Re: Dobber PRO Wales [2023-24]
I drafted 8th, so middle of the pack, which made it more challenging to respond to any 'runs'.
ROUND 1: I'm holding out for a top scorer, but all 5 guys after McDavid/Draisaitl that I'm targeting go off the board. I decide on B. Tkachuk, who will help me across the board.
ROUND 2: I tried the 'zero goalie' approach last year and spent the entire season paying for it, so I had committed prior to the draft to getting 2 real starters. With Shesterkin still available at pick 17, it's a no brainer.
ROUND 3: A lot of other PPG+ players disappear in the next 15~ picks. I have JT Miller lined up for most of the round, but he goes 2 picks before me, so I pivot to Connor. I lose on hits, but pretty good all around fantasy player.
ROUND 4: The run on top-end D started the round before, but I still manage to grab Bouchard here. High hopes for this guy this year.
ROUND 5: I'm back to looking for guys who have a shot at PPG, so here I grab DeBrincat. Generally speaking, I prioritize wingers over centres early in the draft.
ROUND 6: Here I grab Fiala, for the same reasons as picks 3 and 5 - points, PPP, and wing eligibility. I was hoping to get Vanecek in the next round, but he goes with the next pick.
ROUND 7: I've been eying goalies carefully since round 5, making sure I can at least end up with a tier 2 legit starter. I pick what I think is the last option available - Jarry.
ROUND 8: After another run on D in the two rounds before, I decide I can't wait any longer on this front and grab Dobson. Still no centres, I start to see, and only 1 RW.
ROUNDS 9-13: I decide it's time to address C, and add Lindholm (9), Cozens (10), Suzuki (12), and Kadri (13). I think most have a shot at 70 points, which I'm happy to get this late in the draft. In spite of myself, I draft a LW, McCann, in the 11th round - the goals + peripherals were too much to resist.
ROUND 14-18: with LW, C, and G mostly taken care of, I have to shift attention back to D and RW. I have DeBrusk lined up all the way for round 14 but he goes the last pick before me. I hum and haw a lot and take Larsson here. I'm not super happy about this, but I do need to add some HITS. In the succeeding rounds, I grab Tarasenko (15), Pionk (16), Crouse (17 - he served me well last year), and Hanifin (18).
ROUNDS 19-24: at this stage, I'm just rounding out the roster, trying to grab some value. I take Hartman at 19, then pivot to some backup goalies for picks 20 and 21 (Forsberg and then Woll - backups behind potentially vulnerable starters), and then take fliers on Wheeler, Gourde, and Hakanpaa.
OVERALL, it's a pretty decent team. I have two real goalies and so should be able to complete there, barring significant injuries. My LW is stacked, my C is inexpensive but most have a good shot at producing 70 points per, my RW is decent if unremarkable, and my D... well, I've gone cheap on D - I might have 3 guys who will put up 40+ points - but as a group they bring a lot of good peripherals (HIT, +/-). I expect to be competitive in the goalie cats and in G, A, +/-, SOG, and HIT, and to be chasing the puck a bit with PPP. One significant goalie injury puts me in a potential pickle, however.
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LEAGUE: keeper -- 6 keepers per year, no farm; roto; 10 managers, 18-man rosters; 2 C, 2 LW, 2 RW, 4 D, 1 UTIL, 2 G, 5 Bench; limits of 99 games per skater position & 82 games per goalie position; daily roster moves; max 100 waiver wire transactions per year; scoring categories of G, A, +/-, HIT, PPP, SOG, DEF (points by d-men), W, GAA, SA%, and SV.
ROSTER:
C: Draisaitl* (LW), Dubois, Nelson
LW: Svechnikov* (RW), Hagel
RW: Kucherov*, Tarasenko, Wilson, Stone, Laine, Reinhart, P. Kane (IR)
D: Fox*, Karlsson*, Chabot (IR), Faulk, Martinez
G:: Vasilevskiy*, Vanecek, Adin, Knight (IR)
* = 2023 keepers