Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Shockers: Is Pierre-Luc Dubois the Sleeper Pick That Could Dominate Your Weekend?

Wow, the Olympic hockey frenzy finally settles down, and here we are—right back in the thick of the NHL grind. With just under two months left on the clock before the regular season wraps and fantasy playoffs looming close, now’s the time to sharpen those roster moves. Sure, some players are shaking off the rust from Milan or nursing injuries, but the heavy hitters? They’re primed to keep delivering. The break might cloud our immediate reads on some, but I’ve dug deep to spotlight under-the-radar guys—those 50% rostered types—who are sliding into prime spots big time. Trust me, these locals are ones you’ll want to sniff out before everyone else catches on. Ready to dive in and make the most of the NHL’s final stretch? Let’s roll. LEARN MORE

Now that you’ve settled down after all that Olympic hockey excitement, it’s time to turn your focus back on the NHL. We’re less than two months from the end of the regular season and roughly a month until fantasy hockey playoffs begin.

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There may be an adjustment period for everyone who participated in Milan and/or those returning from injury, though most of the bigger names should be able to keep performing. The lengthy break could make things harder to assess for others, but we’ll try our best to recommend 50(ish) percent-and-under players in immediately favorable positions.

(Rostered rates as of Feb. 27)

Forwards

Kiefer Sherwood, SJS (Yahoo: 52%): Reaching just across the halfway coverage threshold for Sherwood, who was previously discussed in late October as a member of the Canucks. He went to San Jose last month but didn’t make his debut until Feb. 4 due to a lower-body injury. He immediately found himself on a line with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. That trio has continued, and Sherwood has moved to the top power play. That’s a pretty cushy fantasy placement, especially for someone who can supply points, average more than two shots, and deliver a ton of hits. Get Sherwood before others figure it out.

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Ivan Barbashev, VGK (Yahoo: 38%): Consistency has been Barbashev’s calling card since he joined Vegas, as his scoring has ended up within the mid-40s/low-50s range. While that isn’t spectacular, it’ll work for him as a complementary player on a strong attacking side. Barbashev may only be on the second PP, but he regularly skates alongside Jack Eichel and is currently riding a six-game point streak in which he’s registered five goals, two assists, 15 shots and nine hits. And even if this run stops soon, he’s good for enough contributions.

Dylan Holloway, STL (Yahoo: 37%): Holloway has returned after being sidelined for 23 of the previous 24 contests with an ankle issue. Before being out, he notched 17 points, 67 shots and 77 hits over the first 30 outings. Holloway didn’t waste any time on Thursday as he scored a hat trick with five shots and an assist. Despite a place on the Blues’ third line and backup power play, he’s a must-add in most fantasy formats.

Pierre-Luc Dubois, WAS (Yahoo: 33%): Dubois was out for three months after undergoing surgery for multiple ailments. He came back right before the Olympic break to record a PPG, assist, two shots, a hit, a block and nine faceoff wins. And even though Dubois didn’t find the scoresheet on Wednesday, he logged just under 17 minutes participating on Washington’s second line and man-advantage. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to add Dubois now, as he should soon get back to full speed.

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Marco Rossi, VAN (Yahoo: 9%): Let’s continue the theme of long-lost absentees with Rossi, last year’s breakout 60-point performer for Minnesota who came over in the Quinn Hughes deal and has recently endured two extended spells on the sidelines. He was doing well with the Wild until the first trip to injured reserve (13 points through 17 games) as their No. 1 center, but didn’t get much time to settle in with his new teammates. Even with the Canucks ranked near the bottom for average goals, there’s promise for Rossi within the top six and a first power play that’s pretty much back to full strength.

Alex Killorn, ANH (Yahoo: 2%): Killorn is skating significant ice time while accumulating enough scoring and receiving advance standing to deserve more fantasy attention. Over the last six outings, the 36-year-old has tallied three goals — including a PPG on Wednesday — two assists, and 15 shots on 19:01 per game. Killorn has also teamed up with the newly returned Leo Carlsson at even-strength and PP. If that placement holds, he’s at least worth a flyer.

Peyton Krebs, BUF (Yahoo: 2%): Any forward with a pedigree who can also hit can be valued a little higher, especially if he has his linemates upgraded. Krebs mainly has occupied the bottom half of the Buffalo depth chart since arriving in 2021, yet he was starting to score this season and is only one point away from a career-high. And on Wednesday, he just happened to post a goal and assist on Tage Thompson’s wing. Keep an eye on Krebs the next few matchups before taking the plunge.

Mavrik Bourque, DAL (Yahoo: 1%): Mikko Rantanen is projected to be out for a couple weeks, which leaves a huge hole on Dallas’s first trio that’s currently being occupied by Bourque. As a reminder, the other members are Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston. You know, two players who’ve so far combined for 127 points. Bourque was already enjoying a decent mini-stretch heading into the break via three goals on seven shots to go with an assist and 10 hits across four appearances. And he extended that upswing on Wednesday by registering a helper and five pucks on net over 18:13.

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Defensemen

Devon Toews, COL (Yahoo: 43%): It’s been an underwhelming scoring season for Toews as he’s only posted 13 points in 44 games after four consecutive campaigns with at least 44. He still skates alongside Cale Makar at five-on-five with a secondary power-play role while averaging 22-plus minutes and coming off an Olympics where he notched a goal and two assists, so more NHL production should eventually come on a league-leading attack.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, TOR (Yahoo: 39%): Ekman-Larsson has already eclipsed his point haul from each of the previous six years, sitting at 35. He also bumped Morgan Rielly down to the No. 2 man-advantage and picked up a PPA on Thursday. OEL has registered a goal, nine assists, 24 shots, 13 hits and 18 blocks from his last 15 contests. He’s also been mentioned in possible trade talks, so his fantasy value could decrease if he lands elsewhere. Grab Ekman-Larsson now and monitor his status leading up to the deadline.

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Bowen Byram, BUF (Yahoo: 38%): Byram has managed to avoid any extended injuries since 2022-23, resulting in decent offensive gains and major minutes. While his output is mainly limited to points and blocked shots, the four assists across the last six appearances are noteworthy, and a partnership with Owen Power during even-strength and on Buffalo’s backup PP can only help. Add Byram if you’re looking to boost your blueline scoring stats.

Logan Stanley, WPG (Yahoo: 8%): Winnipeg is currently without its top-two power-play defenders, as Josh Morrissey got hurt in Milan and will be gone until at least Tuesday, while Neal Pionk is week-to-week with an undisclosed issue. Ville Heinola has since been inserted on the second unit and Logan Stanley — with zero career PPPs — got first crack at leading the top group. The 6’7″ rearguard recently received PP2 action and already provides sufficient totals for shots, hits and blocks, so anything coming on that elite man-advantage would be a bonus.

Goaltenders

Dan Vladar, PHI (Yahoo: 41%): Vladar continues to impress during his first year with the Flyers as their clear No. 1 while in the top-10 for GAA and only allowing more than three goals six times through 34 appearances. The .905 save percentage may not look great, but it’s still above average among netminders who’ve made at least 19 outings. Philly is set to face a few weaker defensive clubs where Vladar should start most — if not all — of those five matchups.

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Casey DeSmith, DAL (Yahoo: 22%): For all Jake Oettinger does, he deserves a rest from time to time. And since joining Dallas, DeSmith has proven to be a solid fill-in, posting a 2.01/.914 line over seven 2026 outings — highlighted by wins at Washington and Utah. The Stars remain excellent on the defensive end, where DeSmith will work great as a streaming option — beginning with either Vancouver (Monday) or Calgary (Tuesday) — while picking up a few spot starts along the way.