Daily Fantasy Lineup Leans: Goalies, PP1 Looks and Start/Sit Calls for December 6

Today’s slate is light on games but heavy on fantasy decisions. We’ve got a marquee matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers, plus a banged-up Florida Panthers squad hosting Columbus. Below are start/sit leans, power-play angles, and goalie confidence levels built around the latest projected lineups.

What’s New & Why It Matters

The headline is in net. Igor Shesterkin is confirmed for the Rangers against Colorado, while Mackenzie Blackwood is expected to start for the Avalanche. In most formats, both are viable, but for very different reasons: Shesterkin for his elite talent even in a tough matchup, Blackwood for potential volume and win equity behind a powerhouse roster.

On the blue line, the Rangers remain without Adam Fox due to an upper-body injury. That keeps their power-play quarterback spot in flux and slightly caps the ceiling of their top forwards at five-on-four. Any defenseman holding that role tonight gets a short-term PP1 audition with real value in deeper leagues.

In Florida, Aleksander Barkov is still sidelined with a knee issue. His absence reshapes the Panthers’ top six and power play, with secondary forwards pushed into prime offensive roles. That’s a sneaky place to find short-term points and PPP if you’re streaming.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

In pure scoring formats, you’re not benching elite skaters because of these matchups. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar remain auto-starts; the same goes for Artemi Panarin. What changes is how you treat the secondary pieces around them and the fringe roster decisions.

With Fox out, the Rangers’ top power-play unit loses some of its usual efficiency and creativity from the point. That slightly dings the assist upside for Panarin and the rest of the PP1 group, but it also opens the door for whichever replacement defenseman is running that unit to rack up cheap secondary points. In deeper points-only leagues, that PP1 quarterback is a worthwhile short-term play even if their five-on-five role is modest.

On the Colorado side, Blackwood doesn’t move the needle for skaters directly, but his presence suggests the Avalanche are comfortable enough with their defensive structure to give him the crease in a high-profile spot. That’s good news for their top guns: you can confidently lean into a full Avs stack in daily formats, expecting them to push offense rather than sit back.

In Florida, Barkov’s absence pushes more puck touches and offensive-zone starts onto the remaining top-six forwards. If you roster a Panthers winger who’s on PP1, you treat them as a must-start today in points-only leagues. The matchup with Columbus is favorable enough that even fringe Panthers forwards on the top line or PP2 become viable streams.

Categories / Bangers

In multi-cat leagues, today’s goalie decisions are as much about volume as they are about ratios. Shesterkin should see plenty of shots against Colorado’s high-powered attack, which is great if your league counts saves. Even if the goals-against risk is elevated, the combination of save volume and win potential keeps him in the automatic-start tier for most managers.

Blackwood is more of a calculated gamble. Behind the Avalanche, he has strong win equity and could cruise to a quality start if Colorado controls play. However, the Rangers can generate chances in bunches, so there’s downside in GAA and save percentage. In standard categories formats, he’s a reasonable play if you’re chasing wins or saves and can absorb some ratio risk.

On the skater side, Fox’s injury shifts some peripheral opportunity. Rangers defensemen stepping into his minutes will see more time on the ice, which can translate into extra shots, blocks, and maybe a few hits. In deeper bangers leagues, that makes the Fox replacement a sneaky stream if you need blocks and some incidental offense.

For Florida, Barkov’s absence doesn’t help your hits or PIM, but it does change who’s in position to fire pucks on the power play. If a Panthers winger is now the focal point on PP1, you can expect a bump in shots on goal and power-play points. Against Columbus, that’s exactly the kind of matchup you target when you’re trying to make up ground late in the week.

Dynasty / Keeper

In long-term formats, today is more about monitoring usage than making drastic moves. Shesterkin remains a cornerstone asset; a tough matchup against Colorado doesn’t change his multi-year outlook. If anything, another high-volume performance in a difficult spot reinforces his status as one of the safest goalie building blocks in the game.

Blackwood’s start is more interesting from a career-trajectory standpoint. Getting the nod in a big matchup for Colorado suggests the organization is at least willing to see if he can carve out a meaningful role. In deeper dynasty leagues where goalies are scarce, that’s enough to justify a stash if he’s still on the wire, especially if he strings together a few strong outings.

For Fox and Barkov, the key is patience. Both are established stars whose injuries are already baked into their dynasty value. You hold tight, monitor recovery timelines, and resist selling low. The more important dynasty angle is seeing which younger teammates step into their vacated roles—whoever runs PP1 for the Rangers or takes on extra responsibility in Florida’s top six could be a sneaky long-term riser if they perform well.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Igor Shesterkin – Add/Start (all leagues): Locked-in start with elite upside even in a difficult matchup; strong play if you need saves and win potential.
Mackenzie Blackwood – Short-term stream (standard/deep): Expected to start behind a powerhouse Colorado lineup, offering win equity and decent volume if you can stomach some ratio risk.
Adam Fox – Hold (all leagues): Still out, but his role is too valuable to drop; stash on IR and monitor return timelines.
Aleksander Barkov – Hold (all leagues): Knee injury sidelines him, yet he remains a foundational piece; keep him parked on IR and don’t sell low.
Rangers PP1 defenseman – Watchlist/stream (deep): Whoever is running the top power play with Fox out is a viable short-term add for assists and PPP.
Panthers top-line winger – Short-term stream (standard/deep): With Barkov out, a winger elevated into a featured role against Columbus is a strong one-night scoring and PPP target.

Fantasy Takeaways

Start Igor Shesterkin everywhere; the matchup is tough, but his save volume and talent keep him in the must-start tier.
Mackenzie Blackwood is a viable stream behind Colorado if you’re chasing wins or saves and can handle some ratio volatility.
Keep stashing Adam Fox and Aleksander Barkov on IR; their long-term value far outweighs the short-term absence.
Track who quarterbacks PP1 for the Rangers while Fox is out—there’s short-term value in deeper leagues.
Exploit Florida’s Barkov-less top six against Columbus by streaming any winger who lands on the top line or PP1.

Source: NHL.com. See the original for full details.