Chris Wassel – McKeen's Hockey

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag: The Last Ride?

Chris Wassel — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 01:33:01 +0000

A funny thing happens this time of year and no it is not Spring. However, thoughts immediately turn to the second season while still worrying about the end of the regular season. So many things happen in the final week and it can get quite chaotic. This year is a little unique in the sense that the NHL hits Game 82 for all on a Saturday. It is not unprecedented by any means but it has been awhile.

There are obvious problems with this. Now in rotisserie leagues, no one really cares much because you play until the end anyway. However, in head to head leagues that are going this week, it is a six day week and most major fantasy platforms have pro-rated your moves, etc. It makes a difference when you look at it. So you can take a guess what one of the questions that came my way because it came with a lot of venom from some. Who could blame them?

Okay let's begin.....

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag

What are your thoughts on playing the last week of the regular season in fantasy hockey?

Since there are multiple ways to play these days and now daily fantasy hockey as well, there are at least three different ways to answer this.

DFS -- This one is simple. I do not really like it but I will play away on Wednesday and Saturday. Friday's two game slate is just not that appealing and honestly Tuesday is not all that good and Thursday is not optimal either. Think of this as torture. No one knows when players like Zdeno Chara will return just yet or if other injuries will occur. Daily is far tougher to gauge as well because it is a one day contest. If someone unexpectedly sits, that goose egg resonates throughout your lineup. It also means one probably does not cash. No $$$ is bad news as they say. Players will also be "shut down" for minor things so expect that too.

Roto/Points -- Honestly, I do not mind the last week all that much. It is like playing through the string. You expect it in rotisserie leagues. That 15 game Saturday slate is going to decide a lot of leagues. Personally, I am in a few myself and the difference in money will literally come down to probably the late games. That is how you want a league to end honestly. It is so much more fun when things come to a thrilling conclusion and not just a whimper. Some will like quiet thrashings but they are not exciting for everyone. The leagues you talk about are the ones that keep you on the edge of your seat and roster moves right down to the wire.

H2H -- NO! This cannot be emphasized enough. NO! It was bad enough I made a mistake in my own personal league and had this, not realizing it until it was too late. Granted there are a couple playoff races left and some seeding to be determined but all that needs to occur is a few players sitting and that kills a finalist at the most crucial moment. There is nothing more agonizing to see a whole season down the drain because Carey Price had to rest on a Saturday. I am not going to say that will happen but hypothetically it is possible. This is why next year I will make sure every league ends the week before the regular season ends. Call it a lesson learned in remembering dates.

Okay....we have time for one more.....

So which player(s) may influence lines and fantasy production this week?

It has to be the Florida Panthers first line of Jaromir Jagr, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Aleksander Barkov for daily fantasy. Yes they only play two games but those should be impact filled. Now if it is season long in any format, it is the hope that Marko Dano of the Columbus Blue Jackets is on the second line at some point this week. He is fun to watch and worth the gamble. Also keep an eye on whatever line Brett Connolly is on for Boston this week as they end their regular season on the road.

Finally, the Rangers should see something from the Kevin Hayes line this week and maybe he is still on waivers somewhere. The kid is good and does have that exuberance and skill you want to see. He has not hit the wall needless to say.

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Next week's edition will be later in the week due to the break between the playoffs and end of the regular season. Good luck, thanks for reading, and as always you can follow me on Twitter @ChrisWasselDFS.

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag: Goalie Time?

Chris Wassel — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 10:59:26 +0000

It is crazy to believe but just a couple weeks separates us from the regular season and its end. All that works in season and dynasty leagues comes down to the next couple weeks. The anxiety levels rise and they do in daily fantasy hockey as well. Lineup decisions are painstakingly agonized over and over and over.

There are questions that have been abound on Twitter for days but two stuck out this week and they do need some answering. Forgive us for our brevity here but let's get right down to it!

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag -- Daily/Dynasty Double

What is the greatest unknown with Henrik Lundqvist's impending return for fantasy owners?

This is a great question because note the word unknown here. Lundqvist will back up Cam Talbot on Thursday and then on the weekend, against Boston, he will likely get a start then. The Rangers goalie does often have some problems with Boston but this probably not the same Bruins teams he faced before his injury either. Now once that start happens, then what? This is the thing. No one really knows but certainly Lundqvist should be eased into his normal playing load (about 3/4 of the games). There may be a bit of a platoon that gradually yields to the Rangers all world goalie getting a few starts in a row to assess stamina.

The best thing to do will be to monitor the beat writers daily. Yes that means you are going to get some overload information to the max but it is better than missing out. Now the hardest thing is when one is asked about projecting what Lundqvist could do for your fantasy team. How many starts does he get? What will his stats look like? These are all very legitimate questions but I think we have to see what he looks like in start one and then not jump to too many conclusions. The transition from start one to start two will be a bit more vital. Honestly, Lundqvist will be just fine, put up a few amazing games and then be ready for the playoffs. If you have him, you play him and that is that! Do not fuss over this!

Is Carey Price the most valuable player for your fantasy hockey team?

As I have seen this in so many ways and forms, it was time to answer this. Honestly, Carey Price is the most valuable player on your fantasy hockey team if you are using a standard format for categories. His goalie point share is approaching 15. His Goals Saved Above Average could come close to levels from Dominik Hasek's prime. There are some really incredible comparisons and perspectives as to what the goalie is doing right now. Some of them really are mind blowing.

Using a personal example, I have a money league where Price is more or less my only starting goalie. Sadly one of my starters bit the dust and then lost him to the waiver wire. Having two backups does not make it easy but because Price plays so much, it does ease the pain and boosts rotisserie stats especially. The only category I do not lead in is wins and my winning percentage is superior to every other owner. That 61 out of 64 roto points helps in ways that cannot be underestimated.

If I had another starting goalie in the league, I probably would lose a good 8-12 roto points and that means two maybe three places in the standings. Instead of contending for first place, I would be mired in fifth (still in the money) but not exactly raking it in. Second place is a nice jump in winnings though first is a humangous jump as Ilya Bryzgalov would say.

Price leads in wins, goals against average, saves, and shutouts. That is an ultra rare quartet. He is pretty close to Cory Schneider in saves as well. The Montreal goalie actually has more saves per game however and faces more shots per game. So there you have it. Price can literally make that much of a difference on your fantasy team. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments!

Thanks again for reading and good luck in your playoffs and DFS!

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag: Slumps And Hamburglars?

Chris Wassel — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 16:46:02 +0000

Needless to say we are at the crossroads of the 2014-15 hockey season. That is right. Fantasy hockey playoffs start for quite a few people in head to head leagues this week. Most everyone else starts next week. Questions have been flying in and so have the injuries. The intensity of play has picked up which means predictably, scoring is slowly heading downward. Playoff like games are already occurring and that should keep on going over he final 26 days or so of the regular season.

The questions were three this week. Now the first one is an opinion I am sure few will agree with but here it goes.

Will 3 on 3 OT in any form make the game more exciting?

It is going to give fans a reason to get off their seats. Whether it is a three minute session after a four minute four on four remains to be seen but the AHL has definitely seen less shootouts. It will be fascinating to see what percentage drop there is come season end but imagine the danger of many odd man rushes. If anyone remembers playing 3 on 3 pickup hockey, think of how much faster the pace was. Purists will not enjoy this as they derided the 4 on 4 format in the first place. However, more and more GM's are growing increasingly tired of the shootout. Even at three minutes of 3 on 3, there will be quite a bit of excitement generated.

However, there is one nagging thing. how do you generate more scoring in general? 3 on 3 will be a nice boost for some fantasy owners but how do you elevate the product so that less games go to overtime or the shootout in the first place? That may be for another time as they say.

Fantasy hockey playoffs are starting, what do I make of all these injuries?

Again this is the time of year where you almost hope your playoff format does not go more than three weeks because if it does, one is likely to be affected by enough injuries to make significant impact. Tampa has a triplet injury special going with all three players out at least a couple weeks or more. Pittsburgh has Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist out at least a week with injuries and Sidney Crosby is battling some nagging illness and is day to day. That is just for starters. On the bright side, see who is on the mend. I believe Dustin Byfuglien is practicing with Winnipeg and other players are close to returning too so hopefully you can alleviate some of your IR worries only to yes place more players on it anyway. It really is a time of year for survival more than anything else.

The best tip is to check waiver wires. Obviously 99% of leagues have seen their trade deadlines come and gone. In deeper leagues it is going to be rough for everyone to replace injuries. Be first and be bold. It is win or go home anyway so you have nothing to lose.

The DFS world has embraced Andrew Hammond, when does the run end?

That answer is a mystery. Truth be told I picked up Hammond on a whim the first game he faced the Montreal Canadiens and figured what is the worst that could happen. When he stopped 40 of 42 shots and won, I thought it was a nice story but it probably would not last all that long. Fantasy hockey fans....we are at ten plus starts now and still the Hamburglar keeps going. His 10-0-1 record is Patrick Lalime like but his .955 save percentage is Carey Price over the last few months like. The numbers are otherworldly and yes he has not given up more than two goals in any of his starts.

One of the keys to his success has been Erik Karlsson and the improved play of the defense. Yes teams may be getting shots on net but they are less in the danger areas than they were before. That is vital to a goalie's success because if he can see it or somewhat see it, then its not going in nine times out of ten. Give Dave Cameron some credit too as Ottawa really has turned on a switch here.

What happens next? Eventually Hammond will start giving up some goals but the improved confidence of the team may be enough to keep them going on this run. Will it be at the current pace though? That does not seem likely. Either way, it's going to be a fun final weeks.

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See you next week fantasy hockey fans and thanks for reading!

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag: March Madness!

Chris Wassel — Sat, 07 Mar 2015 13:33:38 +0000

There is madness from the NHL Trade Deadline and then there is sheer madness from the week of injuries. It feels like it has been long and maybe that is true. No one can escape the litany of injuries. Just when you think it stops, another one seriously pops up. This happened several times as I was writing the mailbag up in the last few days. Then I would have to scrap it and start all over again. It is much like the writer who has his deadline piece already to go and then the game gets tied and goes to overtime. The backspace and delete keys get a workout like few have ever seen.

Sadly that was again the case Friday afternoon when word of this spread onto the internet. That would be Nathan MacKinnon news that his season is over after breaking his foot. He will be out 6-8 weeks. As if fantasy hockey fans did not have a high enough misery index as it was. This has been one rough stretch and it does not look like it will get any better.

Now the questions.....

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag

With the sudden rash of injuries, what is a fantasy hockey manager to do these days?

If you look up and down enough lineups, you can see that the latest rash of injuries seemed to begin with the knee injury of Tyler Seguin. From there, it was a series of maladies over and over and over again. Before you knew it, it seemed like the injury report was multiplying. From Kyle Okposo all the way to MacKinnon, it just has been a tough time of it. There are some fantasy teams that had no red on their pages a couple weeks ago only to have a full complement of players on the injured reserve list with no room to spare.

Basically most trade deadlines are done in your fantasy hockey leagues. However, if you should be lucky, then definitely make some offers. Remember you are not in a position of strength but hey, a value or two may still to be had. This is when your skills of spotting talent come in handy. Also keep in mind, a few players like Tyler Seguin, Kyle Okposo, and Henrik Lundqvist should be back in the next week or two weeks.

If you can hang in there, that is great. If you cannot, be shrewd in your trips to the good old waiver wire. It might net you the next Andrew Hammond. You never know.

Why do you not do winners and losers of the trade deadline?

This is true. I don't believe in it. Simply this goes back to years ago where making judgments over time was more beneficial than snap assessments. Sometimes we have to in this business but right now, I prefer to look at it more in the sense of which teams made improvement while other teams lost an opportunity.

There are lots of reasons why some teams did not make a lot of moves. The market this year was a very convoluted one with seemingly changing prices all the time. Think of it as an ever changing breathing entity. Sometimes it just takes a life of its own and sometimes it just runs with it. That is how the trade deadline goes. Teams like Anaheim definitely improved themselves while a team like New Jersey lost an opportunity partially because they did not act fast enough or properly showcase their players. Honestly, when your assets are not good enough, that is a different kind of lost opportunity.

In later posts, we will delve into some of the best and worst (closer to playoff time). After all, that is where these teams want to be and why they made the moves in the first place.

Last question.....who do you see as the one team falling out of their playoff spot?

It has been this one for awhile now, for me anyway. That team is the Winnipeg Jets. They seem to suffer injuries at the worst time (see Dustin Byfuglien and Bryan Little). Their goaltending is showing cracks again. The team defense always seems to have gaps when it should not and Paul Maurice has this knack of making the wrong decision up there when the right one is needed. It is hard to explain but that team just finds a way to end up not in the top eight when all is said and done.

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That is it for this week.....see you next week with more...yes...more questions.

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag — Quest For Questions

Chris Wassel — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 21:00:02 +0000

This is simply the fun time of the year where hey, the schedule gets spread out because of the NBA All Star Break. More importantly, expect some crazy results straight out of a full moon night for several nights. At any rate, this is going to be a lot of fun. Either way, this week people asked us quit a few questions and we attempted to pare them down to a select two.

Why did we go with less questions this week? That was so we could focus a little more intently and still keep the column at a concise level. Please forgive us and hopefully we come back firing again next week. Anyway, let's get this one started with one that is a jaw dropper!

Who is your fantasy hockey MVP and why?

It has to be Carey Price! He is number one in Goals Against Average and save percentage. He now has five shutouts on the season and has been on fire for the last six to eight weeks. The goalie is now second in wins with 32 as well. What would the Montreal Canadiens be like without Price? Needless to say, they would be a rather mediocre team.

Hockey analysis is always needed with this sort of thing. Price's Goals Saved Above Average is rapidly approaching 30 in just 45 starts. That is scary numbers! His goalie point shares could be around 18-20 by season's end if he keeps this up easily. Basically he is the best goalie in the league and some could really make an argument that Price may just be the best player.

Oh those up to date stats are a 1.93 GAA and a .935 save percentage. Those are downright insane when you consider the scoring lately in the league has elevated some.

The question err the real question is can Price keep this up? That answer is he may really be able to. That kind of track err projection is just indicative of a season that will likely be even better than last year. The Hart and Vezina trophies may just be his to lose come season's end.

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What the heck is going on with Phil Kessel and Nazem Kadri -- better yet TORONTO?

Ah there are lots of questions but amazingly both have six points each since the start of the calendar year. That is pretty hideous when you consider their shooting percentages are both way off compared to their career averages. However, Phil Kessel has regressed back to his career percentage despite shooting a tenth a shot more a game. Nazem Kadri has slid backwards to along with many Toronto players. This has gotten uglier and uglier as the Leafs keep on losing (13 of 14 is just crazy).

Is there anything that they can do other than blow up this team? Basically it is like a couple with irreconcilable differences between Kessel and the Leafs. They may even be stuck with him to be perfectly honest. It is pointless to focus the blame because management was so poor and the players are trying but they have zero puck luck. The cold stretch really has taken a life of its own.

What can be done? That answer is simple. Both players just need to keep on shooting and hope for the best. The same goes for Toronto. Let's see what happens!

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag: Sudden Losses

Chris Wassel — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 19:31:08 +0000

Fantasy hockey general managers never feel sorry for their fellow GM's who suddenly lose players after the All Star Break. It is just a fact of life. Whether the loss is big or small, it is significant. However, when it is a top line player, that changes so much. Those changes really do have ripple effects that can become far reaching. Then the length of the injury adds to it.

No one gets more frustrated than I do to see a ton of questions for the old what to do since Player X is injured for Y amount of time. That is especially even more so when I own the player too. Let's be honest. Even the "expert" has to sit there sometimes and go oh crap, what is next. This is just human nature.

The time is now to get down to business and lament the fallen? Okay, we may have gone too far there.

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag

With Kyle Okposo out for at least the next 6-8 weeks with an upper body injury, what are my Islander options?

Because the New York Islanders have more depth than most teams offensively, this is not as much of an issue as one would think. Mikhail Grabovski can make a fine fill in for say 15-25 games. He did it before with Alex Ovechkin in Washington and then yes things went south but Grabovski is normally a solid plus possession player and just has a knack for getting points in bursts. Playing with John Tavares and Josh Bailey will increase his chances as he rides the confidence wave.

Then there was this goal seen here.

Again there will be a few questions. Can he play 18 minutes a night consistently on this line? That answer is no. Could he play 16 minutes or a hair more? That is more plausible. Josh Bailey becomes more of an option if he is still out there and even Frans Nielsen possibly. The other three or four minutes are going to go elsewhere.

It does seem Grabovski will be on the second power play unit, at least for now. Even Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson will still see first unit power play time. Nothing is set in stone here. One game snapshots can be dangerous but the plan worked masterfully so expect it at least for now.

Was Wednesday Night the most predictable DFS hockey night in a long time?

The answer is absolutely! Monitoring daily fantasy hockey patterns has become a fun hobby that has taken some roots. However, it was well known Cory Schneider was going to win but he had to do it in a shootout (now that part was not in the script) but he did have 29 saves. He had been projected to face more rubber and sure enough he did. Our choice B was Braden Holtby, who posted a shutout against the Pittsburgh Penguins. While we figured he might give up a goal maybe two, he would still manage a win. It looked like the earlier blanking of Pittsburgh was almost exactly how this one went. Yes Pittsburgh is missing Evgeni Malkin and Olli Maatta among a few others but they are more healthy than they had been. This was a huge win for Washington considering how they had looked losing four straight.

Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom both had multiple point night along with Mike Green. That was not even that surprising. Then the highest scoring of the night poetically ended with a 4-3 win by the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick basically outlasted Corey Crawford in net as Tyler Toffoli and Jake Muzzin scored huge goals to buoy the two points for LA. Jeff Carter had three points and Anze Kopitar had two assists. That does not even include what Chicago did. Patrick Kane had a goal and assist with three shots and Patrick Sharp also nabbed a goal and assist. The goalies both were under a .900 save percentage which cuts in on daily fantasy points. It just seemed like everything was too easy.

Short slates can be like that. They can be all or nothing and every so often many shades of weird.

Finally, what is your take on Lawson Crouse?

This has been asked so many ways. He is on a rather bad team. That is an obvious take. He has upside, plays big, and does have nice hands, and a pretty good shot. His biggest asset is Crouse forechecks very well. The one thing the forward will have to learn is how to establish position in front of the net at the NHL level. That will come with time. He is not a first year hop into the league type of player but could be a year two candidate. Lawson Crouse will need seasoning and maybe even another year in Junior plus some AHL time before the jump.

He really could be drafted anywhere from 5th-12th. Insider thinking tends to be more in the 5th-8th range. It all hinges on the team and the needs they have. More defensive players like Crouse can take time but sometimes they break out suddenly and put it all together. Time will tell. There is more season right now to go as they say.

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See you next week everyone and keep those questions coming.

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag: Now It’s Mono??

Chris Wassel — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 15:26:40 +0000

It's another crazy week in the fantasy hockey leagues out there and this week has been dominated by injuries and yes, now mono. From the flu to the mumps to stomach ailments to mono, it just seems the NHL really has their hands full. Needless to say, when Spring comes, a lot of players are going to be relieved.

Thankfully the All Star Game is coming up soon enough and maybe the break will be a good thing for the huge majority of players. That should get some players on the mend. The mailbag never yield and here are this week's questions.

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag

Now that Tyler Toffoli has mono, is this like the mumps where I should worry about more cases?

Alright, the weird thing about mono is that it is again, something that can typically impact young adults. Yes it is also called "the kissing disease" because kissing often involves the exchange of saliva, etc. Mumps has a long incubation period but a different wrinkle with mono is that it typically takes 4-6 weeks to show actual symptoms after exposure. That is a lot of time passed to try and determine how a person got the illness. Simply sharing of toothbrushes and anything that involves saliva is also something to watch.

Toffoli really could be out weeks or months. Mono is a strange type of illness because you can start feeling better then feel awful again for a long period of time. There are a lot of ebbs and flows with mono. This is a significant blow for Los Angeles and fantasy lineups because not only could Toffoli be out a long time but Tanner Pearson broke his lower leg on Saturday and could also miss a huge chunk of time. That is over 20% of the Kings goal output. This is quite significant and changes a lot for fantasy owners and yes, Los Angeles too.

Getting back to the mono, just keep an eye out for updates every so often. Hopefully this is a shorter term case as opposed to a longer one. I seem to remember Bobby Ryan having this in 2009 and quite a few players do contract mono. It makes sense since it is most common between the ages of 15-25. You are always a potential carrier of mono but very rarely can contract symptoms anywhere close to the original time of being sick from it. Either way, this is one fantasy hockey fans where we will have to really wait and see.

What do I do if I have Jimmy Howard in my fantasy league?

Ooooh boy! This is tough! If you have not watched the video of Jimmy Howard's groin injury, we warn you, this is graphic!

Red Wings G Jimmy Howard (Groin) Underwent MRI Today; Has Ultrasound Scheduled Monday to Get 'Better Read on His Injury'

— Jason Liptow (@jaybird691) January 11, 2015

That is all we really know for now. The bottom line is for however many weeks or even months, this will be Petr Mrazek's show err opportunity to show the Wings what he has. Howard had around a .920 save percentage on the season though it was around .930 near Thanksgiving. Mrazek has about a .916 save percentage on average. The goalie will have to be a little better than that for Detroit but the Wings do suppress shots pretty well.

It will be even more interesting to explore other options out there like Michael Hutchinson if he is still available but looking at buzz numbers and early indications from ESPN, fantasy owners scooped him up a good bit. See if Mrazek is available. He is going to be more than serviceable and as a second or third goalie on your team, that is all you can really ask. If Howard was your number one, then you may be in a little bit of trouble honestly.

Daily fantasy at least will be interesting because Mrazek will be cheaper at first and then eventually his value will rise. Get him early in DFS ladies and gentlemen. Good luck!

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As always I will be taking questions every week and you can follow me on Twitter @ChrisWasselTHW. In the coming weeks, we will be answering scouting questions about the 2015 NHL Draft as well. Ask away!

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag: It’s Teuvo Time

Chris Wassel — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 22:16:05 +0000

The first full week of 2015 is here and we have another quick hitting edition of the "Fantasy Hockey Mailbag". Please note that as 2015 goes on, there will be a bit of a scouting angle and possibly will be fielding some questions as far the 2015 NHL Draft and fantasy implications. People often forget that most of us in the business have many hats.

It is time to quickly get down to business, Please keep in mind that Week 14 is about the time where time stands still till about the All Star Break. Anyway, here we go.

Fantasy Hockey Mailba

So what do you expect from "Teuvo Time" in Chicago this time around?

Everyone needs to relax about the Chicago Blackhawks super prospect. The key thing is Teuvo Teravainen can be eased in on the fourth line this time. Kris Versteeg's injury opened up the spot which should be for almost a month. Do not expect magic promotions to the top six on a permanent basis for the 18th pick of the 2012 draft. Instead, you should inspect some occasional shifts with the top six which should bolster his ice time on some nights. There could be a wide range of 12-15 minutes a night depending on the night and the circumstances of how the game flows, etc.

His time in Rockford has served him well and ten points in his last 13 games there turned enough heads to make this call-up a reality. Watching him skate in the game against Dallas, Teravainen looks more polished and not as rushed as he did last season. Are there still rough edges? Naturally. However, after one game, it is a bit difficult to get too judgmental.

Also, the game between Dallas and Chicago was a bit of a wild one. It is fortunate that the Finn can be eased in to many situations without being thrown to the wolves. It is like getting the sampler for an appetizer. Here is a little of this situation and that one. See what you see and then adjust and learn from it. The key also is how the forward progresses from practice to practice. His hands are off the charts and vision but can he put everything together in this month long visit?

At this point if Teravainen can get say 5-7 points, I would consider that pretty good. If he gets more, that would be a bonus. He is a talented forward and as the month progresses, the skill will become more and more apparent. What happens at the end of the month may be more intriguing.

Saturday night saw a whopping 74 goals in 10 games. Can we expect more of these occasional outbursts?

The answer is undoubtedly yes! Now for daily fantasy, this is a frustrating experience. It drives up the threshold of what it takes to cash basically. There were 50/50's where 55 points did not cash. On normal nights, 36-40 points is likely enough. Whether the format is DraftKings, FanDuel, Victiv, Fantasy Aces, or whatever. The more goals usually equals more widespread scoring which means less variance between placings.

In English it means there are a greater amount of chances to find success only to see almost the same amount of success by the masses. This happens even more in tournaments because of the amount of entrants and multiple entries at that. Scoring is slowly becoming more frequent on high slate nights. There have been several in the last few weeks where over 6.5 goals per game have been scored. It really is only a matter of time. The key to winning on these nights is to be able to pile enough scorers and find that goalie that benefits from a lopsided game.

Just be sensible and ride the wave. Scoring is going to go up especially after the All Star Break and then things may tighten after the trade deadline with less frequent outbursts. Teams usually play tighter the last few weeks of the season also. Stay tuned! We are in for a bumpy ride. Good luck!

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See you next week with more questions. Good luck this week!

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag — Happy New Year

Chris Wassel — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 15:54:13 +0000

It has been a long and strange season so far but we close out 2014 quickly with just a couple questions on the mailbag. You can always follow me on Twitter @ChrisWasselTHW. Questions will always be answered and no I won't hide from them. There are two main questions I got this week. One is daily and one is a team inquiry if you will. Either way, this looks to be full of fireworks and honestly there is no other way to go here. Expect some answers that may irk a few people.

Anyway, let's get cracking on those questions. They do not answer themselves!

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag

Is there really anyone on the New Jersey Devils worth having as a fantasy hockey option?

Again, they are awful and nothing much is going to change from here on out. New Jersey has scored just 68 goals in their last 35 games (yes we threw out the 11 goal outburst in the first two). That is good for dead last in the league. Travis Zajac has eight points in 29 games while getting first line center minutes and Scott Gomez has almost as many points in about half the games while Adam Henrique has more points and plays several minutes a night less.

The strings are being pulled by Lou Lamoriello and the reality is with this "Odd Couple" coaching arrangement, the last 45 games have become open mic night in Newark. I wish I was kidding but do not be surprised to see Keith Kinkaid start more games than he has for the rest of the season. With the year lost, it is time to play out the string. Even Cory Schneider, who has been pretty good but just not consistent enough, will be a player you don't want in the second half unless you are in a deep league.

Jaromir Jagr is on about a 45-50 point pace which is a good ways off from that nearly 70 point year in 2013-14. Damon Severson had such promise in the early going with eight points but got sucked into the abyss and will miss another month with a break in his ankle. There have been injuries, mumps, and players just in another world. The bottom line is can the team even complete three straight passes? The fundamentals are pretty poor for a team so laden with veterans.

You could bag skate this team to death and it likely will not matter. Yes the effort will be there but the execution has to just happen and it is not. Just tread carefully with Devils players and know they can go into long slumps. Consider they have not won three games in a row since the start of the year.

What was with the value night on Saturday in DraftKings?

It was a pretty high scoring night on DraftKings and part of the reason why the amazing value in mid-line centers. Derek Stepan and several other centers were in the $4,500 to $5,500 range and around four points a night which is too good to pass up. That allowed you to take two centers and then spend a bit more on wing and defense. If you added a fairly cheap Ben Bishop at $6,700 on Saturday, it gave a player even more options to go higher up the food chain.

There was a 50-50 I was in last night where it took over 50 points just to cash. That's nuts! It really is. Typically you can get away with 35-40 points depending on the slate. Expect more nights like this during the next week as the schedule gets a little weird with a heavy Monday and Wednesday.

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Do not forget to bring the questions and I will answer them. See you next week!

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag — Merry Christmas!

Scott Wheeler — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 22:41:50 +0000

With just a few days to go until Christmas arrives, fantasy hockey questions are still pouring in from all over the place. Again, every week we take your questions and the goal is to never back down no matter how challenging the inquiry may be. No one likes to be the bearer of bad news but sometimes that is just how it is.

This week we have a couple more of these fantasy questions that test our minds. If you are ready then I am as well. Let's go for gold here!

Fantasy Hockey Mailbag

Okay so I am able to keep six keepers but I need to package a deal for an elite goaltender. My keepers are Perry, Schneider, Eberle, Yandle, Duchene, MacKinnon, Hedman, Subban, Toews, and Kopitar. Just what do I do on both accounts? -- Craig Belanger

These are fun questions though most would view them as tough or difficult. The attempt to try and distinguish can be maddening but it can also be a satisfying experience. Why? Decisions like this eat up too much of your time in fantasy hockey. I see it every single day and you can tell when it is really grinding someone's gears.

When you look at the choices here, it actually reads like a who's who of top ten or twenty players or so. That may be a slight exaggeration but these are all top players at their respective positions (at least top ten or 15). When you realistically look at all these players, the across the board numbers just make it tougher and tougher.

However, there are clear cut choices that can be made. One assertion is that Cory Schneider is not an elite goaltender right now because of the mess of a team he plays on currently. New Jersey is not going anywhere and the train could ride off the rails even further. Someone might try to take him in a sell low scenario though. Package him with the right players and maybe you can strike top five goaltender gold.

Could you package a Schneider with Hedman to get a top goalie? Yes you might. However, you may have to sweeten the pot with a Perry to do it. These trades take skill and no doubt you will regret giving someone up. In the long run, a fantasy hockey GM has to think longer term. I might also package Kopitar, Yandle, and Eberle for a top tiered netminder also.

My six keepers would be Perry, Subban, Hedman, Kopitar, Duchene, and MacKinnon. Good luck! Hey we have time for that second question.

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So Calvin Pickard has been having an amazing week, what do you do with him now?

He is a good goalie and I do not doubt that. However, seeing these numbers come in and the frequent 30+ save totals combined with the workload do worry me a bit. His "Goalie DNA" says he can handle it but Colorado has little margin for error. Semyon Varlamov is bound to come back eventually and take back his job anyway. With a window that is closing by the day, an owner has a chance to get something for Pickard he never ever expected to. Think of how often a waiver pick can be turned into an asset. It does not happen very often.

You can keep playing him until Varlamov returns and then go digging into the waiver wire to try and get lucky again or maybe you trade him for another player now. There are enough fantasy hockey general managers out there dying for a quick fix and they will PAY for it! As the saying goes, aim high first and then come down in price. Remember to do this fast because other owners will pick up on this strategy and fast!

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Good luck everyone and thanks for reading. Merry Christmas and see you next week!