Yahoo Draft Rankings – Players Ranked Too Low

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 26^th 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.

Know Your Scoring System Inside and Out

Hello again. I know that it's been awhile, but I've been focusing on work and family interests for the last little while. But now that fantasy numbers are standing still (but the playoffs are very much alive and well), I now have the opportunity to study the season that was.

As I tweeted last night, I'm going to write about some tips, based on a keeper fantasy league that I finally won this season (and a few others that I didn't win thrown in there too). My first tip is Captain Obvious for those of you who have been playing fantasy leagues for awhile, but it bears repeating because of its importance: Know your scoring system inside and out.

For example, this particular league awards more points for defensemen than forwards in goals and assists. Having a defenseman like Kris Letang absent for over half the season would normally be crippling, but you can absorb the loss when you receive a somewhat expected 50-point season from Alex Pietrangelo and an completely unexpected 50-point season from James Wisniewski. Applying this particular scoring system, Pietrangelo and Wisnewski were the two players that earned me the most points this season. With goals being worth even more than assists, super sleeper Tyson Barrie and his 13 goals paid significant dividends, especially during the second half of the season.

Another interesting scoring observation was at the position of goaltender. Because this particular scoring system subtracts points for goals allowed and losses, there is arguably less benefit from owning a starting goalie on a bad team than there is from owning a backup on a good team. Would any of us have expected Frederik Andersen to be better than Cam Ward at the start of the season? As it turned out, both goalies played about the same number of games and recorded around the same number of saves, but Andersen earned over double the number of points because he recorded twice as many wins and allowed just under one fewer goal per game. Interestingly enough, Andersen's fantasy stock should continue to rise the longer he and the Ducks manage to stick around during the playoffs.

Another great example is in leagues that count non-standard stats, such as hits and blocked shots (not this particular league). If you have to fill up, say six defense slots on a team, like I did in an experts league, it wouldn't hurt to add someone like Radko Gudas (273 hits, third in NHL) or Andrew MacDonald (242 blocked shots, first in NHL). Both of these d-men were owned in less than one-third of Yahoo leagues. If your league counts both hits and blocked shots, the little-owned Ben Lovejoy, Mark Stuart, and Mike Weber makes sense to use, as each recorded at least 200 hits and 150 blocked shots.

In a time period in which there is a website for just about anything, there are seemingly limitless fantasy hockey articles that will provide you with useful information and great advice. However, these articles are usually written based on standard scoring systems. Same goes with the player rating systems that are usually used, although you may be able to find stats customizable to your scoring system in a few different places. Ultimately, though, it is up to you to understand your scoring system, both inside and out, to maximize the potential of your fantasy roster.