Defensemen that will make a difference each week when streaming are tough to find, but there are a few options that appear to be hits right now if you are able to grab them soon. There are still a fair bit of games to be played to close out the week, and even more before next Wednesday when we release more defensive streamers to target.
Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Defensemen to Target for Week 14
Cam Fowler, St. Louis Blues
Cam Fowler finds himself on our list for a second week in a row as he has been very good and warrants being rostered in most leagues. Since the veteran and former Anaheim Ducks defenseman got traded to the St. Louis Blues, he has picked up his game, finding his offensive stride and taking on a big role in his new home.
Fowler was recently on the top pairing with Colton Parayko, but he is also playing with Philip Broberg while Justin Faulk is out. Either way, Fowler is getting a lot of good playing time as he’s on the number one power-play unit and second penalty-killing unit. He has four goals and eight points in the past six games. Three of them have been multi-point games, two of those points have come on the man advantage, and he is not only shooting the puck, but blocking a lot of shots as well. The Blues play the Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets to close out this week, but the Calgary Flames as well before we’re back here looking at more options next week.
Jackson Lacombe, Anaheim Ducks
Jackson Lacombe was showing some strong stuff this season, but Fowler being traded from the Ducks really allowed him to step up his game. He is now very much worth adding in fantasy and has been since the start of December in hindsight. In his first 16 games of the season, Lacombe scored two goals and had four points. In his last 16 games since Dec. 1, he has six goals and 12 points, plus a couple of those points coming on the power play.
Lacombe is on top of the power-play unit and top pairing at 5-on-5, so there are tons of opportunities for the young defenseman to keep up his great pace offensively. He has points in five of his past six games ahead of the game against the Flames, but still matches up against the Blues, Philadelphia Flyers, and Carolina Hurricanes to close out this week.
Brent Burns, Carolina Hurricanes
Brent Burns is purely a streaming option here as he hasn’t been great overall this season. Even with Shayne Gostisbehere on the injured reserve, Burns hasn’t taken over the defensive spot on the top power play. He is at least still on the second unit, so power-play points are possible, but few. The veteran remains on the top pairing and is logging more minutes than usual lately.
Burns has never been afraid to shoot and he recently put seven on net. He has two goals and four points in his last six games and will block shots, but a bigger selling point in potentially streaming him this week is the three games the Hurricanes close the week out playing. Carolina plays the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Ducks before next Monday. He isn’t a long-term add, but should contribute over the course of three more games this week.
Related: Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Week 14 Forward Streams
All three of these players provide value for the next four days of the week, but I would greatly recommend Fowler and Lacombe as options to hold onto for even longer. Be sure to come back next week if you need suggestions for more defensemen to stream, or if goalies or forwards are on your agenda.