With “PPD” games seemingly all over the place it can be very difficult to get any goalie starts, let alone identify the best fantasy hockey goalie streams for Week 4. However, that is exactly what we are going to do for you here at FantraxHQ this week and every week. As always, these are suggestions and may work for you depending on the type and depth of your league. We will do the work for you, breaking down the schedule and match-ups, but it is up to you to make the right decision for your team.
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Fantasy Hockey Goalie Streams For Week 4
Just like last week, the main focus will be on teams playing four games. However, we will also cherry-pick a few other favorable match-ups as well as suggest teams to avoid. Teams playing four games in Week 4 include the Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, Vegas Golden Knights, and Washington Capitals.
Nashville Predators
The Predators schedule this week is a mixed bag. They face a tough back-to-back situation versus the dangerous Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday/Tuesday followed by two games against the lowly Red Wings on Thursday/Saturday.
Juuse Saros (91%) is supposed to be the starter in the music city this year. However, he has only one more game played than former Vezina trophy winner Pekka Rinne (37%). In addition to that, Rinne has the better stat line so far with a 2.77 GAA and .902 SV% through six games played. Saros meanwhile sits with a 3.31 GAA and .893 SV%.
Rinne is a good bet to play at least two games this week and is available in most leagues. One of those starts will be against the Lightning who are currently scoring at a rate of 3.56 G/GP which is tops in the NHL. If you don’t need that start then maybe it’s a good one to avoid. The other one though is looking quite tasty. Nashville will take on a Detroit team that is last in the NHL with only 1.83 goals per game.
Tampa Bay Lightning
With the Lightning facing the Predators for a pair to start out the week, it’s a likely scenario that Curtis McElhinney (11%) will draw in for one of the games. As he is very likely available in your league, he could be worth a spot start here. However, buyer beware as the career backup may be a bit rusty in his first start of the season. Andrei Vasilevskiy (99%) will most certainly play the other three games this week.
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa plays Edmonton twice at home on Monday/Tuesday and then goes on the road to Winnipeg for two on Thursday/Saturday. Starting either Matt Murray (61%) or Marcus Hogberg (10%) is a risky play in any game this year. Both netminders have a GAA above 4.00 and a SV% well below .900. However, this is a pesky and hard-working Senators team that likes to play the spoiler. If you need a start this week grabbing either of these two goalies could work out for you. If Murray isn’t available then Hogberg most likely is outside of the deepest of leagues. He will likely play one of the home games against Edmonton and perhaps more if he performs better than Murray.
Vegas Golden Knights
It is unlikely that either Robin Lehner (96%) or Marc-Andre Fleury (81%) is available in your league. However, if you own shares in Lehner, or even if you don’t, Fleury is worth an add if he’s on the wire. Vegas is spoiled with having two starting goalies and they have been splitting their starts evenly. With four games this week and two of them against the low scoring Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday/Thursday, Fleury is a great pick-up. So far this season, Fleury (4 GP, 4 W, 1.25 GAA, .944 SV%) has the far superior numbers to Lehner (4 GP, 2 W, 2.95 GAA, .885 SV%). To end the week the Golden Knights play back-to-back versus the San Jose Sharks on Saturday and the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. If Fleury plays the San Jose game we recommend starting him. Not so much the next day against a rested Colorado team that scores 3.45 G/GP and is expecting Nathan MacKinnon back from injury,
Washington Capitals
The Capitals have a decent schedule playing Tuesday/Thursday versus the Flyers and Sabres followed by Saturday/Sunday versus Sabres and Penguins. While Ilya Samsonov (96%) has been out (COVID-19 protocols), rookie Vitek Vanecek (71%) has been carrying the mail for the Caps. While Samsonov is expected to be back, Vanecek is worthy of a look if he is available as he has been quite good to this point. It’s tough to say which goalie will start which games this week. If you own Samsonov and you haven’t picked up Vanecek yet, what are you waiting for? If not, what are you waiting for?
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes only play three games this week, however, they are nicely spaced out with no back-to-backs. While Petr Mrazek (81%) is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on his thumb, James Reimer (59%) will get almost all the starts including all three this week. Carolina faces the Blue Jackets on Monday, followed by a pair against Dallas on Thursday and Saturday. Reimer has been decent to date, with four wins in five games played and a 2.76 GAA and .900 SV%.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus looks like a decent bet with three games this week. On Monday they will play the Hurricanes on the second of a back-to-back which could be a tough match-up. Later in the week, however, they have a pair of games in Chicago on Thursday and Saturday. While Elvis Merzlikins (74%) is injured, Joonas Korpisalo (84%) has been playing all the games and we like his chances against the Blackhawks.
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche are to be avoided as they only have a single game next Sunday due to postponements. If you are a Philipp Grubauer (98%) owner then hopefully you found another option above to get you through the week!
For more help on the fantasy ice, check out our most recent Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire!
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