Here are your start / sit fantasy recommendations for the Valentine’s Day NHL games.
Please note that you should always start your star players. This list is here to help you if you have two similar players and are debating on which one to start. It can also help when deciding on whether or not to pick up a certain FA on days with a light schedule.
The list will also include key players who may miss a game due to injury or healthy scratch and/or a player who is returning from injury.
While a player may be a “sit” recommendation, he should still be put in your lineup over a player without a game. Accumulating stats takes priority over no stats at all.
Different factors go into picking start / sit candidates including strength of opponent, scoring categories, history vs opponent and sometimes, gut feelings. Take that into consideration before making your final decision.
NOTE: These recommendations are posted before the first game of the day. Some changes may be made if any major changes occur to NHL lineups such as injuries, scratches, or especially, starting goalies, once new information is received. Check back often for any changes, especially for late games.
Forwards
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| Start | Sit | |
| Jiri Tlusty – CAR | Clarke MacArthur – TOR | |
| (5 G, 7 points in his last 3. Ride the hot hand) | (Just 3 pts this season. Doesn’t offer much else) | |
| Devin Setoguchi – MIN | Martin Erat – NSH | |
| (3 points, 9 SOG last 3. Worth a start on a light day) | (Scoreless, 5 SOG in last 4 games) | |
| Carl Hagelin – NYR | Mikkel Boedker – PHX | |
| (Has 3G, 1A in last 2 and 4G, 2A in his last 5 games) | (Just 3 pts in last 8 games after a good start) | |
| Tomas Plekanec – MON | Sergei Kostitsyn – NSH | |
| (Points in 9 of 12 games this season) | (Yes, he’s still playing. No, he’s not scoring. 1 pt in last 12) | |
| Tyler Bozak – TOR | Steve Sullivan – PHX | |
| (2G, 4 points in last 3 games) | (Hat trick is long forgotten. Scoreless, 5 SOG last 6) |
Defensemen
File Photo: Grant Halverson/Getty Images
| Start | Sit | |
| Ryan McDonagh – NYR | Mike Kostka – TOR | |
| (3 points, 11 blocked shots last 3 games) | (Has slowed down with only 1 pt in last 10 games) | |
| Joe Corvo – CAR | Ryan Ellis – NSH | |
| (4 points, 11 SOG last 4 games) | (Still struggling; won’t give you much in other categories) | |
| Cody Franson – TOR | Raphael Diaz – MON | |
| (5 points during current 4 game point streak) | (Increased TOI since Subban’s return, but 1 pt in 6 gms) | |
| Dan Girardi – NYR | Filip Kuba – FLA | |
| (3 pts, 5 SOG, 6 hits, 9 blocked shots last 2 games) | (Points not there yet; averaging only 1 SOG per gm) | |
| Justin Faulk – CAR | Erik Johnson – COL | |
| (Pts starting to come. Solid in most categories) | (Is out indefinitely. Sit until further notice) |
Goalies
File Photo: Grant Halverson/Getty Images
NOTE: Some goalies for the later games have not been confirmed yet. Check back later as the Start / Sit for the goalies will be updated once goalies have been confirmed.
| Start | Sit | |
| Dan Ellis – CAR | Jose Theodore – FLA | |
| (Has been solid and gets the start tonight) | (Numbers aren’t good. Look elsewhere if you can) | |
| Mathieu Garon – TB | J.S. Giguere – COL | |
| (Lindback sick, so Garon starts. Good spot start tonight) | (COL is hurting and faces a tough matchup with MIN) | |
| Martin Biron – NYR | Braden Holtby – WAS | |
| (Not a bad start at home against NYI) | (Numbers still aren’t good. Tough game at TB) | |
Remember, use this list as a guideline if you are debating between a few players to round out your lineup. Just because a star player appears on the “sit” list doesn’t necessarily mean you should sit that player if your other options aren’t overwhelmingly better.
If you have any questions about your fantasy lineup, don’t hesitate to ask.
Good Luck!
Carlos Figueiredo
NHL Rankings & Content Editor
Dynasty Sports Empire
@SpeakoftheDevs
