Jared McCann has been limited by injury, but he's been very productive when on the ice this season. Marc DesRosiers / Imagn Images
Ten weeks into the fantasy hockey season, there are still some under-the-radar players to spot on the waiver wire.
Let’s get to work. 
This pick isn’t for everyone, since he’s rostered in roughly two-thirds of fantasy hockey leagues, but shallow leaguers may be able to sneak in a valuable add now that Nugent-Hopkins is back in the lineup after missing most of November. While the Oilers’ season has been far from perfect, Nugent-Hopkins’ role is as ideal as it gets — on the top line with Connor McDavid and part of a star-studded top power-play unit.
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Tippett’s generally a good fantasy player to round out a lineup because even when he isn’t scoring, his peripherals provide value. Between his shot volume and hitting, he can kick in some points in most games. But maybe there is the potential for more — he was a part of a new-look second line on Wednesday with Matvei Michkov and Sean Couturier that earned a 68 percent xG rate and outscored the Sabres 1-0.
The Kraken have a really favorable upcoming schedule, with four light(er) nights ahead on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The options in Seattle are pretty slim, but a healthy McCann stands out as the best bet. If you sort your waiver wire by points, he won’t pop because he has only skated in eight games this season. Still, his production in those minutes, along with his shot quality, is a solid start to build off of.
Since returning to the lineup, Zuccarello has been highly productive at five-on-five. Heading into Thursday night’s matchup against the Flames, he’s scored at a career-high pace of 2.74 points per 60. The team is shooting 11.3 percent in his minutes, which is high, but the gap between the Wild’s expected and actual scoring rate isn’t wide enough to raise any red flags — not when those minutes tend to be shared with an elite player like Kirill Kaprizov. The one area that hasn’t clicked consistently is the power play, but that should change considering how many quality looks they’ve generated in Zuccarello’s minutes.
The Hurricanes’ next week-and-a-half of action will be busy. Carolina has a back-to-back this weekend and a four-game Week 10 slate that ends with another back-to-back. So expect Bussi to get some reps in, especially after saving a season-high 3.48 goals above expected against the Flames last Sunday.
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Two returning forwards stand out for the Sabres: Josh Norris and Zucker. Norris put up three points against the Jets in his first game in almost two months. He is part of a top line that has generated a lot of scoring chances (and goals) in a limited time. Norris is a very solid option to lean on over this next stretch, as long as he can stay healthy. Zucker’s a little more of a low-key pick, which could help those in deeper leagues. Alongside Jack Quinn and Ryan McLeod on the second line, the Sabres are generating 4.29 xG per 60 and have cashed in with 4.59 goals per 60.
Crouse can be relied on for two things: shot volume and a lot of hitting. But his fantasy impact usually doesn’t extend past that. So, his current scoring is worth watching, especially this weekend when the Mammoth take on struggling teams like the Canucks and Flames. The Mammoth have one of the most favorable Week 10 slates, with games on all four lighter nights of the week. 
After a tough start to the season, the Lightning have hit their stride and risen to the top of the Atlantic Division. And that gives us a few options to choose from. For those needing help on the backend, consider Darren Raddysh, who has taken over as the PP1 quarterback in Victor Hedman’s absence and is scoring 2.50 points per 60, which ranks third among defensemen. Anthony Cirelli makes for a fine pick, thanks to his role between Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov. Or, consider Paul, who has boosted the team’s scoring rate by 1.13 goals per 60 since returning from injury.
Blankenburg has added a spark from the backend in Nashville. He doesn’t log heavy minutes for the Predators — he’s deployed on the third pair and on PP2 — but he’s been very efficient in that time. His 2.13 points per 60 rank 12th on the defense heading into Thursday night.
Earlier this week, I recommended Tyler Seguin for his role alongside Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen. So now anyone who either added the Stars’ forward or already rostered him has to find help elsewhere, with an ACL injury potentially ending Saeguin’s season. Since Matt Duchene isn’t ready to return, there are two other picks to choose from. There’s Benn, who has clicked with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson and brings physicality. Or, managers can give Sam Steel a shot, since he is stepping into Seguin’s role.
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Speaking of that Week 9 column, Leonard was on my radar as someone who could have a productive week in California. So far, he has two goals and three assists in two games, along with two power-play points, nine shots and five hits. If you didn’t add the Capitals’ rising forward, now would be a good time. Washington takes on a Ducks team without its No.1 goalie on Friday night, before matching up against the Blue Jackets, who rank in the bottom-10 in expected goals against.
High-scoring defensemen can be tough to find on the waiver wire. Instead, managers have to get creative and find someone who can add to the peripherals on a nightly basis. So keep an eye out for Fabbro in Columbus — he blocks a ton of shots, and the Blue Jackets’ next three opponents (Florida, Washington and Carolina) all rank in the top-10 in shot attempts, which should keep him busy.
Data via Evolving-Hockey, HockeyViz, HockeyStatCards, All Three Zones, and Natural Stat Trick. This story relies on shot-based metrics; here is a primer on these numbers
Shayna Goldman is a staff writer for The Athletic who focuses on blending data-driven analysis and video to dive deeper into hockey. She covers fantasy hockey and national stories that affect the entire NHL. She is the co-creator of BehindtheBenches.com and 1/3 of the Too Many Men podcast. Her work has also appeared at Sportsnet, HockeyGraphs and McKeen’s Hockey. She has a Master of Science in sports business from New York University. Follow Shayna on Twitter @hayyyshayyy
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