, and strong time on ice. That consistency is why he stays rostered regardless of the modest level totals.
Takeaway: Manson is a role-based maintain in multi-cat leagues whereas the minutes keep excessive. He isn’t a scoring play, and the return of Toews introduces some short-term danger to his pairing and workload. If his position holds close to 18 to twenty minutes with regular defensive assignments, he stays helpful. If these minutes slide again into a real third-pair position, he turns into a fast minimize outdoors of deep banger codecs.
Edmonton Oilers — Jake Walman (30%, D)
Walman is popping into a kind of ‘quietly helpful’ protection provides as a result of the Oilers are giving him actual minutes in video games that matter. In 22 video games with Edmonton, he is sitting at 13 factors (0.59 P/GP) whereas logging 19:48 an evening, which is a legit workload for a man who’s alleged to be a depth add. The plus-minus is not fairly, however the fantasy case is not coming from that class anyway – it is coming from time on ice, a little bit of power-play publicity, and regular defensive peripherals.
The utilization has been extra attention-grabbing than the uncooked totals. Early on, he bounced round pairings however nonetheless discovered himself subsequent to high-end companions like Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm, and even when he wasn’t stapled to 1 spot, the minutes stayed excessive. That is normally the most important sign with a mid-roster defenseman; coaches do not hand out 20 minutes by chance. Quarter 3 additionally exhibits a transparent shift in how he is getting used, his PPTOI jumps (2:15 per sport in that quick section), and the latest sport log backs it up with just a few video games the place he is seeing significant power-play run (together with a 5:48 PPTOI night time).
Stat profile smart, he isn’t a hitter, however he does provide you with blocks. He is at 41 blocks in 22 video games with Edmonton, so that you’re getting an actual flooring in leagues that rely them, and that helps maintain him rosterable even when the factors cool off. The shot charge (1.6 per sport) is ok – not elite – however it’s sufficient that he is not completely depending on fluky secondary assists.
The chance is position volatility. Edmonton’s blue line can shuffle rapidly, and Walman’s worth could be very delicate as to whether he stays within the prime 4 and retains any slice of the facility play. If he slides into a real third-pair deployment with PP time disappearing, he turns into extra of a deep-league blocks streamer than a standard-league maintain.
Takeaway: Walman is a legit add in normal leagues so long as the minutes keep close to 19–20 and the PP utilization stays non-zero. He will not carry your offense, however the latest help trickle plus blocks offers him a usable weekly flooring. If the pairings settle and he sticks close to Bouchard/Ekholm-type utilization, he is greater than only a short-term heater.
