Making a Playoff Push in the Second Half of the Season

Many of you are in positions where if the playoffs started today, you’d be on the outside looking in. It’s a good thing that we have two and a half more months until playoffs get under way in most services. So if you’re currently on the outside looking in, you may want to consider taking some action before the regular season comes to a conclusion to ensure that you’re a legitimate threat in the playoffs this season.

Waiver Wire Pick-ups
Savvy managers will be scouring the waiver wire in the 2nd half of the season to find the breakout players that could help provide the points to help make the push. Luckily, The Sauce has your back and has already explored low buy options for the month of January that you may want to consider. As the season steamrolls towards the playoffs, it becomes more and more difficult to find people to trade with. It’s a good thing that the players on the low buy list are players that may be on the waiver wire or are players that managers are willing to part with because of unfulfilled expectations. Don’t worry. They have fairly decent upsides, so they are certainly worth looking into.

Injured Reserve Stashing
If you’re fortunate enough to have a few open injured reserve spots on your team, you may want to consider stashing some injured players that managers may have dropped because of the nature of their injury. Fantasy worthy players returning to action soon like Andy McDonald should merit some consideration for a stash if he was released by another manager in your league. Players like Sergei Gonchar, Joe Sakic and Teemu Selanne are all notables to consider stashing as they should be returning at a critical point in the regular fantasy season and could provide you that boost to get into the playoffs. Consult our injury page for up to date information on who is injured, how long they will be on the shelf and who is benefiting in their absence.

Using a Goaltenders Strength of Schedule
If you’re a manager who happens to have several tenders under your belt to choose from each week, you may want to consider checking our weekly goaltending outlook which is updated every Sunday night previewing the fantasy week ahead for tender matchups. It will give you a chance to get an idea of where to play your tenders and where it may be smart to back off.

Know Your Categories
I’m sure we’ve all been in a situation where you get burned from the final playoff spot because of 1 or 2 points. It’s especially important down the stretch here to pay close attention to your weekly matchups. Know what categories you’re winning heading into the final day or your matchup. Bench players that may compromise a category or two. Sundays are usually light in terms of games but could help you obtain/maintain a crucial point or two lead. For example, if you’re heading into Sunday and your slight advantage in the +/- category is giving you the edge for the week, consider benching players on your team on Sunday, especially if your opponent does not have any players going. It may not be worth chasing a goal or an assist, especially if the player you have on your team plays on a weaker NHL club where his +/- could be compromised. A point here and two points there at up and the end of the year.

Consider Using “Hired Guns”
If you find yourself losing a particular category week in and week out, consider a “hired gun” to help out your team. Hired guns are players that may not have much shallow league fantasy appeal, however, they specialize in a certain fantasy attribute that could help you win those crucial points down the stretch. Have a look at our Fantasy Role Players articles to get an idea of players to consider. We break it down in 4 categories: shorthanded points, plus/minus, face-off wins and penalty minutes.