After assembling a quality fantasy squad, the most effective way to get a leg up on your competition is to maximize every player's opportunity to contribute. They can't score from the bench, right? By hacking the schedule -- sussing out which teams are more active when most others are not -- you can seize more flexibility in boosting your lineup's potential each night. The greater number of players in action on every occasion, the greater potential for positive fantasy returns. A tangible benefit, especially in tight head-to-head competition, where each point can mean the difference between weekly victory and defeat.
Setting the benchmark at six games -- when another 20 teams, at minimum, are idle -- several teams are worth recognizing when deciding which available players to pick up or stream, all else being equal, on so-called slower nights from Nov. 1 to Nov. 30. The Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders lead the way in competing on seven occasions when most of the rest of the league is off, while a small handful of others do so on six dates. Any manager who has won their week in head-to-head play by the slimmest margin can tell you even the most minor advantage can make all the difference.
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New York Islanders
Coach Patrick Roy: "Barzy's not happy; he doesn't feel good about it. He respects the decision, he understands it. He was really good about it."
If anything, being banished to the press box Thursday as punishment for showing up late to the rink should provide Mathew Barzal with extra incentive to make amends. Especially since his Islanders ended up on the wrong end of a 6-2 decision in Carolina. Rostered in only 56% of ESPN Fantasy leagues, the 28-year-old center has two goals and five assists in his past six games and looks his usual fit self, despite load management rumors. A point/game player when healthy, and prone to block shots more than your average forward, Barzal merits rostering in all but the shallowest of leagues.
Perennially underrated as a fantasy performer, Kyle Palmieri consistently goes about his business of shooting on net and putting up points at a pleasantly systematic clip, when he's in a productive groove. Which the veteran is at present. Managers who've lost a skater or two to injury should consider subbing in the largely available winger -- a fixture on the Islanders top power play -- for the next month or so. Only Bo Horvat has more shots on net this season.
In leagues that reward tougher defensive play, Alexander Romanov sports underrated, reliable value. The Islanders blueliner blocks shots and tosses his body around enough to serve as a reliable contributor most outings. A shot here and there, plus the odd point, only further bolsters what the 25-year-old brings to the fantasy table on a nightly basis. After losing a few games to an upper-body injury, Romanov returned to full action Thursday in Carolina. He remains available in almost 77% of leagues.
Chicago Blackhawks
Before getting rocked by the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, Spencer Knight was enjoying a nice little run, stringing together a 4-0-1 record, .939 SV%, and 1.76 GAA through five starts. While there will be ugly nights -- the Blackhawks are still very much in rebuild mode -- their newly entrenched No. 1 netminder is performing well enough to win his reasonable share. Keen fantasy managers might consider rolling out Knight when matchups don't appear altogether lopsided. Like next week, when Chicago faces the Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings on staggered nights Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Check on his obtainability in your league.
Up front, Frank Nazar is serving as a fantasy gem, with five goals and six assists thus far. The gifted rookie won't be available in almost 30% of ESPN Fantasy leagues for long. As for sleepers, I'm forming a growing interest in Andre Burakovsky. Still developing chemistry with center Connor Bedard, the new Blackhawk has a goal and two assists in his last pair of games. There's burgeoning promise here, particularly for managers in deeper leagues. If nothing else, stream him next week, when Chicago plays on every lightly scheduled night, then take it from there. One of your streakier sorts, forward Teuvo Teravainen is another hit-or-miss candidate who could prove valuable in the coming days after scoring in Winnipeg on Thursday.
Four other teams compete on six so-considered slower days: Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers and Canucks. In Calgary, I like Morgan Frost as a barely rostered sleeper on a top line and power play with Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau. The 26-year-old is riding a five-game point streak with a goal and four assists.
Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov appears to be pulling out of his early-season mega funk, hitting the net in each of his last two games. The former 30-goal scorer deserves monitoring at minimum. Carolina netminder Brandon Bussi is competing often enough to serve as a valuable streamer, boasting a 3-1 record, with a .919 SV% and 2.25 GAA. With four contests on next week's slate, the NHL newbie could start twice in place of No. 1 Frederik Andersen.
And don't forget, Zach Hyman is due to make his season debut soon for the Oilers, perhaps even as soon as late next week. Recovering from a wrist injury, the winger is available in more than half of ESPN Fantasy leagues. That won't be the case much longer.
At the opposing end of the busy-night spectrum, the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators play only once when most of the rest of the league is off.