Fantasy hockey comes down to paying attention. If you forget to properly set your lineups or miss important news, there’s a chance you’re gonna fall behind. These actions may seem obvious, yet I’ve overlooked the simplest of details and it’s cost me weekly wins. Like not realizing a forward was playing three games while another was just playing one. You can probably guess which player I started in this scenario.
(And I lost by 0.23 points.)
Don’t get complacent. At the same time, don’t worry too much about minor mistakes (or early slumps). The bigger picture is the main concern, so stay focused on that.
Please direct your eyes to the players listed below. And promise me you won’t stop reading until you get to the bottom of the list.
(Rostered rates as of Oct. 25)
Forwards
Cole Perfetti, WPG (Yahoo: 28%)
Elite teams are often successful because of depth. The Jets follow that model with four reliable lines, a solid top-six blueline and an elite goalie supported by a familiar veteran. Both man-advantage units have been very productive by holding a 42.1% success rate, though that’s clearly not sustainable. Winnipeg’s flying at 7-0, and their second line has arguably been the best trio thanks to a combined 22 points. Perfetti has concentrated his two goals and six assists into three contests, including three PPPs. Expect him to finally break the 40-point plateau, with 50 a reasonable target.
Dylan Cozens, BUF (Yahoo: 25%)
Cozens suffered a 21-point decline last season, though 25 of the 47 came over the last 37 games. He’s been a power-play mainstay through most of his time in Buffalo and is coming off at least 200 shots in consecutive campaigns. Cozens has been criticized for only posting two assists so far, yet he’s fired 27 pucks on net in addition to 13 hits while skating 18-plus minutes a night. As long as he keeps trying to score, his luck should eventually turn around.
Brayden Schenn, STL (Yahoo: 19%)
Robert Thomas is set to be out for at least six weeks with a fractured ankle, so someone will need to fill the 1C spot. Schenn’s been offered the job based on his skill and previous experience. He’ll get a huge boost from the new placement, after only registering two points in his first seven matchups, though he did manage 21 shots, 18 hits and 10 blocks in just under 18 minutes per game. Add Schenn now before he breaks out.