Daily Fantasy Lineup Leans: Starts, Sits and PP Looks for January 7

Today’s projected lineups and starting goalies give us a tight slate with a few clear fantasy pressure points. The focus is simple: who you can confidently start, where to be cautious, and which emerging names are worth a short-term stream or longer look. With injuries reshaping top units and a couple of young forwards getting extended looks, there’s real edge to be found in daily start/sit calls.

What’s New & Why It Matters

The headliner in goal is Jake Oettinger, locked in as the starting goalie for the Stars. He profiles as a high-confidence play in all formats when he’s confirmed, and today is no exception. His workload and status as a clear number one make him one of the safer goalie decisions on the slate.

For the Capitals, Alex Ovechkin remains stapled to the top line and in his usual power-play role. Any time he’s riding shotgun with the best offensive deployment Washington can offer, he’s a priority start in points-driven formats, even if the matchup isn’t pristine. You’re betting on shot volume and goal equity more than team context.

In Calgary, prospect winger William Stromgren is making his NHL debut for the Flames. He’s projected on the fourth line, which limits immediate fantasy impact, but the debut itself signals that the organization wants a look at him against NHL competition. In deeper and dynasty formats, that’s enough to put him on the radar as a speculative stash if his role grows or he sneaks into a secondary power-play unit.

The Canadiens continue to give Juraj Slafkovsky a meaningful opportunity on the second line. That usage hints at growing trust and a chance for him to build chemistry with skilled linemates. While he’s not yet a must-start in shallow leagues, the deployment is exactly what you want to see for long-term upside and for streaming when Montreal has a favorable matchup.

On the downside, the Blackhawks remain without Connor Bedard, who is out with an upper-body injury. His absence depresses Chicago’s offensive ceiling across the board, making it harder to justify fringe Blackhawks skaters as streams. For Bedard managers, this is a forced bench spot and a reminder to lean more aggressively into short-term adds until he’s back.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

In points-only formats, today’s clearest green light is Ovechkin. Top-line deployment plus his entrenched role on Washington’s primary power play keeps his ceiling intact. Even if the Capitals are inconsistent, his individual shot and goal potential make him one of the better single-game bets on the board. Unless you’re in an extremely shallow league with elite alternatives, he belongs in your active lineup.

Oettinger’s value in points-only leagues comes from win probability and goals-against protection. When he’s confirmed as the starter, you’re getting a high floor relative to most available goalies. Unless your bench features another true number one with an elite matchup, you start him and live with the result.

Slafkovsky’s second-line role in Montreal is a subtle but important note. In points-only, he’s not yet an automatic start, but he’s moving into the territory where you can stream him when the Canadiens face weaker defensive teams or when you need upside in a weekly matchup. His deployment suggests that any bump in power-play usage would quickly push him into more consistent fantasy relevance.

Stromgren, by contrast, is more of a watch-and-see in scoring-only leagues. Fourth-line minutes typically don’t translate into immediate production, so you’re mainly tracking whether he moves up the lineup or earns power-play looks. Until then, he’s a name for prospect-heavy formats rather than a daily start.

Bedard’s injury is straightforward: he should be on your bench or IR slot. In points-only leagues, that means you’re free to chase hot hands or favorable short-term schedules without worrying about missing his production. Once he’s healthy, you pivot back quickly, but for now you treat his roster spot as a temporary streaming slot.

Categories / Bangers

In multi-cat formats, Ovechkin’s value only grows. His shot volume and potential for power-play points are obvious, but he can also chip in some physical categories, making him a multi-category anchor whenever he plays. If your league rewards shots heavily, he’s one of the highest-impact skaters on today’s slate.

Oettinger remains a priority start in categories formats that count wins, save percentage, and goals-against. His profile as a reliable starter gives you a strong chance to bank at least one goalie category, and if the Stars control play, he can swing multiple goalie stats in your favor. The only reason to sit him would be strict games-start limits and a clearly superior matchup for another elite goalie on your roster.

Slafkovsky’s appeal in bangers leagues is more situational. If he’s contributing hits or shots alongside his second-line role, he becomes a sneaky depth piece who can help you in multiple categories without needing big point totals. For now, he’s best viewed as a streaming option when you need volume and a bit of upside, not a locked-in starter.

Stromgren is unlikely to help much in standard bangers formats until his ice time grows. Fourth-line usage usually caps both counting stats and special-teams exposure. In very deep leagues that count a wide range of categories, you can monitor his physical play, but there’s no urgency to plug him into lineups yet.

With Bedard sidelined, Chicago’s secondary options lose some of their category juice simply because they’ll see fewer quality offensive situations. If you were relying on any fringe Blackhawks skaters for shots or power-play production, this is a good time to reassess and potentially pivot to more stable environments.

Dynasty / Keeper

In long-term formats, today’s slate is more about reading signals than chasing one-night spikes. Stromgren’s debut for Calgary is the biggest dynasty note. An NHL look, even in a limited role, is a positive sign for his development curve. In deeper keeper and dynasty leagues, he’s worth a speculative add or at least a prominent spot on your watchlist, especially if he starts to earn trust higher in the lineup or on the second power-play unit.

Slafkovsky’s second-line deployment is exactly what dynasty managers want to see. It suggests the Canadiens are committed to giving him meaningful minutes and opportunities to grow his offensive game. If your league rewards patience, this is a good time to buy low or hold firm rather than selling; the role is trending in the right direction, and production often follows deployment for young forwards.

Oettinger is already a cornerstone in dynasty formats, and nothing about today’s start changes that. If anything, every confirmed start in a strong role reinforces his status as a long-term building block in net. You don’t overthink him in keeper settings—he’s a hold and automatic start when active.

Ovechkin’s dynasty value is more nuanced given his age, but in the short-to-medium term he remains a high-end producer when healthy. For managers on the fence about timelines, using tools like the NHL Trade Analyzer can help you decide whether to ride out his production or explore a move. For today, though, he’s firmly in the start column.

Bedard’s injury doesn’t change his long-term outlook. In dynasty, this is noise, not signal. You stash him, ignore short-term frustration, and use the open lineup spot to audition potential long-term depth pieces while he’s out.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Jake Oettinger – Add/Start (all leagues): Locked-in starter for Dallas with strong win and ratio upside whenever he’s confirmed in net.
Alex Ovechkin – Must start (points and multi-cat): Top-line and primary power-play role keep his goal and shot ceiling elite for today’s slate.
Juraj Slafkovsky – Watchlist / Stream (standard, add in deep): Second-line deployment in Montreal makes him a viable upside stream with room to grow.
William Stromgren – Watch / Speculative add (dynasty): NHL debut for Calgary puts him on the radar as a long-term stash if his role expands.
Connor Bedard – Bench / IR hold (all formats): Still out with an upper-body injury; stash and use his spot to cycle short-term streams.

Fantasy Takeaways

Start Jake Oettinger everywhere you can; his confirmed role for Dallas makes him one of the safest goalie plays today.
Alex Ovechkin’s top-line and power-play usage in Washington keep him in automatic-start territory in scoring-heavy formats.
Connor Bedard remains out, so keep him benched or on IR and aggressively stream his roster spot until he returns.
Juraj Slafkovsky’s second-line role in Montreal is a positive trend; stream him in favorable matchups and stash in deeper leagues.
William Stromgren’s debut for Calgary is a dynasty signal—monitor his ice time and special-teams usage for early breakout signs.

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