Thursday's Best and Worst Fantasy Goalies

Welcome to today’s fantasy goalie rankings. I’ll be your host, Bobby. So, sit back and get ready to dig into some quality fantasy content. I’m new here so let’s take a moment to let you, the reader, know what you can expect from anything I put out in the future. Nothing but the best analytics-driven advice on who to start and who not to start every Thursday. Now, mind you, when choosing which of your goalies to start or sit you must consider a variety of factors. First and foremost, your league’s scoring settings. Next, you take in things like the opponent, team defense, scoring support, etc. Sound complicated? It is. Don’t fret, that’s why I’m here. So, let’s get to the nitty gritty.

Top Three Goalies to Start…

Charlie Lindgren - Washington Capitals

First up, we have good old Charlie Lindgren. Still a relatively unknown quantity by fantasy standards at 43% owned on Fantrax. So, our first-ranked goalie still might be available if you don’t already have him. I suggest picking him up if you can. Some misguided managers will see Lindgren and groan, thinking the Capitals are terrible, but you need to look at the bigger picture. In Lindgren’s last eight starts, he has only faced less than 30 total shots three times. That’s quite a few save points right there. If your league values save percentage, he checks that box too, coming in at .929 for the season. If you’re worried about goals allowed, take a deep breath and relax. Lindgren in his past eight starts has only allowed three or more, three times. Add in two shutouts during that period and you see a winner. Finally, can the Capitals get the win? They match up evenly or better against the Blues in every advanced metric, add on the fact that Lindgren>Jordan Binnington and the answer is obvious. Lindgren for the win.

Thatcher Demko - Vancouver Canucks

Coming in second on tonight’s slate is one Thatcher Demko. While owned in all leagues, if you have him, he's a must-start. This looks like an easy win for Vancouver as Arizona takes quite a few penalties and the Canucks feature a dynamite powerplay. As for shots against, Demko has only faced less than 30 total shots four times in his past ten starts. So that’s another box checked for the Vancouver netminder. Combine Demko’s stellar play, his shots against, and the probability of a win and you’ve got yourself our second-ranked goaltender.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen - Buffalo Sabres

Coming in a respectable third place is Sabres goalie UPL. At 52% owned in Fantrax leagues, you have a pretty good shot at picking him up if he isn’t already on your roster. Coming off a shut-out win against the San Jose Sharks, UPL finds himself up against a Bedardless Chicago Blackhawks team. While I admit, the Sabres have been unpredictable this year, they usually manage to put away teams they’re supposed to beat. Add in the fact that UPL has only allowed seven goals in his previous five starts, and you’ve got the makings of a recipe for success. While his save volume hasn’t been ideal as of late, the likelihood of a win combined with the fact Chicago isn’t exactly lighting the lamp at a torrid pace, makes Luukkonen your third-ranked goalie for tonight.

Goalies to Avoid

Whoever starts for Montreal and Ottawa

Nothing against these two great Canadian franchises, but they are not it.
Montreal is on the back end of a back-to-back and playing a team that is quite capable of putting pucks in the net. Factor in that the Habs are already ranked 23rd in goals allowed, and you’ve got yourself a potential disaster. Ottawa is no better, coming in at a dismal 31st in goals allowed. They could put a brick wall in front of their net, and they’d still manage to blow a two-goal lead. Low blow Ottawa fans I know. When it comes to these two teams, it's a hard pass.

Filip Gustavsson - Minnesota Wild

Fresh back from injury, Gus delivered one gem of a performance for the Coyotes. Five goals on a whopping 18 shots. That’s a solid .722 save percentage for the folks at home bad at math. It doesn’t get any easier for our man Gus as he travels to the not so friendly confines of Amile Arena. This is the opposite of an ideal match-up for the Wild. Icing the 28th ranked penalty kill with an affinity for taking penalties against the league’s best power play.
Last time these two mediocre juggernauts faced off the Tampa Bay Lightning shelled the Wild for four. Avoid the fantasy embarrassment and find another goalie option.

If you have any fantasy related questions, feel free to shoot me a DM @Bobbybets1122 on X.