Five players to target in Week 13

Here are some teams to target and avoid for the next week or two, several players to target that may be available in your league as well as teams that play a light schedule.

Boston Bruins = Target

Games: 5 (3H/2A)

Favorable Matchups:

    – vs. Buffalo

        > 9^th worst defensive team

        > 9^th worst PK

        > 4^th most shots allowed per game

    – vs. Ottawa

        > 3^rd worst defensive team

        > 7^th worst PK

        > 3^rd most shots allowed per game

        > 16 goals against in the past four games

    – @ Ottawa

        > See above

    – vs. NY Islanders

        > 2^nd worst defensive team

        > Worst PK

        > 27 goals allowed in eight December games

The Bruins have only scored more than two goals in a game once in the past five games, but they have a real juicy schedule coming up to close out 2013, facing some of the weakest defensive clubs in the league as well as a Pekka Rinne-less Nashville Predators squad.  David Krejci and Jarome Iginla have been leading the way with Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara cranking it up as well.  Look for a couple high-scoring games where a bunch of Bruins rack up points.

Edmonton Oilers = Consider

Games: 5 (3H/2A)

Favorable Matchups:

    – vs. Winnipeg

        > 10^th worst defensive team

        > 9^th most shots allowed per game

        > 15 goals allowed in the past four games

    – @ Calgary

        > 4^th worst defensive team

        > 8 goals allowed in the past three games

    – @ Phoenix

        > 5^th worst defensive team

        > 5^th worst PK

        > 5^th most shots allowed per game

Since exploding against Colorado for eight goals back on December 5^th, the Oilers have struggled putting the puck in the net with 1.71 goals per game since then.  Just like last tonight, Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will continue to score.  Jordan Eberle and David Perron will also be the guys who light the lamp for the Oil as they head back home after a tough 0-4 Western road trip.

Vancouver Canucks = Beware

Games: 5 (3H/2A)

Unfavorable Matchups:

    – @ Chicago

        > 6^th fewest shots allowed per game

        > 17 goals allowed in the past seven games

        > Antti Raanta December stats: 5-1-1 2.30 GAA .921 SV% (those are actually better than Corey Crawford's stats)

    – vs. Tampa Bay

        > Eight goals allowed in the past five games

        > Ben Bishop season stats: 18 W (2^nd) 1.96 GAA (4^th) .934 SV% (3^rd) 3 SHO (1^st)

After winning seven straight games when December started, the Canucks have dropped the past two while only scoring three total goals.  The Sedins and Ryan Kesler will still be somewhat productive (although the Sedins are nowhere near where their owners think they should be).  However, guys like David Booth, Mike Santorelli, Chris Higgins and Jason Garrison will not maintain the pace they have been at for the past two weeks.

Montreal Canadiens = Avoid

Games: 4 (0H/4A)

Unfavorable Matchups:

    – @ Nashville

        > 10^th best PK

        > 11 goals allowed in the past five games (including games against San Jose and Chicago, who are #3 and #1 in the league in scoring, respectively)

    – @ Tampa Bay

        > See above

The Canadiens are the only team that plays fewer than five games during the next two weeks.  On top of that, all four are on the road.  If that isn't bad enough, after Saturday night's game (12/21), Montreal doesn't play for a week.  I'm sure the players love this as they get some time off to spend with family and friends during the holidays, but fantasy owners despise it.  Don't expect Lars Eller or Brendan Gallagher to snap out of their current funks until sometime after the New Year.

Possible Pickups

Here's a list of some players, owned in less than 30% of Yahoo leagues, to target for the upcoming Monday to Sunday schedule.

Buffalo: Drew Stafford (4%) – Against my better judgment, I am listing a Buffalo Sabre here.  If you are absolutely desperate, Stafford is available and he has three points in his past four along with 11 shots.

Boston: Reilly Smith (13%) – Now the opposite end of the spectrum.  You go from the majority of Buffalo players available to five of Boston's top six being owned in over half of Yahoo leagues.  So that leaves the last guy in the top six.  23 points in 34 games, including six in the past seven.  He's taking Loui Eriksson's spot on the Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand line.

Calgary: Curtis Glencross (5%) – Have people forgotten that Glencross has scored at over a 30-goal pace over the past two seasons.  He's on a 26-goal pace this season, which isn't far off.  He's got three points in his past three, +1, six hits and five shots.

Edmonton: Ales Hemsky (8%) – We're kind of scraping the barrel here as the Oilers entire top six is owned in at least 37% (only because of Sam Gagner's low percentage).  Hemsky is an ultra-talented and often-injured player that sits seventh in the depth chart, but still earns PP2 time.  So once Nail Yakupov gets benched next, Hemsky could improve his linemates at even strength.

St. Louis: Derek Roy (27%) – Has not gone more than one game without a point since mid-November.  Six points in his past six.  Eight in his past eight.  11 in his past 11.  Go pick him up.

Light Day Targets

Want to know what teams to target based on their schedule landing on light days for the upcoming Monday to Sunday schedule?

Week: Monday, December 23 through Sunday, December 29

Monday: 28 teams

Tuesday: 0 teams

Wednesday: 0 teams

Thursday: 0 teams

Friday: 20 teams

Saturday: 16 teams

Sunday: 20 teams

This upcoming week is an odd one that we probably won't see for the rest of the year.  With the Christmas Holiday falling on Wednesday and the new CBA stating players get a three-day break for this Holiday, we have Saturday as our lightest day and Monday/Friday/Sunday each having at least ten games.  So there aren't a lot of teams that play on the "light" days as no one plays those days.  So you basically want to target players that play for the 16 teams that play Saturday.

So what teams have a good schedule for the light days?