The waiver wire is a great place to find some gems that will help your fantasy hockey team in the short term or long term. You have likely already taken advantage of this through four weeks. Nevertheless, there should still be strong options on the waiver wire at forward that we will look at. Even if it is only for a few games, these players are worth adding to help your team out. This is the place where you can find some good options to take advantage of before anyone else in your league does.
Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire: Forwards to Consider for Week 5
Quinton Byfield, Los Angeles Kings
Quinton Byfield has finally seemed to have found his footing in the NHL. He was placed on the top line last season for the Los Angeles Kings and it worked well enough. He was more productive than he had been throughout his career to that point, scoring three goals and 22 points in 53 games. Well, this season he has gotten hot already as he is up to 10 points in 11 games in the young season.
It doesn’t look like Byfield is going to be moving off that top line anytime soon. He has two goals and eight assists and six of those assists have come in the last three games. While still being on the second power-play unit, he has managed three points on the power play in the last three games as well. The Kings are proving to have a productive second unit, so this is very good for fantasy owners of Byfield. I’m not convinced he can keep up the near point-per-game pace, but he is looking like he could be a long-term solution to owners lacking a forward on the left side or at center.
Lawson Crouse, Arizona Coyotes
Lawson Crouse is very hot for the Arizona Coyotes at the moment, but it’s not just a flash in the pan. He has been known to step up in a big way over stretches of time. The good thing about him is when his scoring goes dry for a bit, he contributes in other ways by still shooting and hitting. He is on the Coyotes’ second line and his recent play has checked all of the boxes.
Crouse is on a four-game point streak, scoring four goals and adding two assists over that span. He started the season with no points in the first five games. If he continues to contribute all over the ice, he would be a great addition to the lineup for the short term at the very least. He gets time on the power play as well, so this is just another bonus of having him. There’s not a ton of players who can produce offensively and play physically. It’s a nice type of player to have.
Nino Niederreiter, Winnipeg Jets
Due to injuries, the forward lines have changed over the course of the season so far for the Winnipeg Jets. Nino Niederreiter has been on the second and third lines. What wasn’t expected is that his production would be great from the third line with Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton. Through 11 games, each of them has at least eight points.
Niederreiter is the target here because goals are harder to come by and he has five already. On top of that, he plays a physical game, is a shooter and hitter, and has the potential to be moved up. He also just got his first power-play point of the season as a part of his hat trick. Niederreiter checks almost all of the boxes and his goal-scoring ability is what makes him a rare commodity and sets him apart from many.
Players that may seem like great waiver wire pickups could fade really quickly, while others could turn out to be great for a long time. These three players appear to be the best options in Week 5 of the fantasy hockey season. Take advantage before it is too late and make sure to check in with us next week for more strong options.