Fantasy Hockey Week 18: Category Targets Before and After the Olympic Break

Week 18 is all about squeezing every game you can out of the schedule on both sides of the Olympic break. Instead of chasing big names, focus on what your roster actually needs: scoring, power-play exposure, peripherals, or a short-week goalie/streamer. The players below all benefit from favorable game volume or soft spots in the schedule that can swing tight matchups.

What’s New & Why It Matters

The key edge this week is schedule density. Jean-Gabriel Pageau and the Islanders play six times across the pre- and post-break window, giving him rare volume for goals, shots, and especially faceoff wins from a third-line role. That many games from a single skater can mimic elite production if deployed correctly.

The Golden Knights have a softer run of opponents, putting Akira Schmid on the streaming radar as a timeshare goalie who could still deliver wins and decent ratios if you pick your spots. On the blue line, Gustav Forsling benefits from a steady top-four role for the Panthers, with games on both sides of the break that support his steady assists and blocks profile.

Up front, the Penguins’ Anthony Mantha is riding a scoring heater from the middle six, while Claude Giroux continues to anchor the Senators’ top line and power play with his usual multi-category impact. All five are widely available in many formats and can be slotted in based on what your roster is missing.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

If you’re chasing pure scoring, prioritize forwards with strong deployment and favorable volume. Giroux is the safest points-only add: top-line usage and PP1 time for Ottawa give him a high assist floor with enough goal upside to matter. He’s the type of player who can quietly rack up several points over a busy stretch, especially with multiple games bracketing the break.

Mantha is more volatile but offers real goal-scoring upside while he’s hot. In points-only leagues, you’re betting that his current finishing run continues through this dense part of the schedule. With the Penguins leaning on him in a middle-six scoring role, even modest minutes can translate into a few key goals and secondary points.

Pageau is more of a depth scoring play in points-only formats. The appeal here is volume: six games can turn a normally modest scorer into a sneaky week-winner if he chips in a handful of points. If your league doesn’t reward faceoffs, he’s more of a complementary add than a must-have, but the schedule still makes him viable.

Categories / Bangers

This is where these pickups really shine. Pageau’s six-game slate is gold for categories: he can help in goals, shots, and especially faceoff wins from the center spot. In leagues counting FOW, he jumps from streamer to priority add because that many draws over six games can tilt the category by himself.

Forsling offers a classic multi-cat blue-line profile. His top-four role for Florida supports steady assists, plus meaningful blocks and some shots. With games before and after the break, he’s a strong stabilizer if you’re short on defensemen who contribute beyond just points. He’s particularly valuable in formats that reward blocks and plus/minus.

Giroux remains a category monster: top-line minutes and PP1 exposure mean he can touch almost every offensive category—goals, assists, power-play points, and shots—while also chipping in some faceoffs if he takes draws. In standard categories leagues, he’s one of the best all-around adds available.

Mantha is more specialized: he’s a goals, shots, and potentially power-play-points play while the shooting luck holds. If you’re behind in goals or need a short-term spike in SOG, he’s an ideal target. Just recognize that his value is tied to his current finishing streak.

In net, Schmid is a situational streaming option. With the Golden Knights facing weaker opponents during this window, he’s a viable add if you need wins or to chase save percentage in a controlled way. Because he’s in a timeshare, you’ll want to be selective: start him in softer matchups and avoid tougher spots.

Dynasty / Keeper

Most of these names are more impactful in redraft, but there are still dynasty angles. Giroux is a short- to medium-term asset; his age caps long-term upside, but his current role and production make him a strong win-now piece. If you’re contending, he’s exactly the type of veteran to target, potentially using the NHL Trade Analyzer to gauge fair value.

Forsling is the most interesting long-term hold. A stable top-four role on a strong Panthers team, with reliable assists and blocks, gives him multi-year value as a D2/D3 type in deeper keeper formats. He doesn’t need PP1 to matter if your league rewards peripherals.

Mantha is more of a watch-and-ride player in dynasty. If this scoring run leads to a more permanent scoring role in Pittsburgh, he can regain relevance as a depth winger. Otherwise, he’s a short-term streamer rather than a core piece. Pageau and Schmid are primarily depth options in dynasty—useful to contend this year, but not core building blocks.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Add (categories, especially FOW): Six-game stretch makes him a premium volume play for goals, shots, and faceoff wins.
Claude Giroux – Add (all formats): Top-line, PP1 role in Ottawa fuels steady points and across-the-board category help.
Anthony Mantha – Add/Short-term stream: Riding a scoring streak for Pittsburgh and can spike goals and shots while hot.
Gustav Forsling – Add (standard and deep): Reliable top-four minutes for Florida with consistent assists, blocks, and solid all-around floor.
Akira Schmid – Short-term stream: Timeshare goalie with a favorable run of weaker opponents for targeted wins and ratio help.
Depth winger on a scoring line – Watchlist: In deeper leagues, monitor any winger promoted into a scoring role on a busy-schedule team for short bursts of production.
Secondary PP defenseman on a busy team – Watchlist: If your league counts blocks and PPP, a second-unit D on a four-game week can quietly fill multiple needs.

Fantasy Takeaways

Lean into schedule volume: Pageau’s six games make him a high-impact add for goals, shots, and especially faceoff wins.
Target stable multi-cat roles: Giroux and Forsling offer reliable deployment that translates into steady category coverage across the break.
Ride short-term heaters: Mantha is worth adding while his scoring streak and shooting luck hold, particularly if you’re chasing goals.
Stream goalies by matchup: Schmid is a viable short-week streamer when the Golden Knights face weaker opponents.
Match pickups to needs: Before making a move, decide whether you’re chasing scoring, PP exposure, peripherals, or short-week volume, then add accordingly.

Source: Rotowire. See the original for full details.