Every year when fantasy hockey leagues open for
registration, the pre-draft rankings are a source of much debate. This year is
no different, as fantasy hockey regulars have already noticed many players that
could be ranked differently. Personally, I believe that the folks at Yahoo (via
the folks at Rotowire) have performed well in what is a much more difficult job
than many armchair coaches can comprehend (I know this because I handled the
rankings at fantasyhockey.com for several years). In fact, I had a more
difficult time finding holes in Yahoo’s rankings this season than I have in
previous years.
That being said, there are at least a few players that
perhaps could have been ranked higher. Based on my experience, you’ll want to
pay particular attention to unnoticed players buried deep in the rankings that
can provide considerable value to your team. These are the kind of players that
have your leaguemates say, “Oh yeah, I forgot about him,” or the short
abbreviation “NP” (nice pick), which is often used in draft chatrooms.
Martin St. Louis, RW,
NYR (Yahoo rank: 59)
I understand the drop in value from previous seasons. Here
is a guy who is 39 years old and is no longer lining up with Steven Stamkos. However,
remember that St. Louis could still maintain his point-per-game pace when
Stamkos was injured last season. The Rangers aren’t one of the league’s
stronger offensive teams, and St. Louis only scored 8 points in 19 games with
his new club last season. However, many fantasy owners have bet against Mighty
Mite year after year in fantasy drafts, yet he has continued to prove those who
bet against him wrong.
Nicklas Backstrom, C,
WAS (Yahoo rank: 70)
The Capitals were a plus/minus tire fire last season. You
may remember Ovechkin’s horrendous -35 ranking, but it is worth mentioning that
his linemate Backstrom was a -20 himself. Enter defensive guru Barry Trotz,
whose mere presence should improve that number. Backstrom’s ranking no doubt fell
because of the plus/minus, because he is also a point-per-game player. And
point-per-game players should not be ranked at number 70.
Henrik Sedin, C, VAN
(Yahoo rank: 72)
I will probably leave myself open for debate on this one
when I mention both Sedins. Having watched the Canucks more than any other team
last season, I can tell you that John Tortorella is the worst thing that could
have happened to the Sedins, along with many other Canucks. Lengthy dry spells last
season pushed the Sedins down to where they are now (Daniel, the goal scorer at
LW, is ranked 62, so he should be higher than Henrik). I’m not here to suggest
that they will return to 100 points again, but a near point-per-game pace is
not completely out of the question.
Kris Letang, D, PIT (Yahoo
rank: 77)
This is a personal favorite of Franklin Steele, and I have
to agree with him on this one. Tanger is a high injury risk, in particular the
doubt about his playing future after the stroke he suffered late last season. However,
he seems completely recovered from the stroke, so as long as he’s not battling
any other kind of injury, he will get you points. He is no longer in the Erik
Karlsson-P.K. Subban category of elite fantasy defensemen, but Franklin and I
both agree that you should grab him in the fifth round if he’s still available.
David Clarkson, RW,
TOR (Yahoo rank: 324)
We are now in the territory of the players buried deep in
the Yahoo rankings that could make their way onto many rosters this season.
Even delusional Leaf fans may agree that Clarkson is actually deserving of the
ranking he currently holds. So he couldn’t be any worse than he was last
season, right? Remember that it was only three seasons ago when Clarkson scored
30 goals and recorded triple-digit penalty minutes with the Devils. After all,
there had to have been a reason the Leafs signed him to that enormous contract.
Kevin Bieksa, D, VAN
(Yahoo rank: 328)
Bieksa was yet another player who suffered under John
Tortorella (even more so: Alex Edler), but every year he provides decent point
totals along with solid penalty minutes. Bieksa’s playing style lends itself to
at least a few games out of the lineup each season due to injury, but he’s a
solid fourth defenseman that you can use to fill out your roster. He should
also see additional power-play time following the offseason departure of Jason
Garrison.
Matt Carle, D, TB
(Yahoo rank: 369)
A grand total of two goals will probably push any player’s
ranking down the charts. However, Carle has proven to be a 35-40 point
defenseman throughout his career. With such a dynamic offensive attack in
T-Bay, there’s no reason that Carle can’t put up similar point totals again. Keep
him in mind as another possibility to fill out your defense.
Mike Richards, C, LA
(Yahoo rank: 389)
Richards has sacrificed personal point totals in order to
earn two Stanley Cup rings, recording just 41 points over a full 82 games last
season in the Kings’ bottom six. However, remember that he is only an injury or
two away from returning to his former role as a top-6 forward. He’s worth
keeping an eye on, considering that he was a 60-80 point player during his
final four seasons as a Flyer. Also keep in mind that the Kings were 26th
in goals scored during the 2013-14 regular season, so line juggling is always a
possibility.
Tell us below which players you think Yahoo should have ranked more
generously.
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