Week of February 15-21
In the Crease is back for the 2020-2021 season. This column will provide you with everything
you need to know about goaltending and who to start and sit in the upcoming week. I’ll give you some great options, good options, and goalies to avoid every week.
[[ad:athena]]
Great Options
Marc-Andre Fleury – Vegas Golden Knights: Despite picking up his first loss of the year this past week, Fleury is still putting up a dominant performance to kick off this season. His record sits at 5-1-0 and he has a save percentage of .929. He also boasts a GAA of 1.68, which is the third-lowest in the league when considering goaltenders who have played at least five games this season. Previously Fleury’s biggest fantasy handicap was that he was splitting starts with Robin Lehner, thus diminishing his value. However, Lehner is currently out day-to-day and Fleury will have the opportunity to see far more ice time. He is a must-start for any fantasy owner.
Philipp Grubauer – Colorado Avalanche: The Avalanche had their season put on pause this past week, but now they are gearing up to have a mini-series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Colorado plays Vegas twice this upcoming week and although the Golden Knights are not the easiest opponent, Grubauer has been one of the best goalies in the league this year and should continue to put up solid performances regardless of who he is facing off against. Grubauer currently has a save percentage of .934, which is the third-highest in the league when considering goalies who have played five or more games. He also has a season GAA of 1.67, which is also one of the lowest in the league. He is a serious contender for being the best fantasy goalie this season.
Jacob Markstrom – Calgary Flames: Markstrom is currently coming off three consecutive wins, thus solidifying his spot on this week’s great list. Those wins brought his season record up to 7-3-1. He currently has a save percentage of .921 and a GAA of 2.36. The Calgary Flames did not start the year off the way they wanted to, but they have a talented roster that can put up great performances when they have the right momentum. This is an important component to consider, as Markstrom’s numbers have improved as his team’s overall play has improved. Calgary seems to have found some solid footing, and if the entire team continues to play the way they have been then Markstrom could be a strong fantasy asset.
Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay Lightning: Andrei Vasilevskiy is a no-brainer every week, but this week in particular he faces a schedule that could allow him to put up even better numbers than normal. He has one game against the Florida Panthers, followed by two against the struggling Dallas Stars. He currently has a record of 8-2-1, with a save percentage of .929. He is still the front runner in the Vezina Trophy race for this season and is proving to be a great first round pick for any fantasy owner that drafted high enough to get him.
Editor’s Note: Dominate daily with our premium DFS Tools that are packed with our lineup optimizer, a salary tracker, projections and much more. And don’t forget to use promo code PUCK10 to get 10% off. Click here to learn more!
Good Options
Connor Hellebuyck – Winnipeg Jets: Hellebuyck has been putting up decent performances as of late, but the reason he sits in the good column, as opposed to great, is because of the schedule the Jets have this upcoming week. The Winnipeg Jets play the Edmonton Oilers twice followed by the Vancouver Canucks twice. Both teams have some talented offensive players that could make it slightly more difficult for Hellebuyck to put up stellar numbers, but regardless he is always a good option to start whenever he is in the crease. Hellebuyck currently has a record of 6-3-1 and has a save percentage of .920.
Jordan Binnington – St. Louis Blues: Binnington’s biggest problem this year has been his inconsistency. This week he has the opportunity to perhaps find some momentum to change his season for the better. The Blues have one game against the Arizona Coyotes, followed by two versus the San Jose Sharks. Both of those teams are opponents that allow Binnington the opportunity to put up good numbers. If he is able to have a multi-game stretch this week where he has solid performances, it will no doubt increase his fantasy value.
John Gibson – Anaheim Ducks: Gibson started off this season as one of the biggest fantasy surprises before he had a falling off after a couple bad appearances. However, last week Gibson did pick up a shutout against the Vegas Golden Knights and is still playing far beyond what was expected of him. Fantasy owners should be very happy with the value Gibson has brought to their roster based off the position he was drafted. He currently has a record of 5-4-3 and a save percentage of .923. Gibson’s two biggest problems are his inconsistency and the underwhelming performance of the rest of his team, which has had an immense impact on his record.
Bad Options
Anton Khudobin – Dallas Stars: Khudobin put up a remarkable season last year and led the Dallas Stars all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. In a turn of events, these past few games the Stars have been struggling immensely against opponents in matchups where they were favored. Khudobin is coming off two back-to-back games losses, in both of which he posted a save percentage below .900. His season record is 3-3-1 and he has a save percentage of .902, along with a GAA of 2.75. After last season his draft position skyrocketed, and currently Khudobin is not living up to expectations.
Jonathan Quick – Los Angeles Kings: As the season progresses, it looks more and more like Quick’s time as the go-to netminder in Los Angeles in coming to an end. Quick’s numbers this year are very disappointing. He has a record of 2-2-2 and a season save percentage of .867. His GAA of 4.05 is incredibly high and puts him as one of the worst goaltenders in that category. Cal Petersen is putting up far better performances than the veteran Quick and it is now evident that Quick’s ice time in Los Angeles will continue to decrease. His poor performances combined with reduction in starts makes him a must avoid option.
