Depending on your needs, these Week 6 goalie grabs are an interesting mix. Now that we are solidly in the hockey season, the injuries have begun to pile up, making it more likely that fantasy managers will need to look at streaming goalie options.
Jeremy Swayman, Frederik Andersen, Alex Stalock, Mackenzie Blackwood, Matt Murray, and Ilya Samsonov are all on the shelf, meaning that a team like Toronto is digging deep to find starting netminders. Things at the position are so chaotic that not a single goaltender appears in the Top 200 in Yahoo league rankings.
Welcome, new friends. Providing some help with Week 6 goalie grabs is my specialty.
What I am here to do is recommend a couple of potential winners in the crease. The criteria are to aim for around 50% rostered netminders, good matchups, and good volume to fill your stat sheet in categories or points leagues. I’ll also throw in my confidence level regarding the grab.
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Week 6 Goalie Grabs
Jake Allen (MON): NJ, @CLS, PHI
Fantrax 59% | Yahoo 37%
The Canadiens are in a year with all the expected growing pains of a team that is one of the youngest in the NHL. The 32-year-old Allen, however, is thus far providing some veteran stability. In 10 starts, Allen is 5-5, but his save percentage (.902) and GAA (3.19) seem in line with his career numbers since coming to Montreal. If you’re looking for save quantity, though, it is tough to top the 33.4 shots per game Allen will face. This trio of opponents offers a little of both for fantasy owners. The Devils have taken the third-most shots in the league, and the Blue Jackets and Flyers are in the bottom 10. When you put it all together (and not in the hokey-pokey sort of way), Allen has a variety of contributions that make him a great Week 6 goalie grab.
John Gibson (ANH): DET, @WPG, @STL, @STL
Fantrax 72% | Yahoo 44%
Gibson is due for some positive regression, as his .888 save percentage and 4.47 GAA are miles above his career average. These four games feel like great “get-right” opportunities. Detroit and Winnipeg are 15th and 20th in goals scored per game, while St. Louis ranks dead last in the category. It’s hard to guess if he can pull out a win; the Ducks are 29th in goals scored and are tied for the fewest team points so far this season. However, the volume is there in Week 6, and he’s got decent availability for streaming. I like him the best of the Week 6 goalie grabs.
Petr Mrazek (CHI): CAR, STL, @BOS, PIT
Fantrax 20% | Yahoo 5%
At the bottom of my confidence rankings lives Mrazek, a 30-year-old netminder who finds himself at the top of the Blackhawks goalie stack. Chicago has been a mixed bag through the first few weeks, going 6-5-3 for 15 points. Mrazek has started four games this season, tallying 102 saves in 114 attempts and providing two quality starts. These four games are not ideal, but they’re not as intimidating as they look on paper. Carolina and St. Louis are not prolific offensive teams, Pittsburgh has scuffled a bit lately, and Boston… Maybe just leave him on the bench for the Bruins.
Week 6 Intrigue
Akira Schmid (NJ)
Fantrax 11% | Yahoo 3%
The fifth-round pick of the Devils in 2018 appeared in only six games last year. Still, with Blackwood’s injury and Vitek Vanecek dealing with an undisclosed situation, he is suddenly in a prime goalie position. New Jersey has been one of the best teams in the league by most metrics, and they are allowing under 25 shots per game. While that won’t boost your saves total, the wins could pile up quickly. But on the off chance he does see a high number of shots in a game, he certainly has some skills. I think he’s worth a Week 6 goalie grab and a hold as long as he remains the top netminder.