What to Expect when you’re Expecting to Play Fantasy Hockey

by kroche16

If you have yet to delve into the world of fantasy sports, it may be time to uncover your head from the pile of 8-tracks it was buried under and join the phenomenon.  The industry that could be worth as much as $1.7 billion by 2017 is waiting for more eager participants.  With NHL training camps rapidly approaching, now is the time to begin tailoring the perfect league full of big name super-stars, busts and sleeper picks. Playing the role of GM is an awesome opportunity to prove superiority to friends as well as to catch a glimpse of the brilliant puck-handlers you may be missing out on in a different time zone (I’m looking at you Matt Duchene).  Before putting together the Dream Team, make sure the league rules reflect your specific interests in the game we love.

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Newly knighted Captain Tavares is fit to celly a few more times this season

  • “I’m a casual fans looking to join in on the action.”

Fantasy new-comers should stick to a standard league with simple scoring rules. Bear in mind that some players in a league like this may lose interest in their team after injuries or after all those “sleeper picks” stayed snoozing. According to ESPN, the league for you is a Head-to-Head Each Category weekly matchup league. These leagues pit 2 teams against each other for 7 days at a time. Each team seeks to win scoring “categories” by the end of the week the by racking up the most of the following statistics: Goals [G], Assists [A], Plus-Minus [+/–], Shots on Goal [SOG], Penalty Minutes [PIMs], Average Time on Ice [ATOI], Power Play Goals [PPG], Goaltender Wins [W], Goals Against Average [GAA], and Save  Percentage [Save %.]. Winning five categories, losing three and tying two would leave a team with a (5-3-2) record for the week and so on. This league allows for serious fluctuations as the season wears on. One bad week, or even a bad month does not necessarily eliminate any team from contention; not even drafting an MIA Tim Thomas in a league like this last year would give a team the death sentence (well maybe not).

  • “I’m the defending champ and looking for a challenge this year”

For the more advanced league full of die-hard fantasy fiends, consider playing in a year-long rotisserie league. Similar to the Head to Head category league, a team wins this year by scoring the most points in all categories over the course of the entire season. One mistake in a league like this could result in a long winter. Add more categories like Blocked Shots, Hits, Faceoff Wins and Goaltender Saves to increase the complexity of every pick in the draft. Adding extra categories places more value on players not named Stamkos or Crosby and lets the Patrice Bergeron’s of the world dominate. Leagues like this favor the serious stat junkies who haven’t missed a blocked shot by a Tortorella defenseman since the 1st Bettman lockout.

  • “I cherry picked when I played mighty-mites, defensive stats are out”

For players who are already tied up in a serious league, consider making a just for fun league where pure scorers are paramount. Retracting +/- allows players on the basement-dwelling teams to make a splash without forfeiting an entire category for your squad. Did you hear that Evander Kane and Blake Wheeler? Also consider taking away scoring categories in lieu of defensive ones to create what I call the Gregory Campbell League.

Regardless of your league type, now is the time to begin plotting your fantasy draft strategies. Fantasy sports let an average Joe be the mastermind behind an imaginary juggernaut franchise. All your team needs now is a creative team name and you’re ready for the puck to drop in October.