Start

Payton Cormier, Midfield, New York Atlas (22 Coins)

In just his second game in the PLL, Cormier finished with 66 fantasy points, the second-most fantasy points during Salt Lake City Weekend. 

Cormier has been a pure goal-scorer since his days at Virginia, holding the NCAA record for most goals in a collegiate career. While Connor Shellenberger was out of the lineup against the Philadelphia Waterdogs in the season finale, Cormier proved he can still be just as productive as a pro.

With Shellenberger listed as questionable for New York’s semifinal matchup against the Maryland Whipsnakes, expect Cormier to have a similar role and continue to see frequent touches in offensive sets. 

For 22 salary coins, Cormier is in a good position to be the steal of the week yet again.

Joe Nardella, Faceoff, Maryland Whipsnakes (17 Coins)

Nardella and Trevor Baptiste’s matchup this weekend is shaping up to be the faceoff battle of the season. Both are Paul Cantabene Faceoff Player of the Year finalists and rank first and second in the league in faceoff percentage. 

I have my trust in Nardella for two reasons. First, Nardella’s fantasy average over his last five games (24.64) is substantially better than Baptiste’s over the same span (18.96).

The second reason I like Nardella is how he fared in his last matchup with Baptiste. Nardella finished the game with 19.4 fantasy points to Baptiste's 6.7. 

Nardella is a great take for only 17 fantasy coins after being worth 28 coins last week. 

Brendan Krebs, Goalie, Maryland Whipsnakes (33 Coins) 

Krebs is the bargain netminder for the upcoming weekend. His affordable price tag the reason I put him in my start column for this week. 

Besides his low value, Krebs has continued to put up solid numbers despite his opponent. He’s topped 20 fantasy points in each of his last five games. 

Krebs posts an ROI of 0.98 points per coin, which is much higher than the league average for goalies (0.89). 

There’s no doubt that Krebs will see more shots than he did in the Whipsnakes’ first playoff game against the Denver Outlaws. New York has the highest-scoring offense in the league, but if Maryland’s defense continues to play consistently and give up low-percentage shots, Krebs should have a solid weekend.

Sit

Brett Dobson, Goalie, Utah Archers (48 Coins)

Another fantasy week, another spiked goalie salary cap hit. Dobson comes into semifinal weekend with the second-highest salary cap hit behind New York’s Jeff Teat.

While Utah’s opponent, Carolina, has the worst scoring offense in the league, the Chaos also have the fewest shots taken in the league. 

For a fantasy owner, the last thing you want to worry about is whether your goalie is seeing enough shots to actually make the saves necessary to total points. 

I don’t see the value in spending the coins on a goalie like Dobson when there are cheaper options on the market. If you want to spend the coins on a goalie, then go with Blaze Riorden, whose cap is at 45.

Zach Geddes, SSDM, Carolina Chaos (28 Coins)

The only reason I can see why Geddes is the most expensive defensive player on the market this week is because of his 22-fantasy-point performance against Utah in their last outing. In his last two games, he has accumulated just one singular fantasy point. 

I would stay as far away from this pick as possible. I don’t see any upside, and I think there are better ways to spend your coins on a less expensive and more reliable option.

Connor Shellenberger, Attack, New York Atlas (47 Coins)

Ever since the All-Star Weekend, Shellenberger’s fantasy performance has significantly declined. While the rookie has dealt with the injury bug, his point totals even when active are nothing to write home about. 

In his last three outings, Shellenberger has averaged 10 fantasy points per game. For a player whose salary cap sits at 47 coins this week, that’s an immediate red flag.

Shellenberger is listed as questionable for the semifinal matchup against Maryland. He hasn’t played a game since Denver weekend on Aug. 10. 

I highly doubt he will have a significant impact on the field based on his injury and performance in recent games played. Shellenberger’s linemates Teat and Xander Dickson are better options for an expensive attackman.