Yahoo Mock Draft Series Episode 2: Safety First

This is the second in a series focusing on specific fantasy hockey drafting strategies, the outcomes, and what I learned as a result… blah, blah, blah…because something happened…

FULL STOP.

As mentioned ad nauseam (insert eye rolling emoji here), I’ve been playing fantasy hockey since 2007, but something changed last year, and perhaps more importantly, just now while out walking my doggie. On the way to fantasy hockey heaven. 

Stay with me. This should get good because you’re getting three audio/visual interludes for good measure. 

Yahoo Mock Draft 2: Safety First

Three Things:

1. The goal of this mock draft was to focus on establishing a solid foundation with respect to my players. I was more concerned with a player’s “floor” rather than “ceiling.” I was trying to build a solid and balanced team. Remember, in a Categories League, all of the categories are weighted equally. Therefore, winning the Plus/Minus Category is just as important as winning the Goals Category or any other category. 

While I’m at it, here’s my two cents on Plus/Minus: I kinda like it. It’s sort of an equalizer and gives managers something else to think about. It harkens back to the back in the day in me and, what can I say? I’m just old school.

2. I planned on drafting two goalies early. I wanted the best goalie I could get AFTER my first pick which, to me, is always a “best player available” pick. 

After drafting a “stud” high-volume goalie, I wanted to secure any of the following tandems: Adin Hill and Logan Thompson (Vegas), Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid (NJ), or Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll (TOR). The thinking here was based on “team context” with a nod toward Zero-G, i.e, draft a tandem from a team that’s a. projected to do well, and b. may have a backup that will potentially play significant time and or have the chance of becoming the starter.

3. Finally, I drafted at the Number 8 position in a 12-team Yahoo Mock Draft.

Forwards/Defensemen Categories:

Goals, Assists, Plus/Minus, Power Play Points, Shots on Goal, Hits

Goaltenders Categories:

Wins, Goals Against Average, Save Percentage, Shutouts

The Draft Results:

The Draft Results:

1. Mikko Rantanen (COL- RW): Honestly, unless it’s Connor McDavid or Uncle Leo(n), I’m probably most comfortable with Letting the Moose Loose with my first pick. Super solid floor and he’s a RW. 

2. Ilya Sorokin (NYI- G): Turn away your collective gazes my Apples and Ginos cohorts, because I went there. I’ve rostered Sorokin for the past two years in my Points League and he’s been a huge contributor. I think he’s even more valuable in a Categories League where Goals Against Average and Save Percentage matter. With more goal support… 

3. Roman Josi (NSH- D): On paper, the best defenseman available. And he’s been sort of getting faded. 

4. Joe Pavelski (DAL- C/RW): As mentioned in last week’s article, I thought a piece of the Dallas top line and top power play was a no-brainer.

5. Nico Hischier (NJ- C): Like the Pavelski selection, I wanted at least one player from New Jersey’s top six and top power play. 

6. Victor Hedman (TB- D): Here’s letting bygones be bygones. I rostered Hedman last year and held on through his rather down year. This was a bet that he bounces back. 

7. Vitek Vanecek (NJ- G): The second leg of my goalie draft strategy. Now I just keep my fingers crossed that no one snipes Schmid. 

8. Evander Kane (EDM- LW): A slice of the Edmonton pie. In a Cats League, Kane is way more than able and I’m willing. 

9. Devon Towes (COL- D): Plus minus counts and no defenseman is projected to have a higher +/-.

10. Jonathan Marchessault (VGK- RW): Another floor plank. Coming off the Stanley Cup run, probably due to regress downward, but at RW, it was worth it to me. 

11. Filip Forsberg (NSH- LW): Two years removed from his offensive explosion, the thinking here was he might be due to rebound a bit. Plus, I like the PP stack with Josi. 

12. Jakob Chychrun (OTT- D): If he gets PP1, it’s a Michael Jordan 360 with his tongue out. If not, I’m still liking the potential offensive upside on what should be a potent Ottawa attack. Please stay healthy. I’m begging you. 

13. Akira Schmid (NJ- G): The last piece of my pre-draft goalie play. If not Vanecek, why not Sh-Akira?

14. Valeri Nichuskin (COL- LW/RW): Dual eligibility and he’s been faded big time. A top six skater in Colorado with the potential to see some top PP time. It’s always a safe bet to roster more than one of the Avs top skaters and having two, even if they’re projected to play on PP2, isn’t too shabby especially at this spot.

15. Seth Jarvis (CAR- C/RW): A late draft swing on a player that could play a big part on Carolina’s top six and top PP unit. 

16. MacKenzie Weegar (CGY- D): Another let bygones be bygones pick. In a Cats League with hits and blocks, I’m willing to bet that Calgary is better and so is Mackie Weegs.

50+ mock drafts later… he’s going the distance…

Nate (the O.G. of A&G) afforded me the opportunity to join the Apples and Ginos team last year to write for this website. And during that time he has encouraged me to write about whatever mattered to me (in the context of fantasy hockey) while allowing me the editorial freedom to go wherever it might lead. For this most recent foray, the idea was to conduct mock drafts with whatever strategies I might employ. 

For the past two weeks, I’ve probably conducted more than fifty mock drafts for insights (...in the shape of an L on his forehead…). I’ve tried fading every position, drafting goalies early, focusing on defense and/or whatever other scenario I could come up with. And then, a light bulb went on for me that apparently had already been burning. I just couldn’t see it. Happens when you get a little grey in the tooth I guess.

Because no matter what I tried, I kept coming back to the idea (reality?) that this Zero-G thing might just be more than an idea. 

The Professor’s Lesson Plan for 2023-2024

1. I’m fully in with Zero-G. Whether it’s Points or Cats, count me in Nate. I couldn’t beat ’em so I joined ’em.

2. I’ve fallen out of love with the idea of drafting a starter and his backup on a potentially good team.

3. Value over replacement especially with respect to defensemen because…

…he’s going for speed. 

Thanks for reading, good luck this year, and please look for my in-season weekly articles beginning the Week of October 16.

Mike@TheFantasyHockeyProfessor