NHL Waiver Wire: Pickups of the Week

Fantasy comes down to paying attention. If you forget to properly set your lineups or miss important news, there's a chance you're gonna fall behind. These actions may seem obvious, yet I've overlooked the simplest of details and it's cost me weekly wins. Like not realizing a forward was playing three games while another was just playing one. You can probably guess which player I started in this scenario. (And I lost by 0.23 points.)

Don't get complacent. At the same time, don't worry too much about minor mistakes (or early slumps). The bigger picture is the main concern, so stay focused on that.

Please direct your eyes to the players listed below. And promise me you won't stop reading until you get to the bottom of the list.

(Rostered rates as of Oct. 25)

Forwards

Cole Perfetti, WPG (Yahoo: 28%): Elite teams are often successful because of depth. The Jets follow that model with four reliable lines, a solid top-six blueline, and an elite goalie supported by a familiar veteran. Both man-advantage units have been very productive by holding a 42.1 percent success rate, though that's clearly not sustainable. Winnipeg's flying at 7-0, and their second line has arguably been the best trio thanks to a combined 22 points. Perfetti has concentrated his two goals and six assists into three contests, including three PPPs. Expect him to finally break the 40-point plateau, with 50 a reasonable target.

Dylan Cozens, BUF (Yahoo: 25%): Cozens suffered a 21-point decline last season, though 25 of the 47 came over the last 37 games. He's been a power-play mainstay through most of his time in Buffalo and is coming off at least 200 shots in consecutive campaigns. Cozens has been criticized for only posting two assists so far, yet he's fired 27 pucks on net in addition to 13 hits while skating 18-plus minutes a night. As long as he keeps trying to score, his luck should eventually turn around. 

Brayden Schenn, STL (Yahoo: 19%): Robert Thomas is set to be out for at least six weeks with a fractured ankle, so someone will need to fill the 1C spot. Schenn's been offered the job based on his skill and previous experience. He'll get a huge boost from the new placement, after only registering two points in his first seven matchups, though he did manage 21 shots, 18 hits and 10 blocks on just under 18 minutes per game. Add Schenn now before he breaks out.

Cutter Gauthier, ANH (Yahoo: 13%): Gauthier was touted as a Calder candidate entering the season after coming over from the Philly organization in January and finishing the college campaign with 65 points as a Hobey Baker finalist. His first five outings ended up scoreless, but the team is being patient as he gets used to the NHL by providing him with solid talent and attacking opportunities. Gauthier broke through on Tuesday with a pair of PPAs and four shots. There will be some growing pains along the way, though he's in good company and primed to be a significant part of Anaheim's future.

Anders Lee, NYI (Yahoo: 12%): Lee's recent uptick in ice time directly corresponds with Anthony Duclair's leg injury. While he remains on the third five-on-five group, there's the promotion to the lead power play. Nothing has come yet during that situation, but the two goals on 25 shots and 13 hits are encouraging. There's a chance Lee moves into the upper half of the depth chart, though he can rack up stats anywhere in the lineup.

Kirill Marchenko, CLS (Yahoo: 12%): Columbus has already tallied six goals in a game three times. And no, that isn't a typo. Credit goes to their top-six, as Marchenko leads the team with eight points. Anyone from their first line could be considered here, yet he's the most talented of the three -- with no offense to either Sean Monahan or Cole Sillinger. There will undoubtedly be tough times for the Blue Jackets this season, but you can count on Marchenko for 20-plus goals, a few pucks on net and a lot of high-quality chances.

Conor Garland, VAN (Yahoo: 11%): The Canucks first man-advantage remains one of the league's elite units as, Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser combined for 135 PPPs last year. The fifth member has frequently changed, yet it's Garland who currently assumes the coveted job. He's responded with two points there and six overall, supplemented by 13 shots and a career-high 18:24 average. And even if Garland relinquishes the role, his partnership with Pettersson will yield sufficient scoring.

Nick Foligno, CHI (Yahoo: 11%): Foligno may soon be turning 37, but he's occupying a cushy spot beside Connor Bedard -- including a seventh-ranked PP where he's notched two of his four points. And if you've been a regular fantasy participant over the years, you should be well aware of his hit frequency. Since joining Chicago last season, Foligno has logged more minutes than in his previous stop (Boston) and other former locales (Ottawa, Toronto). With the organization rebuilding, he could be pushed down the pecking order to give younger players the opportunity to skate with a superstar. But for now, Foligno is about as solid a widely available cross-category bet as you can get.

Defensemen

Lane Hutson, MON (Yahoo: 47%): The Habs have predictably regressed defensively after a promising start and haven't consistently scored. While both are concerning, there's no problem with Montreal's power play, which has converted on six of 26 chances. Hutson starred in the NCAA the last two years and is already being asked to quarterback the top unit alongside a heavy workload (logged 30:05(!) on Oct. 17 vs. LA). The 20-year-old has faced issues on the back end, but he'll learn from them and do more than enough offensively to be a solid fantasy producer.

J.J. Moser, TB (Yahoo: 13%): Moser proved to be a serviceable blueliner during three seasons in Arizona before being dealt in June as part of the package that sent Mikhail Sergachev to Utah. He's not necessarily filling Sergachev's role, though he seems to have settled in his new surroundings being paired with Victor Hedman, having a spot on the second PP, and all six of his points coming in two games. Moser isn't a top-tier D-man, yet he'll post some scoring stats and contributions in other areas.

Ryker Evans, SEA (Yahoo: 4%): An upper-body injury will keep Vince Dunn sidelined for at least the next two weeks, leaving Evans to cover more minutes. That's an exciting proposition, as he'd already accumulated a goal and three assists before potting a PPG on Tuesday along with four shots, two hits and three blocks. Evans' short-term outlook appears solid, and future placement could be favorable if he continues to find the scoresheet.

Matt Grzelcyk, PIT (Yahoo: 0%): Grzelcyk spent more than a decade in the Boston area before moving to Pittsburgh this summer on a one-year contract. Not much was expected from the veteran, as his offensive totals dipped last season and he hadn't held man-advantage responsibilities since 2021-22. So of course, Grzelcyk has supplied three assists, 14 shots and 14 blocks on a career-high 20:21 on an even-strength duo with Erik Karlsson while participating on the backup PP. Monitor his progress the next couple contests to see if he's worth adding.

Goaltenders

Charlie Lindgren, WAS (Yahoo: 37%): The Caps have won the last five on the strength of 23 goals. They've only conceded 13 during that stretch, with Lindgren and Logan Thompson alternating appearances. Thompson has the edge in victories 3-2 with an inferior 3.28 GAA and .884 save percentage compared to Lindgren's 2.36/.905. The sample size is too small to really judge those numbers, yet Thompson is covered in 62 percent of Yahoo! leagues, while Lindgren is available in 62 percent. Washington's next two matchups just happen to be with two of the league's top attacks (Lightning, Rangers), but the subsequent stretch contains a couple weaker offensive opponents (Canadiens, Blues). Taking the tandem may be the wiser choice, though there's a greater chance you can add Lindgren now.

Anton Forsberg, OTT (Yahoo: 3%): Linus Ullmark's status is unknown as he's battling a muscle injury. He was projected to return on Tuesday, but the Sens felt he wasn't quite ready and promoted someone from the AHL. And it was on that night that Forsberg shut out Utah in his fourth straight start. The team may not want to rush Ullmark until he's at full strength, so Forsberg could be asked to continue as the No. 1 for a little while longer. Facing Vegas and Colorado on the road isn't a great proposition, though both sides have been shaky on D.

Players to consider from past columns: Logan Stankoven, Gabriel Vilardi, Dylan Guenther, Jonathan Huberdeau, Teuvo Teravainen, Josh Norris, Pavel Zacha, Jake Neighbours, Connor Zary, Leo Carlsson, Casey Mittelstadt, Yegor Chinakhov, Anthony Cirelli, Martin Pospisil, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Reilly Smith, Marco Rossi, Chandler Stephenson, Morgan Frost, Justin Faulk, Brandt Clarke, Jordan Spence, Adam Boqvist, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Owen Power, Jamie Drysdale, Hampus Lindholm, Jackson LaCombe, Sam Montembeault, Kevin Lankinen, Lukas Dostal, Justus Annunen