Looking ahead at the best schedules in fantasy hockey for Week Three.

Now that a little over a week of the NHL season has come and gone, poolies can begin to take a look at how teams are deploying their respective players and determine how to leverage that information. Some premium fantasy options have struggled out of the gate, while other, less-heralded players have provided surprising levels of production. With that in mind, let’s take a look at four guys who are widely available in fantasy leagues and see how they may be of service in the short term.

Cody Eakin, C, Dallas (Owned in 7 percent of Yahoo leagues) – A better real-life player than fantasy option, Eakin is a two-way player with enough hockey sense to earn a spot as

Dallas’s top-line center. Playing alongside all-world wingers Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn at times this year, the 2009 third-rounder is an intriguing pick-up in deeper formats simply based on the scoring talent that takes the ice with him on any given night. Eakin scored 35 goals over his past two seasons heading into 2015-16, Eakin is just capable enough at putting the puck in the net that he’s worth a long look if he regains such an advantageous role.

Martin Hanzal, C, Arizona (Owned in 4 percent of Yahoo leagues) – An inability to stay healthy for long stretches of time has prevented the hulking, 6-foot-6 Hanzal from being a more desirable fantasy asset. Well, that and the fact that he’s spent his entire career toiling away in relative anonymity for the Phoenix-turned-Arizona Coyotes. A first-round selection for the franchise in 2005, Hanzal has not played more than 65 games in a season since he totaled 81 during the 2009-10 campaign. Last year, a back injury limited Hanzal to a mere 37 games, but he totaled 24 points in that time. When he plays, Hanzal is arguably his squad’s best two-way forward. That means something, even for a rebuilding team like Arizona. He’s a 45-point player over a full season, if only because someone needs to score points for this team. Why not Hanzal? After all, he’s already got six points on the young season.

Loui Eriksson, LW/RW, Boston (Owned in 25 percent of Yahoo leagues) – Forget the Bruins traded away Seguin to acquire Eriksson, a 70-point scorer-turned middling winger. Forget Eriksson has not exceeded 47 points since the 2011-12 campaign. The 30-year-old veteran currently ranks third on Boston in power play ice time per game on the young season, and he’s playing on the same line as talented two-way center Patrice Bergeron. Eriksson represents a viable plug-and-play option for fantasy owners in need of some scoring on the wing. This is a player that still has a little bit to offer poolies.

Morgan Rielly, D, Toronto (owned in 23 percent of Yahoo leagues) – No Toronto defenseman is seeing more time on the man advantage than Rielly, who has continued to make steady strides with his game ever since the Maple Leafs selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. No, it hasn’t translated into fantasy-relevant production (Rielly has totaled zero points through three games), but expect the Toronto brass to continue to lean on this developing playmaker as a potential offensive weapon from the blueline. The Leafs don’t have much to play for in 2015-16, so expect Rielly to continue to see every opportunity to build on last year’s sophomore campaign in which he tallied eight goals and 29 points. Thirty-five or 40 are not out of the question as soon as this year. He’s going to be an impact fantasy defenseman sooner rather than later, so Rielly is worth adding in most formats.

By taking a few minutes to look ahead at the NHL schedule, poolies can gain a significant and measurable edge over their opponents. Now let’s identify some teams with who will help or hurt fantasy owners in the coming week.

Love ‘Em (These squads are sure to pay dividends in the coming days)

New York Rangers – King Henrik Lundqvist and Co. host three straight home games between Sunday, Oct. 18 and Thursday, Oct. 22. Then they travel to Philadelphia to play the defensively-challenged Flyers. The points will be plentiful.

New Jersey – The Devils play four games in six days between Friday, Oct. 16 and Thursday, Oct. 22. Simply stated, the volume is there.

Los Angeles – Yes, goaltender Jonathan Quick has been bad. But this is a strong team that plays three out of four games between Friday, Oct. 16 and Friday, Oct. 23 in Los Angeles. Lean on the Kings this week.

Leave ‘Em (These squads will leave fantasy owners sorely disappointed in the short term)

Colorado – Playing consecutive road games against playoff-caliber squads Anaheim and Los Angeles doesn’t bode well for an Avalanche squad trying to leave last season’s disappointing campaign in the rearview mirror. That’s how Colorado begins its coming week.

Winnipeg – B-b-b-b-fyfuglien and the Jets are off for three straight evenings this week (Tuesday, Oct. 20 through Thursday, Oct. 22). This is a team on the rise, it’s just that the opportunities won’t be there for the squad to produce in the short term.

St. Louis – Between Saturday, Oct. 10 and Tuesday, Oct. 20, the Blues schedule affords them zero home games. Then they are off for two nights. It’s difficult to expect much from a team with such an underwhelming schedule at this point in the young season.