Sleepers. Busts.
Identify the one and avoid the other like your fantasy season depends on it. Because it might. Successfully mining for underrated talent, while sidestepping players who end up underperforming, makes for a formula that’s bound to pay off fantasy dividends all campaign long.
The trick, of course, is to suss out who falls into either opposing category ahead of the season, with an eye towards skill, opportunity, health, earlier trends and where each player currently sits on the trajectory of their NHL career.
Matters being relative, of course. Is Sam Reinhart a bust if he scores “only” 40 goals instead of 57 this season? Not if you draft him in accordance with the expectation of getting 40, and another 30 assists or so.
Same applies to “sleepers”. Overreaching for such under-radar players too early in drafts deflates the advantage of pinning down such a hidden gem. Timing is key.
In that view, here are a few potential sleepers to consider as late-round draft acquisitions, or even as free agents once the season is underway. Plus a small handful of those who might be setting their managers up for disappointment in relation to where they might be picked in respective drafts.
Resources: Projections | Mock draft | Goalie depth chart | Most added/dropped
Sleepers
Viktor Arvidsson, F, Edmonton Oilers (No. 116 forward)
I wonder how many players wouldn’t agree to leave the cushier southern California climate for a crispier Alberta winter in exchange for the chance to play on a line with elite center Leon Draisaitl. Probably not that great a number. Arvidsson is certainly proven keen enough, after signing a two-year, $8-million deal for that very opportunity. One of the game’s more underrated forwards overall, the 31-year-old could hit new productive heights in this new gig. A 70-point campaign feels well within reach. He scored 59 in 77 games with the Kings only two years ago. I’m also rather interested to see what veteran Jeff Skinner can accomplish, if he sticks on a line with Connor McDavid. Keep a view of that relationship too.
Jake DeBrusk, F, Vancouver Canucks (No. 146 forward)
If he can stick on a scoring line with top-tier center Elias Pettersson, the former Bruin could pot 40 goals on more than…
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