Fantasy Hockey Pickups: Week 16

Welcome to Week 16 of Fantasy Hockey Pickups. It's now down to the home stretch, the final quarter of the season has begun. You now have to not only stay competitive to obtain a playoff spot, but also look towards the future to make sure your roster has enough depth to help you succeed once in the playoffs. Here are a few players that you may want to consider if you need help in certain areas.

Forwards

Jordan Staal - C - (PIT): Jordan Staal had 5A, 1PPP, and was a +3 last week. Overall he has 13G, 21A, 2PPA, 2SHG, 1GWG, 115SOG, and is a +15. Staal has been a quiet contributor the last few weeks and would be a great addition to any team looking for depth. He is available in 36% of Yahoo Leagues.

Brian Gionta - RW - (MON): Brian Gionta had 3G, 1A, 3PPP, 1GWG, and 13SOG last week. Overall he as 13G, 9A, 8PPP, 2GWG, and 104SOG in only 29 games this year. Gionta is back and healthy and looks to be back as a consistent contributor on a nightly basis. He is available in 41% of Yahoo Leagues.

Patrick O'Sullivan - LW - (EDM): Patrick O'Sullivan had 1G, 3A, 3PPP, and 1SHG last week. Overall he has 10G, 16A, 22PIM, 9PPP, 3GWG, and 126SOG thi year. O'Sullivan is a +/- risk, but playing for a struggling Oilers squad takes most of the blame for that. He seems to be getting his scoring touch back recently. He is available in 69% of Yahoo Leagues.

Guillaume Latendresse - LW,RW - (MIN): Guillaume Latendresse had 4G, 4A, 1PPP, 1GWG, 13SOG, and was a +5 last week. Since joining the Wild, Latendresse has had 13G, 6A, 7PPP, 2GWG, and is a +7 in only 24 games. Latendresse continues to impress and has really found his niche in Minnesota. He is worth a pickup, especially in deeper leagues, as he is on fire right now. He is available in 72% of Yahoo Leagues.

Brandon Dubinsky - C - (NYR): Brandon Dubinsky had 2G, 1A, 2PIM, 1SHG, 1GWG, 11SOG, and was a +1 last week. Overall he has 10G, 16A, 20PIM, 4GWG, and is a +11. Dubinsky seems to be turning things around right now and with the recent promotion to the top line with Gaborik and Prospal, things can only get better. He is available in 78% of Yahoo Leagues.

Cory Stillman - LW - (FLA): Cory Stillman had 3G, 1A, 1PPP, and was a +1 last week. Overall he has 9G, 12A, 4PPP, 2GWG, and is a +3. Stillman seems to be finally turning things around and finding his name on the score sheet on a regular basis. He is available in 93% of Yahoo Leagues.

Defensemen

Lubomir Visnovsky - D - (EDM): Lubomir Visnovsky had 1G, 2A and 3PPP last week. Overall he has 9G, 20A, 15PPP, and is a +6. Visnovsky is a PP machine, which is where all of his points will mostly come from. He is available in 26% of Yahoo Leagues.

Zach Bogosian - D - (ATL): Zach Bogosian had 1G, 1A, 4PIM, and was a +5 last week. Overall he has 9G, 10A, 40PIM and 3PPP so far this year. Bogosian is on pace to get close to 40PTS this year which is pretty good for a blue-liner. He is available in 39% of Yahoo Leagues.

Joni Pitkanen - D - (CAR): Joni Pitkanen had 6A, 3PPP, 6PIM, and 10SOG last week. Overall he has 2G, 25A, 46PIM, and 11PPP. He is a +/- risk with an overall rating of -13, but has had 2 strong weeks and could be a source for assists. He is available in 65% of Yahoo Leagues.

Mark Giordano - D (CGY): Mark Giordano had 2G, 6PIM, 1PPP, and was a +1 last week. Overall he 7G, 13A, 54PIM, 8PPP, and is a +6. Giordano leads all Calgary defensemen with 20 points so far. He has definitely flown under the radar, leading the blue-line in scoring with names like Jay Bouwmeester and Dion Phaneuf on the squad as well.

Goalies

Rick DiPietro - G - (NYI): Rick DiPietro got his 1st win of the season last week and looks to be back and ready to play. IF he can stay healthy, DiPietro would be an asset to any squad. Keep an eye on him and if he begins to play well and gets more starts, he may be worth the pick-up. He is available in 73% of Yahoo Leagues.

Notable Injuries

Steve Bernier - RW - (VAN): Lower Body - DTD as of 1/11.

Patrick Elias - C - (NJ): Head - DTD as of 1/16.

Marc-Andre Fleury - G - (PIT): Finger - DTD as of 1/16.

Brent Johnson - G - (PIT): Lower Body - IR as of 1/11.

Pascal Leclaire - G - (OTT): Upper Body - DTD as of 1/14.

Teemu Selanne - RW - (ANH): Broken Jaw - IR as of 1/15.

Marco Surm - LW - (BOS): Leg - DTD as of 1/17.

Good Luck with your match-ups this week!

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