Regardless of the sport or year, the road to a fantasy championship is never the same. There is no concrete route. Successful players navigate their league’s landscape looking for advantages wherever they can be found throughout the season. While preseason preparation is paramount, fantasy hockey strategy allows endless opportunities to turn profits during your draft and through roster management as the year progresses. Consider these general directions that have helped in the past.
Fantasy Hockey Rankings: Goalie | Left Wing | Right Wing | Centers | Defensemen
Fantasy Hockey Strategy for 2018-19
Mock with a Purpose
Participating in mock drafts is only as helpful as you make it, so maximize the value by mastering the interface. Learn how to utilize all the available features and know the default rankings inside and out.
Default rankings are a crutch for the majority of fantasy players, which creates an advantage for those who’ve already highlighted where value can be plucked. Additionally, utilizing the draft queue and player search features are tremendous time savers and allow savvy owners to stay in tune with the trends of the draft and not miss out on targeted players.
Not this Year
One of the annual traps in fantasy hockey strategy is grabbing low-upside veterans in the middle rounds because they’re perceived as a great “value” or a player who’s fallen in the draft. In most cases, there’s a reason they’re still available.
Don’t be afraid to mentally cross players off. There’s nothing worse than a team filled with “value picks” and none of the players you targeted heading into the draft. Stick to your convictions and be willing to accept another league member beating you with a player you’re unconfident in. Properly prioritizing the player pool will help ensure you draft the team you want and not the selections you end up with. There’s a difference.
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Offensive Parity
Goals and assists should be the driving force for your player selections early in drafts. The supporting statistics are important, but they’re typically also easier to acquire late or off the waiver wire.
As a result, it’s critical to know how replaceable the players are on the fringe of your roster. There were 110 players who recorded between 40 and 60 points last season, whereas just 21 skaters reached the 80-point mark. Because there is such offensive parity as fantasy drafts enter the middle rounds, your fantasy hockey strategy should always involve chasing scorers with upside. Replacement value is usually high.
Look to the Crease Early and Often
It’s difficult to win without excellent goaltending, and with the position filled with question marks every year, the value of having solid starting options cannot be understated. Starting out the season chasing netminders is a disadvantage.
Unlike the skater positions, there are some certainties in goal. There are going to be 1,271 wins, and only two goalies start each game. Having the luxury to play matchups is also a notable bonus. Additionally, while short- and long-term solutions will pop up on the waiver wire throughout the year, your entire league is also going to be looking to improve in goal.
Be Active
Every season there are waiver-wire adds who turn into league-winning assets. Looking back to last year, Brayden Point, Sean Couturier and Connor Hellebuyck were all available in plenty of settings and went on to reward owners who grabbed them early.
As noted, replacement level is high in a lot of leagues, so being aggressive on the waiver wire early can pay off handsomely at the end of the season. Don’t be afraid to tinker with the bottom of your lineup by consistently chasing skaters promoted up their lineups or with favorable short-term schedules. Loyalty is overrated in fantasy circles, and it’s not out of the question to dedicate a couple roster spots to upside mining.
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