Frozen Fantasy: Change Things Up

The best way to learn is to challenge your own assumptions. And approaches. It works in life and it's excellent in fantasy. I do it every year.

You should, too.

It's easy to get caught in our own beliefs. 'I need a stud goalie.' 'I can't win without two stud defenders.' 'I'll never own a Bruin [or other hated team] or that jerk what's his name. EVER!'

We all get caught up in ourselves at times. It's important to step back and change things up. I do it to test myself. Maybe it's my science background. Or maybe I'm just a masochist when it comes to fantasy hockey.

Aren't we all, just a little?

This year, I changed my approach in three different leagues. I changed my draft approach for prospects in my home keeper league's junior draft. It's too early to know if it worked. Ask me in a couple years.

In a start-up league, I drafted my team AND a buddy's, with almost no input from my friend. That's trust. I overweighted goaltending for my team, but his team got one point from the postseason. I didn't, so I sure learned from that.

Lastly and most dramatically, I took on a co-owner for the Rotowire staff league. The great Darryl Houston Smith (@dhoustonsmith). I've never co-owned a team and wanted a challenge – getting to consensus is tough in anything. It could be suicide in fantasy.

But I loved it.

Darryl managed the auction. I gave input, but watched him run. He ran free agent bids past me. Some we agreed on. Some we didn't. He made some killer trades, again with me watching more than meddling. I gave input, especially on which guys to target and which prospects to hold. Or trade. But that was it.

I learned to let go. I learned to stop judging guys like Evander Kane. And to take leaps of faith with guys like Jordan Binnington and Connor McDavid, both acquired in trade.

The result? We finished on top of the league at 20-3, only to drop the semi to a white-hot team. We're way ahead in the third-place game. Typical head-to-head action. It is what it is. But still an outstanding season overall.

Now, let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.
 

Oliver Bjorkstrand, LW/RW, Columbus (3 percent Yahoo! owned) – I've waited all season for this guy to show up. And he has…with just a few games to play. Ugh. Bjorkstrand has fantasy potential, but failed to build on the 40 points from last year. Now, he's riding a three-game, four-goal streak (and 15 shots) and has five goals in his last five games. Roll the dice if you need goals. Bjorkstrand has something to prove to Jackets' management. He just might.

Dustin Brown, RW, Los Angeles (24 percent Yahoo! owned) – I'll admit my bias – I generally stay away from overrated 30-something guys. Wait, did I say that out loud? Ooops. Brown has been a great on-ice leader, but last season aside, his best came almost a decade ago. He still shoots the puck a lot. And he has managed 21 goals and 48 points in 67 games. I guess I really should cut Brown some slack. Especially with 10 points (five goals, five assists) and 30 shots in his last nine games. Just be careful with your plus minus if you have points to lose.

Brian Gibbons, LW, Ottawa (0 percent Yahoo! owned) – Gibbons is exactly the kind of guy you want on your team right now. He's hungry to prove to his fifth NHL team that he's a third-line solution for them in 2018-19. And he might just be, if they'll go with a 31-year-old in that spot. Gibbons is playing inspired hockey right now – he has 12 points in 15 games with the Sens and that includes six points (two goals, four assists) on a four-game streak. Gibbons never takes a second off and that's the kind of energy that's guaranteed to make things happen. What have you got to lose?

Miro Heiskanen, D, Dallas (30 percent Yahoo! owned) – Heiskanen's ownership is higher than it should be, based on rookie hype alone. Don't get me wrong – he's a stud. But it's tough to excel in the NHL as a teenage defender. Heiskanen is logging big, big ice time – he skated 28:43 against the Oilers on Thursday. And while it's not always that high, his ice time is usually above 22 minutes a night. He's looking super comfortable and that has translated into four points (two goals, two assists) in his last five games. Two of those points have come on the power play. Look out fantasy – this guy will explode next year. Right now, you can get a little piece on the cheap.

Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver (4 percent Yahoo! owned) – I love this kid – I own him in a big keeper format. He could be the best prospect out there (no offense to Cale Makar of the Avs… wait, I own BOTH in that league BAHAHAHA). Hughes is going to be a fixture in Vancouver – the kind of brilliant defender the team hasn't had since…uh… Ed Jovanovski? You get it – the Orcas have never had skill on the back end, although Dennis Kearns DID score 60 points there in 1976-77. Hughes is coming off a brilliant college career and will fit like a glove with that young team. The crowd will roar his name and he could deliver a point a game as the season ends. At minimum, you can say you once owned the greatest Vancouver defender of all time. I'd grab him just for that.

Alex Kerfoot, LW/C, Colorado (6 percent Yahoo! owned) – Kerfoot has run hot and cold this season. But right now, there's a warm wind blowing through Denver. He's on a modest three-game, four-point streak that includes three helpers heading into Friday night. But more impressively, three of those points have come with the man advantage. There are no guarantees, but Kerfoot could give you an edge.

Brett Kulak, D, Montreal (0 percent Yahoo! owned) – I'm not sure what has gotten into this unheralded defender, but I'll take it. Kulak can skate and has some two-way upside, but I'm not sure he'll be anything more than a 4/5 defender at best. But right now, he has two straight, two-point games. And that includes a goal and an assist in each. Kulak is a long shot given the Habs' opponents until season's end (Jets, Bolts, Caps and Leafs). But desperate times call for desperate measures.

Anthony Mantha, LW/RW, Detroit (28 percent Yahoo! owned) – Like Bjorkstrand (above), Mantha has talent. But he hasn't figured out how to show it with consistency. He heads into Friday's game against Jersey on a three-game, six-point streak (two goals, four assists). And that includes a couple power-play points. Mantha could be finishing with a flourish. And that could be better than a couple of guys on your team.

Cory Schneider, G, New Jersey (32 percent Yahoo! owned) – I hate myself for even writing this guy's name because rolling him is like Russian roulette. It's the Devils after all. But they have five games left, including Friday night. And Schneider has delivered individual game save percentages of at least .923 in five of his last six starts. Save percentage is hard to move in standard leagues. But he could really help if you happen to play daily, too.

Brady Tkachuk, LW, Ottawa (28 percent Yahoo! owned) – The Sens now belong to this ruddy-cheeked teenager. That's a lot of weight to carry, but Tkachuk seems up to the task. He has four goals in his last five games and has fired a remarkable 29 shots. That includes a dozen against Florida on Thursday night. Wow. Tkachuk has already delivered a 20-goal season and his star is on the rise. The Sens have four games left, including the Sabres, Rangers and stumbling Leafs. My gut says there are a lot of shots left in his stick.
 

Back to changing things up.

Change is constant. We have seen the on-ice product change significantly in the last couple years. We have no choice but to change our approach.

Otherwise, we get stale. Or worse, we get embarrassed. Speaking of which, my Friends and Family team has gone from a 28.5 point, last-place spot a couple months ago to seventh and 54.5 points. I had no choice but to change my approach.

So think about your approach over the summer. What worked? What didn't? And what did you learn from the winners that you could put into your quiver of tricks?

Until next season. Happy postseason. Watch for my Rotowire playoff blogs coming soon. They're a totally different format and a whole lot of fun.