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 team’s upcoming schedule. Without further ado…

The Immediate Fix (Grab these guys and use them for the next several days)

Conor Sheary, LW/RW, Pittsburgh (Available in 93 percent of Yahoo leagues) and Jake Guentzel, C, Pittsburgh (Available in 93 percent of Yahoo leagues) – The Pens’ forward corps has decimated by injuries as of late, as veteran skaters Patric Hornqvist and Chris Kunitz are currently sidelined until further notice. Hornqvist is day-to-day with a concussion, while Kunitz is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. In the meantime, Sheary is seeing time on Pittsburgh’s top line with Sidney Crosby, not to mention the Pens’ top power-play unit. Guentzel is being afforded the opportunity to play alongside all-world linemates Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. Since Pittsburgh’s schedule is quite advantageous in the short term, one or both players are worth a long look in deeper formats and are dart-throw plug-and-play options in shallow leagues.

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

Vincent Trocheck, C, Florida (Available in 45 percent of Yahoo leagues) – How is Trocheck available in nearly half of Yahoo leagues right now? This is someone who scored 25 goals and tallied 53 points a year ago… in his age-22 campaign. He’s on pace for a similar season this year, despite playing for a Florida Panthers squad that has been anything but healthy and at full strength in 2015-16. The fantasy community has long been enamored with Florida forwards Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau, but Trocheck deserves a fair amount of attention as well. He’s a hot streak away from being a 60-point player, and the fact that Panthers netminders are registering an .875 save percentage while Trocheck is on the ice suggests his plus-minus of minus-four stands to improve in the coming weeks and months. Poolies who acquire this talented young forward right now are getting in on the ground floor. Things are only going to get better for Trocheck. Buy now.

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

Tomas Hertl, C/LW, San Jose (Owned in 49 percent of Yahoo leagues) – Like Trocheck, Hertl is a pretty talented young forward who is blessed with a considerable amount of upside. Unlike Trocheck, Hertl is dealing with a sprained knee and recently underwent a minor surgical procedure to address it. There is no timetable for his return. The injury is a big blow to Hertl’s fantasy value, as he was seeing action on the same line as talented teammates Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. Hertl’s worth a stash in deeper formats, as he could prove to be quite the fantasy asset later this season. For now, though? He’s not going to be of much help. 

The Anchor (He’ll do nothing but disappoint, even over the long haul)

Matt Dumba, D, Minnesota (Owned in 53 percent of Yahoo leagues) – Dumba’s been covered in these articles before. Unfortunately, his value in season-long fantasy formats is trending in the wrong direction. He’s seeing less ice time (around 17-ish minutes per game) than he was earlier in the season, and he’s registered just three points in his last 12 games. While poolies should remain optimistic about the 22-year-old Wild blueliner’s long-term fantasy fortunes, Dumba will likely be a frustrating player to own in 2016-17. There’s just too many questions surrounding him:

• Can he consistently be counted on to see 20-plus minutes of ice time per game? Not right now.
• Can he consistently produce on the power play? Not right now.
• Can he be considered a “top-pairing” defenseman? Not right now.

There was quite a bit of optimism surrounding Dumba heading into this season, and for good reason. He totaled 10 goals a year ago in his age-21 campaign, despite seeing just 16 minutes and 50 seconds of ice time per game. This year, he’s been the target of coach Bruce Boudreau’s ire at times, and he’s also no longer being paired with teammate and No. 1 defenseman Ryan Suter. So far, it looks like Dumba’s much-anticipated breakout is not going to happen just yet. Expect flashes of dominance and periodic stretches of solid production, but don’t count on this blueliner being a fixture in fantasy lineups in the short term.

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

Chicago – Patrick Kane and Co. play a lot over the course of the next couple weeks. The Blackhawks will take to the ice seven times between Friday, Nov. 25 and Friday, Dec. 9. Fire up any and all fantasy-relevant Chicago players during that stretch. Doing so should pay dividends.

Pittsburgh – The Pens open the month of December with three straight home games (versus Dallas, versus Detroit and versus Ottawa). That slate of games will come on the heels of a couple of pretty easy-ish matchups versus the Taylor Hall-less New Jersey Devils and the struggling New York Islanders. The wins and points should be plentiful for Pittsburgh in the short term.

Florida – So what if the Panthers play five straight games on the road between Sunday Nov. 27 and Tuesday, Dec. 6? The volume is will be there for this squad, as they will hit the ice eight times between Saturday, Nov. 26 and Thursday, Dec. 8. Don’t shy away from using players from this team because of all the away games.

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

Montreal – Starting Saturday, Nov. 26 and ending Tuesday, Nov. 6, the Habs will play five consecutive road games (much like the aforementioned Panthers). However, they will play just four games between Saturday Nov. 26 and Thursday, Dec. 8 (or, half as many as the aforementioned Panthers do in that same stretch of time).

Minnesota – The upcoming schedule will be quite unkind to the Wild. Minnesota will embark on a five-game road trip starting Saturday, Nov. 26 and ending Wednesday, Nov. 7. Only Montreal has a tougher schedule in the coming weeks, so avoid using the vast majority of Wild skaters in the short term.

San Jose – Between Friday. Nov. 25 and Wednesday, Dec. 7, the Sharks will play just six times. Enough said.