General fantasy strategy for the upcoming unique NHL season

[stevegamer]

I'm not in any leagues where there's a big strategy change. All my leagues are dynasty, none have weekly move limits (unless the one I just joined has one and I missed it). The league in sig already even has some automatic tandem goalie elements.

I can see wanting to diversify players from more teams than usual, and the tandem thoughts.

I do think we might see some revenge game bad blood PIM uptick.

This is ALWAYS important, though:

1. Make Sure to Have Fun
I am approaching all aspects of sports and fantasy with this in mind. Yes I take fantasy hockey seriously (some say "too seriously") so I'm trying to remember I have had the chance to watch very little meaningful hockey recently, the world is facing a global pandemic. I still cannot see my best buddies for Fantasy Draft Day (one of my favourite days all year) but am going to make the best of it. When my team loses a week or two in a row because it gets wiped out I am going to try and remember this mantra.

[Patches]

In roto I’m filling my bench with cheaper tandems on strong D teams (NYI, CLB). In H2H I’m essentially punting G by taking a few cheap starters rather than investing a higher pick (Talbot, Ullmark). That’s partly bec my leagues devalue G already, but this year the uncertainty + G available later anyway makes me not want to use a pick on a G until the 6-8 rounds at least.

I’m also avoiding Rask - won’t play as much and I’m concerned he might pull the chute at some point. He’s also expensive.

[metaldude26]

First one-year draft of the year and operation "Punt Goalies" went well. I waited until the 11th round for Grubauer (weirdly ranked lower on Yahoo than Francouz). Completed the tandem in the 16th with Francouz and then took a flyer on Koskinen with my final pick. It's a shallow league so that Francouz slot might turn into a streaming slot instead.

*

Other note from that draft, some San Jose Sharks players are under rated on Yahoo and even the ones who aren't (Evander Kane is in the top-60) no one wants to draft them. I think Erik Karlsson is ranked in the 200s. I took him at 78 and maybe could have waited another round or two.

[Eskimo Brother]

^That probably means I'll be heavy on SJ guys this season.

[metaldude26]

^That probably means I'll be heavy on SJ guys this season.

I thought you already were. There's a lot to like. They could get into a bunch of shootouts considering their miserable goaltending and they have a bunch of proven fantasy favourites who were hurt last year who could well bounce back.

[Eskimo Brother]

I thought you already were. There's a lot to like. They could get into a bunch of shootouts considering their miserable goaltending and they have a bunch of proven fantasy favourites who were hurt last year who could well bounce back.

Yeah I kind of was already, but I was more thinking in the leagues I haven't drafted yet. Their preliminary schedule for the H2H playoff weeks is also extremely favourable.

[metaldude26]

Yeah I kind of was already, but I was more thinking in the leagues I haven't drafted yet. Their preliminary schedule for the H2H playoff weeks is also extremely favourable.

I was definitely considering that as well when making my picks. Only team with 12 games in my H2H playoffs. If there's even a sniff of them being on the playoff bubble at that point it will be very fun to own Sharks players.

[tweetdrivr]

Seeing as you and I are now in a league together I’ll keep my bold and league winning strategies to myself.

[pmorrow]

Seeing as you and I are now in a league together I’ll keep my bold and league winning strategies to myself.

Just do the opposite of everything I suggest and you will win

[tweetdrivr]

Just do the opposite of everything I suggest and you will win

Got it!

[stevegamer]

Hearing you guys talk about one year leagues is interesting. I've never done a one year hockey league.

[tweetdrivr]

Hearing you guys talk about one year leagues is interesting. I've never done a one year hockey league.

The league Pete and I are in is a keep 6. I’m also in a keep 3. Those are pretty much one year leagues and certainly when talking about this weird season coming up.

[MarioTheBest]

I'm punting on goalies this year because I think it's gonna be a complete headache. I've contemplated quitting my annual one-year leagues because they refuse to make adjustments to address how wild/frustrating this year may be with goalies. To be fair, my solution "For this one year, why don't we just not have goalies?" is apparently such heresy that it's laughable. I dunno, I thought having one less thing to fret over in COVID life would be a value add.

I think taken to the extreme this philosophy comes from people who want to win their pool on draft day. So there's a lot of variance in Goaltending, so what? Everyone has that handicap. It's like complaining about the sun in a game of pick-up.

[tweetdrivr]

I think taken to the extreme this philosophy comes from people who want to win their pool on draft day. So there's a lot of variance in Goaltending, so what? Everyone has that handicap. It's like complaining about the sun in a game of pick-up.

That doesn't make any sense....60% of the time it works every time...

[MarioTheBest]

I also wear a lot of sex panther. Yeah that was a crap explanation on my part. Goalies are hard to predict. But that doesn't mean we should take them right out. It seems to me some fantasy players want all uncertainty removed so they can literally win their league right after they draft with some smug satisfaction. We all have a hard time predicting them but that's what makes it interesting.