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Thread: Kris Letang - Rewarding Fantasy Owners

  1. #1
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    Default Kris Letang - Rewarding Fantasy Owners

    I think it’s safe to say that Kris Letang is easily one of fantasy hockey’s most frustrating players. His skill level is without question, but his troubled injury past can make him a risk. When he’s healthy, he can be dominating force for any fantasy team. The problem with owning Letang; he can’t stay healthy. This is Letang’s ninth NHL season and to this point, he has only managed to play a full 82 game schedule once in his career.

    Last year, in particular, was disastrous. Letang started the season off on the IR, and then missed ten weeks after suffering a stroke. Surprisingly, he returned for the playoffs. In the playoffs, he suffered a broken foot and hand. Letang also has a storied concussion history from previous seasons to go along with various other ailments that have troubled him along his career.

    How many Kris Letang owners felt he wasn’t worth the risk anymore and traded him away? How many basically had to give him away to get other teams to take him off their hands? I can well imagine that the teams that took the chance on him are smiling this season. A new coach, a new team philosophy and Letang is playing as well as he ever has, putting up solid fantasy numbers straight across the board.

    Sure he’s missed some games this year (mainly because of a cheap shot from Zac Rinaldo) but he’s managed to bounce back quickly from injuries and continue to perform at a high level, and produce at an unbelievable rate. The Penguins leader in overall ice time this year already has 10 goals and is one away from matching his career high of 11. His 34 assists currently rank him third in the league for defensemen. His 17 power-play points rank him as the fourth best defenseman in the NHL.

    Letang also offers other peripherals that most offensive defensemen tend to lack. When you look at other offensive leaders at the same position like Keith Yandle, Kevin Shattenkirk, Erik Karlsson or PK Subban, none of those players offer the hits that Letang dishes out. Letang is also the only one from the players I mentioned with a short handed point this season, playing just over two and a half minutes killing penalties for the Penguins this year. From that list of high-powered players, only Kevin Shattenkirk has a higher plus/minus than Letang.

    As mentioned earlier, Letang certainly comes with a level of risk. His injury ladened past scares away most fantasy owners. I am a big believer in the old saying “with great risk comes great reward.” I tend to ignore the standard philosophy when it comes to avoiding injury-riddled players if their skill level is high. Injuries are a part of the game and can happen to anyone at any time. Who expected Steven Stamkos to break his leg last year and miss the Olympics? Who saw John Tavares getting hurt at the Olympics? Who expected Erik Karlsson to get his Achilles heal cut by Matt Cooke? I could go on and on but the point is simple; if you have the chance to own a high skilled fantasy player like Kris Letang, you shouldn’t let his injuries scare you from doing so. He is better than most of the defensemen in the NHL for fantasy hockey even if he doesn’t make it through an entire season. Of course you miss him when he’s out, but you sure love it when he’s in.

    If you were one of the savvy ones out there, and acquired Letang at a low level last year, job well done. He has been rewarding you well all season long. If you are a competing team and looking for that extra push, I suggest you reach out to your local Letang owner and see if he still lives in the past and is looking to move him for fifty cents on the dollar. I would say your window of opportunity is quickly closing, if not already closed. Most bitter Letang owners are softening their stance on his injury past and buying in and buckling down on their prices. Their patience is paying off for them. That or they simply couldn’t get someone to take him off their hands and were “stuck” with him. Most fantasy GM’s would love to be “stuck” with Letang the way he’s played this year.
    10 Team, Points Only, Cash League

    25 Man Roster (no position), top 20 point getters count at end of month
    Keep 20/25 at seasons end, Cut 5 to FA for redrafting
    Goalie points W=2pt L=-1pt SHO=2pt

    Stamkos, Tavares, Eichel, Mercer, JRobertson, RThomas, Kucherov, Nugent-Hopkins, Tuch, KConnor, Necas, Point, Konecny, SJarvis, Cozenz, Morrissey, Bouchard, Josi, Novak, Tolvanen, Peterka, Brink

    G- Vasilevskiy, Sorokin, Oettinger


    "Cleavage is like the sun. You can look, but dont stare.. Unless you're wearing sunglasses."

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Kris Letang - Rewarding Fantasy Owners

    The issue is next yr, or even in his next game he has a much higher probability to miss the rest of the regular season than Yandle, Karlsson, Subban, or any other D-man. The freak accidents happen (Stamkos, Karlsson, Shattenkirk) but it’s easier to stomach an obvious yearlong injury than the on-again-off-again stuff.

    To each’s own for GMs, I like to stay away from Letang’s, Malkins, and Lupul’s because it’s not worth the headache of one week them being in, and the next them being out. But other’s love the risk and will play with fire. I call my yr a success if I finish top 3, that’s just me, but other GMs want 1st or last that’s it. When you’re the latter GM, you’ll play with fire and if it works out you look great, if it doesn’t it secures you a good pick next yr.

    The thing with Letang vs Karlsson in Periphs is Letang has 50 more hits (I think) over 50 games. 1 hit a game, or 3-4 a week. A Martin or a Clutterbuck can make that up in 1 game. If someone offered me Letang in a keeper for Karlsson and said, “he is the same on Pts, but look at the periphs” I’d decline instantly because the stuff Letang brings over Karlsson can be found in FA.

    Through my rant, you can tell I’m anti-BaB, and a bit Anti-Letang.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Kris Letang - Rewarding Fantasy Owners

    Been trying to acquire him for weeks but owner wont do Ekblad for Letang. I've tried Keith+Skinner for him.. no dice.

    His bandaid-boyness I figure would make him easy peasy to get on the cheap. What the hell do I know though

  4. #4
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    The Great One

    Default Re: Kris Letang - Rewarding Fantasy Owners

    Nice article!!

    Reminds me of our off-season discussion when we were fighting the good fight- lol!

    http://forums.dobbersports.com/showt...ost-his-lustre

    Hows that lustre looking now?? :P

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Kris Letang - Rewarding Fantasy Owners

    Quote Originally Posted by Fighting_Emu View Post
    Nice article!!

    Reminds me of our off-season discussion when we were fighting the good fight- lol!

    http://forums.dobbersports.com/showt...ost-his-lustre

    Hows that lustre looking now?? :P
    LOL! Nice find! I totally forgot about that thread. +1
    10 Team, Points Only, Cash League

    25 Man Roster (no position), top 20 point getters count at end of month
    Keep 20/25 at seasons end, Cut 5 to FA for redrafting
    Goalie points W=2pt L=-1pt SHO=2pt

    Stamkos, Tavares, Eichel, Mercer, JRobertson, RThomas, Kucherov, Nugent-Hopkins, Tuch, KConnor, Necas, Point, Konecny, SJarvis, Cozenz, Morrissey, Bouchard, Josi, Novak, Tolvanen, Peterka, Brink

    G- Vasilevskiy, Sorokin, Oettinger


    "Cleavage is like the sun. You can look, but dont stare.. Unless you're wearing sunglasses."

  6. #6
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    Dobber Sports Demi-God

    Default Re: Kris Letang - Rewarding Fantasy Owners

    There was a good Letang vs. Pietrangelo multi-cat conversation a year or two ago.
    I held Letang in the upper tier of multi-cat defensemen.
    A lot of people said that the battle was almost equal. I said no.
    Gotta find that thread.

    I don't know... even with injuries... upside is critical in fantasy hockey.
    Letang has it. AP does not.

    By Yahoo! base-6 multi-cat rankings this year:
    Letang is 30th overall fantasy player, full year stats (4th among D-men). 16th overall by "average game stats" (2nd among D-men, to Shatty).
    AP is 319th overall fantasy player, full year stats (38th among D-men). 203rd overall by "average game stats". AP actually trails Trevor Daley (!!!! LOL !!!! Daley #200season/#197avg) in both full-season value AND average-game value.
    How 'bout them apples!?!

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