PHF Fantasy Trends: Week 12
Find out who did well in fantasy last weekend, and who you should consider adding for this weekend.
By J Gray
We saw seven games over four days this past weekend, including a postponement leading to an unusual Monday afternoon game. For all of that, there was only one game that did not shake out in the way one might have predicted from the standings. However, there were close games and a lot of goals, which means a lot of points to go around!
Last week’s stars
The top point-getters for this week among goaltenders come as no surprise. Once again, Corinne Schroeder of the Boston Pride tops the charts with 27.84 points after posting her seventh shutout of the season. Amanda Leveille won both games of her set with the Whitecaps in Montréal, earning 23.6 fantasy points along the way.
At the forward position, Toronto captain Shiann Darkangelo comes in tops after notching 3 goals and an assist against the Beauts, while winning an impressive 32-10 at the faceoff dot. She earned fantasy GMs 26.5 points. Just behind her was Pride forward Loren Gabel, whose stick continues to be red-hot. Gabel earned 24.25 fantasy points after a performance that included 3 goals and 4 assists on the weekend. Pride captain Jillian Dempsey took a modest third place, scoring 2 goals and contributing 2 assists for 20.25 fantasy points.
On defense, Whitecaps alternate captain Sidney Morin improved to 15 points in 16 games on the season, adding a goal and an assist in Montréal. Her 9 SOG also contributed to her 9.5 fantasy points for the week. Toronto blueliner Dominika Lásková had 7.5 fantasy points, with 6 SOG and a 7-2 faceoff total across two games—an unusual source of points for a defender!
Sleeper picks
After going nearly a month without seeing playing time, Force goaltender Tricia Deguire played back-to-back starts against the Minnesota Whitecaps, who have not lost a game since they hosted la Force on December 18. The rookie allowed 5 goals on 71 shots for a .930% save rate on the weekend. Although she lost both games, she made a strong argument for why she should continue to be given starts for Montrèal—and why fantasy managers should keep an eye on her. The goaltender was worth 16.29 points across two games.
Toronto Six forward Emma Woods is quietly having an elite season. Her 8 goals and 11 assists in 16 games place her sixth in the league for points. One of those goals and 3 of the assists came this past Sunday against the Buffalo Beauts, along with a single faceoff win, which earns a few extra fantasy points. Her total for this weekend was 14.75. Teammate Michela Cava had 12 fantasy points of her own, with 2 goals, an assist, and 7 SOG on the weekend.
Waiver wire
With only a single set of games this weekend, all eyes turn to the Canadian matchup. La Force will travel to the York Canlan Arena as the Six aim to sweep the season series against their neighbors. Toronto has only two losses on the season, but are chasing the Boston Pride for the top spot in the standings. The Force have had only two wins in 2023, and have their own national pride on the line.
Toronto will almost certainly start Elaine Chuli in both games. As for Montréal, it’s a tossup. Both of their goaltenders have proven capable, but la Force are scoring an average of 2.4 goals per game, fifth in the PHF. My guess is that Marie-Soleil Deschênes will play the first game of the weekend on Saturday. After that, it’ll depend on how the team played in front of the net.
La Force have struggled to score recently, but the line of Alexandra Labelle, Catherine Dubios, and Autumn MacDougall has been generating some chemistry. If any of them are still available in your league, they’re worth a look.
On Toronto, it’s hard to pick out a player who wouldn’t be a decent pickup for this weekend. Maybe the best targets will be Lexi Templeman and Michela Cava, whose latest positions in the Six’s line shuffle have them alongside some of the team’s most dangerous weapons.
Vibe of the Week
Everyone behind the creation of la Force’s Indigenous Heritage jerseys deserves a round of applause. The jerseys themselves do an intriguing job of melding a traditional hockey aesthetic in the stripes and round crest, with very unusual color patterns and a unique design. It’s visually dynamic and, via the symbolism, the jerseys carry deep meaning as well as flair.
The jerseys were auctioned off by la Force after their game on Sunday, raising $7,035 for the local indigenous non-profit Iakwahwatsiratátie, which provides an immersive language learning environment for parents/caregivers of young children to help them learn Kanien’kéha (Mohawk language) and pass it on to their children and families. Brooke Stacey, who is Kanien’kehá:ka and grew up in Kahnawake in southern Québec, shared the inspiration behind the jersey from the artist.
