Fantasy: Top 10 waiver wire pickups for championship

Every Monday during the season, NHL.com will provide the top 10 players to add off the fantasy waiver wire. Based on Yahoo transaction data and other factors including production, lineup and/or injury trends, we have identified appealing options at each position for fantasy owners in season-long leagues.

FORWARDS

Derick Brassard, C, PIT (37 percent):The Pittsburgh Penguins center scored his 21st goal of the season in their 5-4 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, extending his point streak to six games. Brassard has been trending up lately and has six points (two goals, four assists) and 17 shots on goal on his scoring streak. He is centering the third line with forwards Phil Kessel (RW, 10th in Yahoo) and Conor Sheary (LW/RW, 25 percent owned). Pittsburgh has four games this week, two against non-contenders in the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens.
Ondrej Palat, LW, TBL (36 percent): The Tampa Bay Lightning forward has two points (one goal, one assist), one power-play point and two SOG in three games since returning March 20 from a lower-body injury that kept him out since Jan. 20. He has 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists) in 48 games and is skating on the second line with forwards Brayden Point (C/RW, 58th in Yahoo) and Tyler Johnson (C/RW, 50 percent, 131st) and second power play with Point, Johnson, forward Yanni Gourde (C/RW, 60 percent, 56th) and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (66 percent, 149th).
Derek Stepan, C, ARI (31 percent): The Arizona Coyotes forward has been a source of fantasy production lately and is a streaming option with four games this week. Stepan has four straight multipoint games and points in 10 of his past 12 games totaling 14 points (two goals, 12 assists), four PPP and 26 SOG in the span. Stepan is centering the first line with forwards Clayton Keller (C/LW/RW, 49 percent), who has 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in his past 12 games, and Richard Panik (LW/RW, 12 percent), who has points in four of his past five games.

Ryan Donato, C, BOS (16 percent): The Boston Bruins rookie forward has adjusted quickly to the NHL with four points (two goals, two assists), two PPP and 11 SOG in his first four games. Donato signed an entry-level contract March 18 after finishing his junior season at Harvard University. He had 104 points (60 goals, 44 assists) in 97 career NCAA games. Donato is skating on the second line with forwards David Krejci (C, 36 percent) and Danton Heinen (C/LW/RW, 14 percent) and could remain there with forwards Rick Nash (LW/RW, 46 percent; upper body) and Jake DeBrusk (LW, 9 percent; upper body) still out.
Ty Rattie, RW, EDM (10 percent): The Edmonton Oilers forward has taken advantage of his spot on their first line with elite forward Connor McDavid (C, 7th in Yahoo) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (C, 42 percent owned). Rattie has points in three straight games and five of his past six games totaling four goals, three assists and 12 SOG. He has made the case to remain in that spot down the stretch of the season, making him a streaming option in all formats. The Oilers have three games this week, two against non-contending teams in the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames.
Tyler Bozak, C, TOR (8 percent): The Toronto Maple Leafs center had one assist and two SOG in their 4-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, extending his point streak to three games. Bozak has eight points (one goal, seven assists) and three PPP in his past seven games skating on a line with James van Riemsdyk (LW, 69th) and Connor Brown (RW, 3 percent) and first power play with van Riemsdyk, forwards Mitchell Marner (C/RW, 76th) and Nazem Kadri (C, 69 percent, 86th) and defenseman Morgan Rielly (71 percent, 147th). The Maple Leafs have four games this week, two against non-contenders in the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders.

Jesper Fast, RW, NYR (1 percent): The New York Rangers forward has thrived since being promoted to their first line with center Mika Zibanejad (45 percent), who has a seven-game point streak, and left wing Chris Kreider (36 percent), who has points in nine of his past 12 games. Fast is on an eight-game point streak with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) and 14 SOG. The Rangers have games against the Washington Capitals (twice), Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes this week, and Fast has combined for five points (three goals, two assists) in six games against those teams this season.
Others to consider: Jonathan Drouin, C/LW/RW, MTL (48 percent); Kyle Connor, LW, WPG (37 percent); Max Domi, C/LW, ARI (27 percent); Elias Lindholm, C/RW, CAR (10 percent); Pontus Aberg, LW/RW, EDM (5 percent); Patrik Berglund, C, STL (1 percent); Charles Hudon, LW, MTL (1 percent); Anthony Cirelli, C, TBL (fewer than 1 percent); Valentin Zykov, LW/RW, CAR (fewer than 1 percent)

DEFENSEMEN

Shea Theodore, VGK (17 percent):The Vegas Golden Knights defenseman had one assist, eight SOG and played 26:38 in their 2-1 shootout loss against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. Theodore has an assist in three consecutive games and in four of his past seven games. He has 29 SOG in that span and gets an added boost in leagues that count blocked shots (11). Theodore is skating with Colin Miller (58 percent, 122nd) on the second defense pair and running the point on their first power-play unit with forwards Jonathan Marchessault (C/LW, 17th), William Karlsson (C/LW, 41st), James Neal (LW/RW, 75 percent) and Alex Tuch (RW, 3 percent).
Ryan Pulock, NYI (12 percent): The New York Islanders rookie defenseman had his five-game point streak snapped in their 3-1 loss against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Pulock has nine points (three goals, six assists), four PPP and 27 SOG in his past eight games. He has been skating on the third pair with defenseman Thomas Hickey (1 percent) and on the point of the second power-play unit. Pulock has 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) and 10 PPP in 61 games, fourth among rookie defensemen in each category.

Others to consider: Brent Seabrook, CHI (44 percent); Darnell Nurse, EDM (40 percent); Hampus Lindholm, ANA (18 percent); Alex Goligoski, ARI (14 percent); Jaccob Slavin, CAR (12 percent); Neal Pionk, NYR (5 percent); Vince Dunn, STL (2 percent); Dylan DeMelo or Brenden Dillon, SJS (1 percent)

GOALTENDER

Keith Kinkaid, NJD (25 percent): The New Jersey Devils goaltender stopped 35 of 36 shots faced in their 2-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Kinkaid has won back-to-back starts and is 6-1-0 with a 2.51 goals-against average and .931 save percentage in his past eight games (seven starts). He has filled in admirably for struggling starter Cory Schneider during extended stretches of the season and has an NHL career high 21 wins in 35 games (32 starts). The Devils play four games this week, including favorable matchups against the Hurricanes, Islanders and Canadiens.

Others to consider: Antti Raanta, ARI (40 percent); Philipp Grubauer, WSH (38 percent); James Reimer, FLA (23 percent); Alex Lyon, PHI (9 percent); Alexandar Georgiev, NYR (7 percent)
GAMES THIS WEEK (MARCH 26 - APRIL 1)
Anaheim Ducks (3): at VAN, vs. LAK, vs. COL
Arizona Coyotes (4): at TBL, at VGK, at LAK, vs. STL
Boston Bruins (4): at WPG, vs. TBL, vs. FLA, at PHI
Buffalo Sabres (3): at TOR, vs. DET, at NSH
Calgary Flames (3): at LAK, vs. CBJ, vs. EDM
Carolina Hurricanes (4): vs. OTT, at NJD, at WSH, vs. NYR
Chicago Blackhawks (3): vs. SJS, vs. WPG, at COL
Colorado Avalanche (4): at VGK, vs. PHI, vs. CHI, at ANA
Columbus Blue Jackets: (3): at EDM, at CGY, at VAN
Dallas Stars (3): vs. PHI, at MIN, vs. MIN
Detroit Red Wings (4): at MTL, vs. PIT, at BUF, vs. OTT
Edmonton Oilers (3): vs. CBJ, at VAN, at CGY
Florida Panthers (4): at NYI, at TOR, at OTT, at BOS
Los Angeles Kings (3): vs. CGY, vs. ARI, at ANA
Minnesota Wild (3): at NSH, vs. DAL, at DAL
Montreal Canadiens (3): vs. DET, at PIT, vs. NJD
Nashville Predators (4): vs. MIN, vs. SJS, vs. BUF, at TBL
New Jersey Devils (4): vs. CAR, vs. PIT, vs. NYI, at MTL
New York Islanders (4): vs. FLA, at OTT, vs. TOR, at NJD
New York Rangers (4): vs. WSH, at WSH, vs. TBL, at CAR
Ottawa Senators (4): at CAR, vs. NYI, vs. FLA, at DET
Philadelphia Flyers (3): at DAL, at COL, vs. BOS
Pittsburgh Penguins (4): at DET, at NJD, vs. MTL, vs. WSH
St. Louis Blues (3): vs. SJS, at VGK, at ARI
San Jose Sharks (4): at CHI, at STL, at NSH, at VGK
Tampa Bay Lightning (4): vs. ARI, at BOS, at NYR, vs. NSH
Toronto Maple Leafs (4): vs. BUF, vs. FLA, at NYI, vs. WPG
Vancouver Canucks (4): at DAL, vs. ANA, vs. EDM, vs. CBJ
Vegas Golden Knights (4): vs. COL, vs. ARI, vs. STL, vs. SJS
Washington Capitals (4): at NYR, vs. NYR, vs. CAR, at PIT
Winnipeg Jets (3): vs. BOS, at CHI, at TOR