This is a tricky round with some intriguing match-ups, and hidden opportunity. 

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Expect to spend a little more time on Preliminary Round 5, agonizing over which player is going to help you the most.

On Fire 

It’s Latvian goaltender Elvis Merzlikins who turned in strong Fantasy numbers from Round 4, and based on match-up, could be a good bet for Round 5. He has made 104 saves so far (worth 0.5 points each), and the Latvians certainly have a chance to overturn the USA on Saturday.

Warming Up 

The Russians were stumped by the Danes on Thursday until a flurry of goals, late in the second, lifted them to a 3-0 victory. Nikita Kucherov had an assist on the first Russian goal, and could be a spark against Slovakia.

Ice Cold

American Jack Eichel is shooting often, which is good for Fantasy owners, but has yet to score in this tournament. He’s also a -1 heading into Round 5. But remember, just because a player is cold, doesn’t mean he will be for long.

The Match-ups

#SWEvsITA

Sweden had tougher opponents early in the tournament, and now Fantasy owners have a chance to grab points by choosing Swedes. Elias Lindholm and Victor Rask have been consistent, plus Gabriel Landeskog and William Nylander are heating up.

#CZEvsSLO

The Slovenes have allowed the most goals in the tournament, so far. Perhaps Czech Jan Kovar can carry the momentum of his OT winner into this one.

#DENvsGER

This match-up won’t necessarily be riddled with offense. Again, you could look to Dennis Seidenberg (GER) for defenceman points, or bank on a strong performance from Nikolaj Ehlers for Denmark.

#FRAvsBLR

The French are having a good tournament, and scoring by committee. Any of their top forwards would be a good choice here, against winless Belarus. Anthony Rech (1 goals and 4 assists) and Stephane da Costa (4 goals and 1 assist) lead the host nation.

#LATvsUSA

Both teams have played stingy hockey to this point. The Latvians, with Elvis Merzlikins, have allowed only four goals against, the fewest in the tournament. The Americans have only seven goals against. This might be a place to choose the goalie, and hope for a lot of points from saves.

#NORvsFIN

Finland’s Sebastian Aho had one goal and one assist against Slovenia, while the Norwegians were shutout 1-0 in a tight game against the Czechs. Remember that Norway’s Patrick Thorensen has six points in four games.

#RUSvsSVK

Even with their passionate fans, the Slovaks are still without a win at #IIHFWorlds and don’t expect one against the Russians. Artemi Panarin would be a good choice for Russia, if you can afford him.

#CANvsSUI

Canada leads Group B in Paris, with the Swiss second. These teams play historically close games. Jeff Skinner has been producing well for the Canadians while Andres Ambuhl and Cody Almond each have four points for Switzerland.

Dream Team from Preliminary Round 4:

Goalie - Andrei Vasilevski (Russia) - 41.00 pts
Defenceman - Marc-Edouard Vlasic (Canada) - 29.00 pts
Defenceman - Bogdan Kiselevich (Russia) - 33.00 pts
Forward - Dominik Kahun (Germany) - 35.00 pts
Forward - Brock Nelson (USA) - 47.00 pts - BEST PLAYER
Forward - Sebastian Aho (Finland) - 34.00 pts