Week 7 NHL Risers and Fallers for Fantasy Hockey

Joe Hannon recaps some NHL forwards, defensemen and goalies rising and falling after Week 6. These players might be fantasy hockey waiver wire pickups or potential sleepers for your fantasy hockey teams.

Hey RotoBallers. Here is my weekly rundown of NHL players whose fantasy values are rising and falling over the past week of action. For week 7 we have a handful of underowned players on the rise and some skaters who got off to a fast start now fallling. Those on the rise can be considered fantasy hockey sleepers or waiver wire pickups depending on league format. The skaters trending downward should be benched or dropped in search of better fantasy options.

NHL Players Rising After Week 6 of Fantasy Hockey

Jimmy Hayes (F, FLA) - 3% Owned

November has been kind to Jimmy Hayes. He has registered 4 G, 4 A, 20 SOG, and a +5 rating in 8 games this month. Jimmy is on pace to shatter his career-high of 18 points in 55 games last season. His ice-time should continue to rise with his stellar play. He is available in just about every fantasy format and can reward owners if his recent offensive production continues.

Niklas Hjalmarsson (D, CHI) - 8% Owned

With the offseason trade of Nick Leddy and the recent news that fellow defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk is out 3-4 months with a left patella fracture, the Chicago Blackhawks are suddenly short on quality defensmen. Niklas Hjalmarsson will certainly see an uptick in minutes. More known for blocking shots and killing penalties, Hjalmarsson figures to have an opportunity to contribute more offensively as well. The man known as "Hammer" logs heavy minutes, has 5 points and a solid +5 rating so far this season.

Michael Hutchinson (G, WPG) - 14% Owned

The Jets may continue to go with Ondrej Pavelec as the starting goaltender, but Michael Hutchinson is clearly on the rise. He has been solid since being recalled from the AHL, allowing just one goal in each of his three starts last week. Hutch won two of those three games and is in line to see more playing time between the pipes for Winnipeg.

NHL Players Falling After Week 5 of Fantasy Hockey

Tommy Wingels (F, SJ) - 63% Owned

After producing eight points in 12 games in October, Tommy Wingels has posted just two points so far in nine November contests. The young forward is a streaky scorer and is currently going through a drought. He has a -4 rating and is skating under 17:00 per game this season. Fantasy owners may want to look elsewhere for production, or at least stash him on the bench until he heats up.

Damon Severson (D, NJ) - 72% Owned

With seven points in his first eight games this season, Damon Severson was a revelation on the Devils' blue line. The rookie has gone cold of late, notching one assist over his last 11 games. The young defenseman is still sporting a +4 rating while skating over 22:00 per game, but the scoring just hasn't been there.

Frederik Andersen (G, ANA) - 100% Owned

Despite being winless in the month of November, Frederik Andersen has a firm hold on the starting goaltender job in Anaheim. He hasn't been stellar in net, but the Ducks haven't been great in front of him either. Even with this recent rough stretch, Andersen remains a quality goaltender and should finish the season around the 30-win mark. Owners should not panic or drop the young netminder. His .920 save percentage and 2.13 goals against average are very strong numbers. Weather the storm.