We’re gonna get it with some old school tunes as I look back at the past two weeks in fantasy hockey.
My man Don Cornelius gets us going here with a coolness that would make any arena arrival-ee blush . It’s ok Katie. Go ahead and bar the door and let this big dog eat.
…let’s get this party started… “Word.”
Because it’s such a back and forth, it reminds me of a day.
Any day.
With every article, it’s always one of the feats of strength to pull out of my head what’s been rattling around during the past week or two. And sometimes I have to wonder how fantastic this world is.
Looking back over the past two weekly matchups, it continues to become more and more clear to me how opaque so much of this can be and is.
I guess that’s what makes this such a daily fingers-crossed endeavor.
—Nick Suzuki.
—While it’s purely anecdotal, it appears to me that Timo Meier is having fun. I don’t know, and maybe I’m reaching here, but I have to wonder if a. he’s more healthy and, perhaps even more importantly, b. he’s grown into and/or accepted his role as part of a team? I mean dude. You’re a young, sharp-dressed beautician playing for an awesome franchise surrounded by star players in the media capital of the universe making a boatload of cash. Seriously?! And, you’re Swiss too? Wanna trade? There now, good to see you smiling brother. It may not help us out in fantasy, but keep settling in and you’ll help me out in real life.
—Have you ever, and I mean EVER seen or been more privy to the daily amount of potential goalie implosions there are on any given day. I mean, what is going on here? Ludicrous.
—Love him or not, I’ll take Connor McDavid over any other player in real and/or fantasy, every day and twice on light days. Knock on wood, fingers crossed, only use white golf tees, or whatever other superstition you need to employ, he always plays and he’s always in the mix. Guy’s ridiculous.
—Does any player strike more fear into you and your team than going up against Austin Matthews? I mean, I’m actually afraid to look at my Yahoo Fantasy app whenever I’m “versing” (please don’t say “versing,” I’m begging ya) a team that rosters this beast.
—Not for nuthin,’ but I’m still a Nick Schmaltz fan.
A Hot Air Balloon That Could Go to Space
Things to make us happy down the stretch:
1. Setting your lineups. I mean, what are we doing here? It’s not that difficult. I even hear some serious fantasy players talking about forgetting to set their lineups. You’re better than that.
2. While you’re at it, set it for the entire week. That way, you’ll get an idea of where you have any overlap, i.e, who you might be able to drop to open up a spot.
3. At this time of year you’re gunna be confronted with even more difficult roster decisions. Embrace them and don’t be afraid to pull the trigger on moves that you wouldn’t have even contemplated earlier in the season. You gotta be Ruthless People here folks. It wouldn’t be a Fantasy Hockey Professor article without multiple 80’s references right? (insert wink emoji here).
4. Continue to use Nate’s playoff planner spreadsheet to set you up for the remainder of the season with this caveat:
A. First focus on making your playoffs.
B. If you’re in a good spot to make the playoffs, focus next on trying to secure a first round bye.
C. This one may not make me (us) happy, but I gotta talk it out. For those of you (us) who may need this, hopefully it helps.
—What do you do in this situation:
You have a player who’s been making donuts (with all due respect, Nick Schmaltz) but has a favorable upcoming schedule AND you can replace him with an on paper better player who has that same good schedule? Do you swap out those two players? What if your hypothetical donut maker decides to go off and the on paper better player you pick up in his stead takes his place in the donut factory?
Here’s my default move: I don’t like “taking potential points off the board.” In other words, unless the player I’m thinking about picking up is CLEARLY a better player and or in a much better spot from a deployment/team context standpoint, I’ll ride it out with the first guy. Like everything else, it doesn’t always work out, but it’s what I’ve come to terms with.
D. And then finally, use Nate’s playoff planner to help you maximize games played during your league’s playoff schedule.
Player Props and other Rando Musings
1. Loved the whole Garden State vibe during the Devils-Flyers Stadium Series game. And how bout my boy Timo flossing in the Fila sweats and the gabagool. I’m tellin ya, he’s settling in and I’m here for it. And just so you know, not everyone from Jersey is in the family, although James Gandolfini is a Rutgers good fellow. Know what I’m sayin?’
2. Fellas, I could use a little more Marty Necas and little less Svech.
3. What’s all this about dropping Sam Bennett?
4. Owen Tippett may be more of a “SOG-gy” guy than Nate Dogg Mack. And yes Blake, that’s another Michael McDonald tune being sampled in the background.
5. That Gus Forsling has flown under the radar hasn’t gone unnoticed by this guy.
6. Nick Suzuki.
7. From one Professor to another, thank you Mike Matheson. Shout out to Blake Creamer,
8. O.k it’s official: I’ve got more than enough Ryan Reynolds in my life.
9. How seriously underrated is Carter Verhaeghe?
10. All of a sudden, my seemingly irrational trade of Elias Petterson and Nick Schmaltz for Timo and Owen Tippett appears a little less so…shhh, I’m courting my inner Elmer Fudd.
11. Thomas Harley be like Miro? Who’s that?
12. Yo Jack, not for nuthin,’ but I need you to take care of that thing with that guy. Ahright? You know, with all due respect. I got your autographed sweater. Right here.
Thanks for reading and good luck for the rest of the season.
Mike@TheFantasyHockeyProfessor
Apples and Ginos 