Preparing For Fantasy Hockey Playoffs

It’s hard to believe that some managers are beginning their fantasy hockey playoffs. Where has the season gone? For those managers new to the game or for those managers looking for their first fantasy hockey trophy, there are some things about fantasy playoffs to keep in mind to ensure the best results:

Know Your Categories
It’s important to understand fantasy categories in the playoffs and how to play them. Know what categories you’re winning heading into the final days of your matchup. It’s ok to bench players that may compromise a category or two. Sundays are usually light in terms of games but managers could obtain/maintain a crucial point or two by playing the categories. For example, managers heading into Sunday with a slight advantage in the +/- category should consider benching players, especially if the 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.

Take Advantage of West Coast Games
Going with the idea from above, managers who have players, especially goaltenders, from teams playing games out on the west coast of Canada and the United States can certainly use the time differential to their advantage. Managers in a super tight goaltending matchup may have a goalie playing at 10:30. His/Her opponent might take a bad loss in a 7:00 game resulting in some options to the manager with a late game at hand. Similarly, if you’re a manager who has an opponent that took a +/- hit in some early games, it may not be a bad play to bench a few +/- liability players, especially in deeper leagues. Not only are we playing the categories here, but we’re playing the NHL matchups as well.

Know Your Backups
Be aware that some NHL teams either locked in to the playoffs or completely out of contention tend to use backups as options in the final few weeks. Yesterday, we took a look at some backup goaltending options that may see some time in the last month of play. With the race tight in both the Eastern and Western conference, the options are somewhat limited this year, however, a few players may be serviceable to managers struggling with a benched starter.

Save Some Moves
It may be a little late for some managers, but for others who have the ability to sit on a few transactions in a move limit format, it’s a precious commodity to have as players do get hurt in the last few weeks, which is an awful big inconvenience for fantasy managers. Having the ability to drop a player or two in the playoffs allows for flexibility and certainly handcuffs opponents that may not have a move and have acquired an injury or two.

Don’t Stream Players
For managers who have played the game with integrity all season, finish on a positive note. Certain formats allow for managers to stream players in the playoffs and it’s extremely unappealing and makes this exciting time a real downer. For those managers not familiar with the term “streaming,” we addressed the issue in an article that gives the low down on what streaming in fantasy sports does to the game.