Hockeywiztalks Hockey Blog

Keeper leagues add a layer of strategy and long-term planning to fantasy hockey. Every keeper league has its own unique rules and scoring settings, so adjust your strategy accordingly. By following these tips and adapting to your league's specific dynamics, you can increase your chances of long-term success. Here are some tips to help you dominate your Fantasy Hockey Keeper Leagues. Number of Keepers and League Settings When deciding on keepers, it is very important to know how many keepers the league allows you to keep and the league scoring system, because there are players that work better in H2H CAT leagues as opposed to H2H leagues with standard scoring categories.  If you can only keep a few players, focus on those who provide the most value in your specific scoring format. Keep players who excel in categories that are heavily weighted in your league (e.g., power-play points, hits, blocks, faceoffs). If the league uses Rotisserie or Points settings, you will have to take that...

Keeper fantasy leagues are a variation of traditional fantasy sports leagues where participants are allowed to keep a certain number of players from their previous season's roster onto their team for the upcoming season. The number of players that can be kept, as well as the specific rules regarding keeping players, vary from league to league and are typically determined by the league commissioner or by a set of agreed-upon rules among league members. In a keeper league, the kept players usually come with a cost, such as forfeiting a specific draft pick in the upcoming draft or having to pay a predetermined fee. This adds a strategic element to the game, as managers must decide which players to keep based on their performance, potential, and value relative to the cost of keeping them. Keeper leagues often provide a deeper level of engagement and strategy compared to standard fantasy leagues because managers need to consider long-term player development and roster management beyond ...

Here are some Defenseman you should trade for in Fantasy Hockey Brock Faber Brock Faber has been on fire in the last month of the season for the Minnesota Wild, putting up 2 goals, 11 assists, 7 PPP, 24 SOG, and 35 Blocks in that span. Faber is technically still a rookie this season, but he is already playing on the 1st D pair and 1st PP of the Wild. The Only defenseman who has more PPP in the last month is Cale Makar, who also has 7, so if you need powerplay production, Faber is an option. Since the Minnesota Wild isn't a team that many people pay attention to you might be a steal this gem of a defenseman for a lower price than he should be. Noah Hanifin Noah Hanifin is a defenseman who is rumored to be on the move, as the Calgary Flames are expected to be sellers at the Trade Deadline. If Hanifin is traded, he will be playing for a contending team and will likely put up better stats, so you should definitely try to acquire him before the trade deadline, while he doesn't have ...

Here is a list of Players who you should consider trading for in Fantasy Hockey. Tage Thompson Tage Thompson had very high expectations of him heading into this season but has been a massive disappointment to this point in the season with only 7 goals, 8 assists, 4 PPP, 60 SOG, and 99 FW. Thompson has been better after coming back from injury and you would think that he is going to eventually start putting points in bunches. Because of how bad Thompson's statline is this season. it would be a good idea to trade for him because you may not have to give up a lot in return.  Elias Lindholm Elias Lindholm is another player who has had a slow start to the season with only 7 goals, 10 assists, 3 PPP, 68 SOG, and 297 FW so far this season. Lindholm is definitely going to want to play better if he wants to increase his value for his next contract and also showcase himself for a trade at the deadline. If Lindholm gets dealt to a contending team, his fantasy value would drastically improve b...

Here are some players you should pickup in Fantasy Hockey, sorted by position. Center Colton Sissons Colton Sissons is one of the best 4th line centers in the league, but in fantasy hockey, he could be even more valuable than he actually is in real life because of what he provides in the peripheral categories. So far this season Sissions has 5 goals, 1 PPP, 1 SHP, 12 PIM, 20 SOG, 89 FW, 15 hits, and 9 blocks. This is a terrific stat line and although you can't count on Sissons scoring a ton, he will fill out the FW, Hits, and blocks usually. Sissons is owned in 6% of fantasy leagues, snag him up while you can. Nick Bjugstad Nick Bjugstad is having an excellent year so far with the Arizona Coyotes, in fact he has played so well that he earned himself a promotion to play on the 2nd line along with Mattias Maccelli and Lawson Crouse. Bjugstad also gets time on Arizona's 2nd PP unit and 2nd PK unit. Bjugstad may not be a name who stands out to casuals, but his fantasy stat line is ...

C Sean Couturier -After missing 2+ years, Sean Couturier is back and it seems like he hasn't missed a beat. Believe it or not, Couturier has been one of the top centers in the league so far with his all-around play, putting up 2 goals, 3 assists, 2 PPP, 63 FW, 24 SOG, and 1 SHP. Despite showing that he is still an elite center, Couturier is only owned in 20% of fantasy leagues. Pick him up now, while you still can. Ryan Johansen - Serves as the Avalanche's 2nd line center and plays on their all-world 1st pp unit. Despite not being the player he used to be, Johansen is still a valuable fantasy asset because of the players he plays with. Johansen has 4 goals and 4 PPPs along with 63 FW so far this season. He is owned in 29% of fantasy leagues. Sean Monahan - Someone must have gotten a time machine and put Sean Monahan in it because he is playing like he was back when he was in his prime. Monahan has been arguably the best player on Montreal this year, with 3 goals, 6 points, 2 PP...

The Fantasy Hockey Playoffs are underway already, but sometimes a player you pick off free agency can end up winning you your entire league. Here are some players to pickup for the playoffs. Jack McBain Jack McBain has been stellar for the Arizona Coyotes in the last few weeks of the season and is a player who fills out all the categories in fantasy. McBain has 3 goals, 4 assists, 12 SOG, 54 FW, 32 hits, 8 blocks and a +5 rating in the last two weeks, but is somehow only owned in 5% of leagues. If you add McBain, you will be adding an all-category beast who just might win you the championship. Jesperi Kotkaniemi Jesperi Kotkaniemi started off the year with the Carolina Hurricanes not so great, but he has really come into the zone,, down the stretch of the season. Kotkaniemi has 3 goals, 6 assists, 4 PPP, 12 SOG, 37 FW, 11 hits in the last two weeks of the season, playing on the second line of Carolina. Without Andrei Svechnikov, Kotkaniemi will be relied upon more to play a bigger role...

 Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Defenseman to Pickup Here are some defensemen you should pick up on the waiver wire Ryan Graves Ryan Graves is definitely a defenseman you want to scoop up quickly if he is still available on your waiver wire. Graves has been terrific for the New Jersey Devils this season, with 6 goals, 13 assists, 97 SOG, 110 blocks, and a +31 rating. In the last two weeks, Graves has 3 points, 20 SOG, 23 blocks, 1 GWG, and a +4 rating, which makes him the 29th-ranked defenseman overall in that timespan. Sam Girard Sam Girard is a frustrating player to own in fantasy hockey at times, but when he has a hot streak, he can be a league winner. Girard has 6 assists, 1 PPP, 1 GWG, 10 SOG, 10 hits, and 13 blocks in the last two weeks and has been tremendous for Colorado. Girard is owned in 26% of fantasy leagues, so he might not be available, but if he is, you may want to pick him up. Adam Boqvist Adam Boqvist is finally showing flashes of what made him a high pick back in the...

 Here are some goalies to pickup now in Fantasy Hockey: Semyon Varlamov Semyon Varlamov has been solid in net for the New York Islanders in the last month of the season; he has a 2-2 record with a 2.35 GAA, .927 SV%, and 153 Saves during that timespan. Even though Varlamov will only get a few starts with Ilya Sorokin there, he has proven to be a reliable backup when called upon. Varlamov is owned in 41% of Fantasy leagues, you should take a flyer on him if you need a goalie with a good GAA and SV%. Antti Raanta Antti Raanta has played great for the Carolina Hurricanes in the last month of the season; he has a 3-0 record with a 1.49 GAA and .946 SV% during that timespan. With Fredrik Andersen back, Raanta will be back in the backup role, but he has thrived in this role and should continue to do so. Definitely, pickup Raanta if you have Fredrik Andersen because he doesn't start every game. Philipp Grubauer Philipp Grubauer has been playing a lot better for the Seattle Kraken in the l...

 Here are the standout forwards in Fantasy Hockey so far this season: Connor McDavid Connor McDavid is scoring at an unreal pace to start the season, he already has 40 goals, 48 assists, 43 PPP, along with 200 SOG and 6 GWG so far this season. He is the favorite to win the Hart Trophy at the current moment, and unless someone has an unreal second half, I don't see anyone surpassing his goal or point total. McDavid has maintained his position as the top-ranked player in Fantasy since the start of the season. Bo Horvat Bo Horvat is having a career year this season because he wants to get paid, as a result, he already has 30 goals, 19 assists, 17 PPP, 4 GWG, 135 SOG, and 589 Faceoff wins so far this season. Statistically, Horvat has been one of the better Vancouver Canucks this season, which has certainly made his fantasy owners happy. Horvat was ranked 103rd overall in fantasy at the start of the season, and now he is ranked 9th overall in fantasy. Leon Draisaitl While Leon Draistait...

 These are the best defenseman so far this season in Fantasy Hockey: Rasmus Dahlin Rasmus Dahlin has been by far the best defenseman in Fantasy this season, and it isn't close; he has 13 goals, 35 assists, 23 PPP, 119 SOG and a +16 rating on a bad Buffalo team. If Dahlin can sustain this type of production for the rest of the season, he will be a favorite to win the Norris trophy. Cale Makar Cale Makar has been a tad bit disappointing considering he was a top 5 pick in most fantasy drafts, but he is still having a fantastic season; he has tallied 13 goals, 30 assists, 21 PPP, 136 SOG, along with 3 GWG and a +7 rating. His dip in production may be due in large part to the injuries on Colorado, but as the team gets healthy, look for a strong second half from Cale Makar and Colorado. Roman Josi Roman Josi has once again been the best player for the Nashville Predators, putting up 12 goals, 23 assists, 17 PPP, 187 SOG, 4 GWG and a surprising 100 blocks, which is only 33 shy of last yea...

 These have been the best goalies in Fantasy Hockey this season Linus Ullmark Linus Ullmark has statistically been the best goalie in the entire NHL, with a dominant 22-1 record, a 1.87 GAA,.938 SV%, and 2 shutouts. It's rather unfortunate that Ullmark won't be named a starter because there is just so much star talent on the Bruins, but he has been an important part of the team. It's worth noting that Jeremy Swayman has a 9-3 record with a 2.51 GAA, and .905 SV%, which is decent, but a far cry from how dominant Ullmark has been this season.  Connor Hellebuyck After a rough season last year, Connor Hellebuyck is having a tremendous season with the Winnipeg Jets; he has a 20-10 record with a 2.42 GAA, .924 SV%, and 3 Shutouts. Although Hellebuyck is not an All-Star starter in the Central division, he has outplayed Saros this season by a wide margin. Moreover, he has been a major reason why the Jets are currently sitting in 2nd place in the division. Jake Oettinger Jake Oettin...

 Here are some Left Wingers you should consider dropping: Andre Burakovsky Andre Burakovsky got off to a hot start to the season with the Seattle Kraken, but in the last two weeks of the season, he has failed to register either a goal or a point. Burakovsky is still owned in 43% of fantasy leagues, but that number will decrease drastically if his scoring slump continues. Burakovsky has a track record of being highly inconsistent, I would consider dropping him if you find better options on the waiver wire. Tyler Bertuzzi Tyler Bertuzzi is having a rough season so far, only having recorded 1 goal, 3 assists, and 1 PPP in 9 games. Bertuzzi has been injured twice already this season for an extended period of time and his production doesn't warrant using an IR spot to keep him. If you still own Bertuzzi, I would cut bait now because you could probably still pick him up when he is healthy again. Alexis Lafreniere Alexis Lafreniere was a healthy scratch recently for the New York Rangers, ...

 Here are some Centers you should drop: Ryan O'Reilly Ryan O'Reilly is having a dreadful season so far, putting up just 9 goals, 15 points, 2 PPP, along with 315 Faceoff wins and is a -26. The only value O'Reilly has now is faceoff wins and with his +/- being so bad, it almost offsets how good his Faceoff wins is.You would be better off finding other players that can fill up the faceoff win category. Kevin Hayes Kevin Hayes started off the season fairly well, but in the last month of the season, he only has 3 goals, 8 points, 4 PPP, 35 FW, 37 SOG, and is a -4. He has also been dropped in the lineup to play on the wing along with Scott Laughton and Wade Allison, which will be a massive hit to his fantasy value because he won't be taking as many faceoffs as before. Ryan Strome Ryan Strome is having a horrid start to the season, with only 8 goals, 14 assists, 2 PPP, 57 SOG, and 241 Faceoff wins so far this season. Strome doesn't stand out in any particular category and...

 Here are some players you should drop in Fantasy Hockey: Seth Jones Although Seth Jones is having a solid year, he is playing on the worst teams in the league, which has resulted in him getting the worst +/- in the league. Jones has 1 Goal, 8 assists, and 5 PPP but is a -21, which in some leagues may be bad enough to offset his offensive production. I don't see Seth Jones turning it around this season, so you should consider dropping Seth Jones if you still have him on your team. John Klingberg John Klingberg has decent offensive production, with 4 goals, 7 assists, and 3 PPP but is a -15 because he plays for a terrible Anaheim Ducks team. Unless Klingberg is traded to a contender, I don't see him having significant fantasy contributions, and you can definitely find a better replacement on the waiver wire than him. Cam Fowler Cam Fowler is having a decent season so far this season, with 4 goals, 12 assists, and 7 PPP but is a -9 because he plays for a bad Anaheim Ducks team. I...

 Here are some Goalies to Drop in Fantasy Hockey: Thatcher Demko Thatcher Demko was having a terrible season before getting injured and being placed on IR, putting up a 3-10 with a 3.93 GAA and .883 SV% this season. He is still owned in 66% of Fantasy Leagues and should be dropped in one-year leagues because the Canucks are not going to be good this season, especially if they trade Bo Horvat. Demko is only worth holding in keeper leagues but only if you are desperate for goalies. Jack Campbell Jack Campbell has not lived up to expectations in Edmonton and as a result, recorded a 7-6 record with a 4.12 GAA and .872 SV%. He has lost his starting job to Stuart Skinner, who has outplayed him and Campbell has only had 1 start in the last two weeks. Campbell is owned in 61% of Fantasy leagues, but if he continues to play like he has at the beginning of the season, that percentage will be lower. Jonathan Quick Jonathan Quick has really struggled recently mostly due to the poorly in front ...

Injuries are starting to really pile up, so here are some tips on who you should consider picking up to replace some of those players out long term. Nick Bonino Nathan MacKinnon was injured in Monday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers and is expected to miss some time. It is nearly impossible to replace a player of MacKinnon's caliber, so you will have to get a player who can fill up some other categories. Nick Bonino is a good player to have in a league with Faceoff wins and Blocks, and will occasionally chip in some points. Noah Cates Tyler Bertuzzi had surgery on Friday and is expected to miss 6 weeks, this marks the second time this season he has missed extended time this year. Noah Cates is playing on the Flyers 1st line and 1st PP unit and is listed as both a center and Left Winger. Cates is only owned in 1% of Fantasy Leagues and is a player who can stuff the stat sheet and get a little bit of everything. Dillon Dube Jakub Voracek will likely miss the rest of the sea...

Here are some players you should Trade Away: Brock Nelson Brock Nelson has a track record of having hot starts to the season and then cooling off in the second half of the season. Nelson already has 11 goals, 22 points, and 6 PPP so far this season, but his best scoring season was last year when he had 37 goals and 59 points. It's already established what type of player Brock Nelson is, he is a player who excels in the first half of the season but cools off in the second half. For this reason, it would be best to trade away Brock Nelson.  Dominik Kubalik Dominik Kubalik is arguably the biggest steal in fantasy hockey this season, as he wasn't drafted in many leagues, however, his hot start has him rostered in 81% of Fantasy leagues. Kubalik has 9 goals, 13 assists, 10 PPP, and is a +4 so far this season, playing on a line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond and Detroit's 1st PP unit. It would be a good idea to trade Kubalik now while his value is sky-high. Martin Necas Mart...

 Here are some Right Wingers to pick up on the Waiver Wire: Owen Tippett Due to injuries, Owen Tippett has been pushed up to the top line of the Flyers and is also playing on their top powerplay unit. He has 3 goals, 5 points, 1 PPP, 24 SOG, 13 hits, and 8 blocks in the last two weeks, but he is a -9. This could be a risky pickup due to his +/- but because all of his other categories are pretty strong, he is worth picking up. Jordan Eberle Eberle has 2 goals, 5 points, 1 PPP, and 12 SOG in the last two weeks and is a solid option to have in a deep league, as he plays a top 6 role for Seattle and plays on the 1st PP unit. In leagues with hits and blocks, there could be better options, but for leagues with just goals, points, and PPP, he is worth a pickup. Garnet Hathaway Garnet Hathaway is a 5-star play to have in a cat league; he is a stat sheet stuffer and will get a little bit of everything. Hathaway has 1 goal, 13 SOG, 22, and 9 blocks in the last two weeks on a Washington team ...

 Here is a list of Left Wingers to pickup: Zach Parise Zach Parise has worked his way back into the Fantasy scene in deeper leagues as he has quietly has put together a very solid statline. He has 5 goals, 3 assists, 1 PPP, 1 SHP, 40 SOG, 15 Hits, 19 blocks, and is a +9. This is a great all-around statline, and while he isn't going to produce offensively every night, he will get a healthy dose of SOG and he has a good +/-. Nick Ritchie Despite the recent slump, Nick Ritchie still has played very well for the Arizona Coyotes this season. Ritchie has 6 goals, 6 PPP, 22 SOG and 32 Hits so far this season and has been a major part of Arizona's lethal Powerplay. Adam Henrique Adam Henrique is definitely not the same player he once was but he can still be a solid option in fantasy leagues because of he is eligible to play both the Center and Left Wing. Henrique has 5 goals, 2 assists, 1 PPP, 27 SOG, 74 FW, 14 Hits, and 5 blocks so far this season playing on the Wing with Trevor Zegra...