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Johan Franzen, C, RW DET (3GP-1g-1a-2pts, with an even rating and 6 PIM)
Johan Franzen is set to return to the Red Wings' lineup on Tuesday.
The Mule is set to return this week, so if he’s still on waivers in your league, act fast. Franzen has a made a habit of producing huge goal totals when it matters the most, and with the Red Wings in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in over a decade, now is when they’re going to need him to step up.
Wayne Simmonds, RW, LA (54GP-14g-21a-35pts, with a +19 and 85 PIM)
With steady improvement since entering the league last year, Simmonds has finally earned himself a chance to play with the big boys on the top line in Los Angeles. The wiry winger has provided excellent two-way play all year, and his offensive play continues to improve for the surging Kings, who have lost just once in their last 12 games. In those 12 games, Simmonds has 11 points (4g-7a), a +4 rating and a healthy 37 PIM.
Antero Niittymaki, G, TB (31GP-15W-9L-5OTL, with a 2.41 GAA and .920 SV%)
It’s hard to believe that a goalie with as solid stats as Nitty has this year is still so highly underused in fantasy leagues. This is largely due to an inconsistent stretch of games through December and early January, but his play over the past few weeks can not be slept on. He is 6-0-1 over his last seven starts, letting in just eight goals over that stretch. You may want to lean more heavily towards him in home games though. He’s 9-3-3 with a 1.80 GAA and .942 SV% at home this year, while a substandard 6-6-2 with a 3.03 GAA and .896 SV% on the road.
Brandon Yip, RW, COL (21GP-9g-7a-16pts, with a +9 and 12 PIM)
This unheralded Avalanche right winger is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore in fantasy leagues. Yip has scored at a near point-per-game pace for the Avs since being called up just before Christmas. Although he was only an eighth-round pick in the 2004 draft, Yip’s statline from Boston University last season (43 points, +24, and 118 penalty minutes in 45 games) should have suggested that fantasy success could follow. Although Yip has not posted a three-point game this season, his contributions have been remarkably steady this season.
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