Weekly Waiver Wire: Undervalued Category Boosters by Team Need

If you’re chasing specific categories, you can’t just grab the hottest name and hope. You need players whose roles and usage actually fit your roster gaps this week. Below, we group undervalued options like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Pavel Zacha, and James van Riemsdyk by what they help most: scoring, power-play exposure, peripherals, and short-week streaming. Use them to squeeze every edge out of your schedule.

What’s New & Why It Matters

This week’s waiver landscape is driven more by role changes than random hot streaks. Ekman-Larsson has settled into a top-four role for the Maple Leafs with a balanced stat profile that plays in almost any format. Zacha is rolling as a second-line center for the Bruins, piling up assists and faceoff wins. In Anaheim, Mikael Granlund has climbed into a top-six, PP1 spot for the Ducks due to injuries, while van Riemsdyk is thriving on the Red Wings’ top line with prime power-play deployment.

Even deeper down, Ryan McLeod has carved out a steady middle-six role for the Sabres, contributing in points and faceoffs with some shorthanded upside. None of these players are likely to win you a league on their own, but in head-to-head formats where one or two categories swing a matchup, their specific usage and schedule positioning can be the difference between a 5–4 win and a 4–5 loss.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

In points-driven formats, you’re mostly hunting for reliable deployment and exposure to other productive teammates. Ekman-Larsson’s potential for a 50-point season from the blue line is the headline here. As a top-four defenseman on a strong offensive team, he offers both even-strength and power-play involvement, giving him a stable floor with periodic multi-point upside. If your blue line is thin, he’s a priority add rather than a mere streamer.

Zacha is another excellent points-only target. Slotted as Boston’s second-line center and currently riding a scoring streak, he’s a strong bet for assists, especially if your league counts secondary helpers. His faceoff prowess doesn’t matter much in pure points leagues, but it does signal trust from the coaching staff and helps keep his ice time secure.

Granlund and van Riemsdyk are more schedule-sensitive but still appealing. Granlund’s top-six and PP1 role for the Ducks means he can spike when Anaheim has a heavy week or a run of soft opponents. Van Riemsdyk, meanwhile, is the classic net-front finisher: when Detroit’s power play is rolling, he can rack up goals and power-play points in bunches. McLeod is more of a depth option in points-only, but his steady production makes him a useful plug-in when injuries or off-nights thin your lineup.

Categories / Bangers

In multi-cat and bangers formats, Ekman-Larsson jumps to the top of the list. Beyond his scoring pace, he contributes across shots, blocks, and hits, giving you a rare defenseman who can touch four or five categories in a single game. If you’re trying to shore up peripherals without punting offense, he’s exactly the profile you want.

Zacha’s value grows in leagues that count faceoff wins. His strong numbers on the dot, combined with his current scoring run, make him a multi-cat center who can help you chase both assists and FOW. McLeod offers a similar, lower-ceiling version of that profile for deeper leagues: modest but steady points, strong faceoff volume, and some shorthanded production that can swing specialty categories.

Van Riemsdyk is primarily a goals/PPP specialist, but his net-front role often leads to decent shot volume and some incidental hits. Granlund is more of a finesse contributor—think assists, power-play points, and possibly some shots—rather than a classic banger, but his all-situations usage for the Ducks means he can chip in across the board when Anaheim has a busy week.

Dynasty / Keeper

In dynasty and keeper formats, most of these names are short- to medium-term plays rather than cornerstone assets. Ekman-Larsson’s balanced stat line still has value in multi-year leagues, especially if your prospect pool is thin on defensemen who can contribute now. He’s a reasonable hold if your contention window is open and you need stability on the back end.

Zacha is the most interesting longer-term piece. As a relatively established second-line center with strong faceoff metrics and current scoring momentum, he profiles as a multi-year middle-six pivot who can stick on your roster as a depth C. Granlund and van Riemsdyk are more short-horizon assets whose value is tied closely to their current top-six and PP1 roles; they’re fine keepers in very deep formats but are mainly win-now tools.

McLeod is a classic dynasty depth piece. His middle-six role with the Sabres, combined with consistent contributions in points and faceoffs, makes him a useful bench or taxi-squad option in larger leagues. He’s unlikely to become a star, but he can quietly support your counting stats while you wait on higher-upside prospects.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Add (standard & deep leagues): Top-four Maple Leafs defender with a realistic path to 50 points plus strong shots, blocks, and hits.
Pavel Zacha – Add (standard leagues): Bruins second-line center on a scoring streak, piling up assists and faceoff wins with secure usage.
James van Riemsdyk – Add / Short-term stream: Red Wings top-line winger and PP1 net-front option, ideal if you need goals and power-play points this week.
Mikael Granlund – Short-term stream: Ducks top-six forward with PP1 time, benefitting from injuries and capable of multi-category contributions during busy weeks.
Ryan McLeod – Watchlist / Deep-league add: Steady middle-six Sabres forward offering consistent points, faceoffs, and some shorthanded upside.

Fantasy Takeaways

If you need all-around category help from the blue line, prioritize Oliver Ekman-Larsson as a rest-of-season add.
Pavel Zacha is a strong target for managers chasing assists and faceoff wins, especially in head-to-head categories formats.
Use Mikael Granlund as a schedule-based streamer when the Ducks have busy weeks and you need extra power-play exposure.
James van Riemsdyk is a prime short-term solution for goals and power-play points while he holds a top-line, PP1 role in Detroit.
In deeper leagues, stash Ryan McLeod on your watchlist as a quiet contributor in points, faceoffs, and specialty situations.

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