It is now the season for much optimism and in some cases sheer lunacy. Some rankings have to be bold to stand out but some are just borderline ridiculous. This week we pick on Yahoo Fantasy Hockey rankings just a little bit. Keep in mind that these rankings do not include goalies.
Again, we combed the entire 100 upside down and sideways. It was not enough to look at the 2013-14 numbers, we looked at projections for 2014-15 as well. We even delved back into their seasonal averages just to get an idea and took a close look at Michael Clifford’s primer. The link leads to the rest of Michael’s series and it is a highly recommended fantasy hockey read.
Michael also alluded to ADP in a number of talks this week and looking at some of these rankings and what experts say indicate some glaring disagreements. Naturally there will be more debates and at least several parts to this latest series because of multiple platforms. Let’s get started.
Fantasy Hockey Surprise Shockers
Nathan MacKinnon — Colorado Avalanche (39th)
He is 39th? Did anyone see what Nathan MacKinnon did in the last four months of the season? Granted, I understand the old sophomore jinx but the Colorado forward is just a different animal. Experts saw the rankings and this seemed to be the first one that jumped out at most fans and media alike. In standard twelve team leagues, the lowest I have seen the forward drafted is late in the third round (35th). Some mocks done already are going as high as 18th-20th for the second year talent. Yes people may draft MacKinnon higher than Duchene (both probably should go in the top 25). Dart throwing is alive and well this time of year.
John Tavares — New York Islanders (9th)
The Islanders forward was headed towards a 90+ point season when a knee injury in the Olympics ended his season and the Isles’ playoff hopes. You can make a case where the center could be a top three fantasy player when all is said and done in April of 2015. I get it. The guy plays on Long Island and gets little respect outside the area among experts but maybe he should. It is about time and last year proved that he can carry this team. They just need some competent goaltending. People are going to be surprised!
Patric Hornqvist — Pittsburgh Penguins (96th)
So James Neal was more or less replaced by Patric Hornqvist. It is going to come down to how Hornqvist’s hands translate not just at even strength but particularly in man advantage situations. Pittsburgh will get their chances and they will get plenty of them. Just for that reason alone, the former Nashville winger likely eclipses the 30-goal mark and easily passes the 20 power play point plateau. People should be taking him before the eighth round and honestly I would not be surprised to see some late 4th and 5th round flings taken on the right winger. Where would I draft him personally? Probably somewhere in the sixth or seventh round for a player who could finish close to the top 50 if all breaks right.
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Who are your players that surprised you as far as how low they were ranked? Lend us your opinions and thanks for reading fantasy hockey fans!
