All fantasy owners need help in the short term AND the long term. The Looking Ahead feature identifies one player to plug into lineups in the short term, a second to invest in for the long term, a third to bench for the coming week, and a fourth who will struggle to meet expectations for some time. All players discussed are selected based on their upcoming schedule.

Note: Still using stats from 2019-20, and importantly – a lot of things can change at the drop of a hat (see Dallas), so be prepared to react to news quickly.

The Immediate Fix (Grab this guy and use him for the next several days)

Martin Necas, W, Carolina Hurricanes (Available in 92 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – After putting up 36 points (16G-20A) in 64 games for the 'Canes last season, Necas added 1G-3A in the eight bubble games – nothing that jumps off the page as a MUST-ADD asset, but with Necas it's worth looking a bit closer.

Necas is only 22 years old and was a strong scorer in the AHL in his rookie season, putting up 52 points in 64 regular season games and 13 points in 18 playoff games, and his rate stats last season were solid: he scored 0.87 goals/60 and 1.9 points/60 at 5v5, good for 103^rd and 120^th among forwards respectively. That was while skating only 11:50 per game at 5v5 as a third-liner, but Necas has a big promotion to start the season and gets to play alongside Andrei Svechnikov on the second line (as well as with Jordan Staal.) Given Carolina's cushy schedule over the next two weeks, Necas is a great fill-in for a Dallas Star or Florida Panther who should be parked.

The Building Block (Buy now, sit back and enjoy the production)

Kevin Hayes, C, Philadelphia Flyers (Available in 69 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – Hayes was a fine player in the black and orange last season, putting up 23G-18A in 69 games, but he hadn't hit the heights that were expected of him given his $7.1million contract. Expect that to change this season in a big way, as Hayes has moved from a third-line/second-power play unit role to a cushy spot on the top PP and is now centering the second line.

Hayes' primary linemates at 5v5 last season were Joel Farabee and one of Travis Konecny, James van Riemsdyk or Scott Laughton, and he was skating 13 minutes/game at 5v5. His linemates this season are Claude Giroux – a considerable upgrade – and Farabee, and he's already put up a goal and assist in his first game with those two. He's not a volume shooter – good for around 2.5/game – but he'll add blocks and hits, and has the offensive acumen to be a great fantasy producer if given the chance. Since he's been given the chance, pick him up.

The Odd Man Out (His short-term value is cause for concern)

Keith Yandle, D, Florida Panthers (Owned in 71 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – This is probably a cop-out as a disappointing player in the short term, but it's important to get it out there that KEITH YANDLE WILL NOT BE PLAYING in the near future. For whatever reason, Florida's decided that their team is better served by playing younger defensemen, and Yandle has been told he won't be in the lineup. Florida's schedule over the next two weeks is horrible (see below) so even if the team has a change of heart and decide to play him, that won't come at an opportune time.

If Yandle hadn't put up five goals and 40 assists last season, he'd probably be listed as an anchor who could be dropped – and in cap leagues, he should be – but leagues with big enough benches can park Yandle for now and hope he gets traded.

The Anchors (They'll do nothing but disappoint even over the long haul)

Blake Coleman, W, Tampa Bay Lightning (Owned in 61 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – Although Blake Coleman was a tremendous player in New Jersey in terms of possession and on a per-minute basis, since going to Tampa Bay, he's been a major disappointment. Coleman had only one assist in the nine regular season games he played last season, and although he added 13 points in 25 playoff games, Coleman's role for the Lightning just won't translate to fantasy success.

Playing on a shutdown line with Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow, Coleman sees opposition's top lines on a consistent basis which will limit his scoring opportunities; he also misses out on power play time, because he's such a trusted asset at 5v5 and on the penalty kill. It's unfortunate that Coleman is so good defensively, because he can score if put into that role – a Mark Stone lite – but that's not a role he'll get on the Lightning. In leagues that track peripherals he'll provide dividends with hits and shots but can otherwise be dropped.

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

Winnipeg – The Jets will play six times this period (Jan. 15 – 27) and their opponents over those games are porous defensively, which makes the Jets incredibly appealing. Winnipeg will play at Toronto, home to Edmonton twice, and three games against Ottawa, with only one game coming on a back-to-back. Winnipeg doesn't have many fantasy-viable players outside of their top PP unit and Connor Hellebuyck, but those who have them rostered should reap rewards this week.

Carolina – Outside of a home game against the Lightning, the Hurricanes have five games that should prove fruitful for fantasy: at Detroit, at Nashville twice on a back-to-back, home to Florida twice. Last season those teams ranked 31^st, 16^th and 27^th respectively in goals allowed and all three had a penalty kill percentage of below-80%. Look for Carolina's power play units to feast, and given how dominant the 'Canes are at 5v5, the sky is the limit for their fantasy output this period.

Minnesota – There's not a lot of fantasy-relevant players on the Wild, but those players should pay off over the next 12 days as the Wild's schedule sees them play exclusively against the California teams. Minnesota starts this period with a game against the Kings in L.A. before playing two in Anaheim, and then they'll have three home games to close the period – two against San Jose and one against L.A. Those who've rostered Kirill Kaprizov, Kevin Fiala, Jared Spurgeon or Matt Dumba should have a great time.

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

Dallas – Thanks to 17 people in the organization going on the COVID list (!!!!!), the Stars' season was delayed and won't kick off until January 19 – making them the most obvious Leave 'Em of the season. Beyond the possibility of more positives kicking up, the Stars have only four games before the 27^th, which is the end of this period. They'll play Nashville twice as well as Detroit, all at home, but have a tough opening game of the season on the road in Tampa Bay.

Florida – The other victim of the Stars' positives is the Panthers, who find themselves going from a great opening schedule to just a mediocre one: the Cats will play two home games against Chicago which is very enticing, but the rest of this period sees road games at Carolina (twice) and Columbus (once.) There are no back-to-backs which is nice, but only playing five times makes them a scary option and even more so for fantasy players whose weeks start on Friday or Saturday.

New Jersey – The Devils were on last week's Leave 'Em thanks to the unknown status of Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier, as well as a very light schedule against top opponents – and not much has changed. Hischier wasn't in the opening lineup for the Devils Thursday night and although Bratt has signed, he still needs to complete his quarantine for COVID protocols. New Jersey will play five games this period, against the Bruins, Islanders (twice), Rangers and Flyers.