Let the marathon begin. The Bruins and Caps are on the ice in Boston, and so starts the NHL season. Let it be known that I'm here all the way through game 82 for all you fantasy hockey geeks. For those of you that don't play, it's not too late. Set up a league and enjoy. I've been playing for four years and have really enjoyed it, more than fantasy hoops, though I compete there as well.
If you are starting a league, let me give you three quick recommendations, all of which are semi-related, Lamar Odom-Bruce Jenner style.
1. Use rotisserie scoring
Head-to-head leagues can be fun, but it can be tedious trying to set lineups each week in that format. Trying to out-game another team becomes paramount, and fantasy leagues shouldn't be decided by something idiotic such as how many games you can get a week. Rotisserie scoring also encourages employing a balanced lineup.
2. Set game limits per position
Continuing with the theme of games played, you need to cap the number of games you can count from each position. It's fairly simple, our league uses Yahoo (highly recommended for hockey and hoops) and you can implement this setting. The concept is easy. If you can start three centers, you want 3 X 82 = 246 games that an owner can count from the center position. This is just another way to eliminate owners winning the league by employing a brainless game heavy strategy.
3. Allow daily transactions
Nothing is worse than weekly lineups in fantasy hockey. Goalies are rested A LOT. For example, in a daily league, having Jose Theodore and playoff hero Semyon Varlamov on your team can be highly profitable. The Caps will be good, and you want goalies who will accrue wins. However, in a weekly league, having two goalies split time can be as fun as a walk down North Paulina in Chicago. You need to be able to adjust your roster on a daily basis. You'll find that the cream rises to the top in your league if daily lineups are part of the equation. Otherwise, it becomes a war of attrition against the injury bug.
Tomorrow I'll post my the roster I drafted in my league and my thoughts on a handful of players who I think are in for a big season. Tease? Dany Heatley.
Stanley Cup prediction: Capitals over Canucks
Cheers, TFAM
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