Daily Fantasy Hockey 101: Crash Course on DraftStreet NHL

by landsharkhockey Last Updated 2011-10-07 10:05:35

With baseball season closing out and the NBA on hold, if you’re looking to stay active on daily fantasy, it’s time to turn your attention to the NHL. For many, this is a new experience. For seasoned veterans of daily hockey, it’s helpful to get grounded again in some basics on how to approach this game. So here is your 101 crash course on Draftstreet Daily Fantasy Hockey.

Roster and Scoring

First off, when you’re getting familiar with the league, get to know the system. Rosters feature the usual 2 spots at all 4 skater positions (LW,RW,C,D), along with 1 goaltender. Draftstreet throws in a flex position that allows you to add any skater. Sorry, no doubling up on goaltenders.

The point system is well-balanced and doesn’t over-emphasize goalie wins or plus-minus (both are good features in my book). A quick run through the FPPG shows that, as usual, goalies tend to carry the most value (expect 7 FPPG on a decent night), while defensemen barely register (1 to 3 points). A decent forward with earn you 3 to 5 fantasy points a night. Of course, salaries also reflect points, so goalies will cost you much more than defense.

Player Selection: Offense

With that said, your best general approach is always pick the goalie with the best chance of winning. However, with a high value on saves (.3) versus goals against (-1), it’s not a total loss to grab a goalie likely to get peppered with shots. Consider this example:

• A decent game – 30 save win, 2 GA —> 10 points
• A busy loss – 40 saves, 4 GA —> 8 points
• A bad game – 10 saves, 3 GA —> 0 points

There can be a huge variance in goalie salaries, so there is a balance to consider. Last season on opening night, I was able to claim Anton Khudobin (MIN) for $5,831, while Tim Thomas (BOS) was going for $23,201. Both ended up being worthy picks that night, but I saved $15k to stock up elsewhere. That’s a rare situation, but there are obviously bargains to be found.

Player Selection: Defense

As for defense, I don’t recommend spending much coin. You’ll find plenty of decent options in the $5k to $7k territory, leaving you ample space to load up your roster with higher scoring forwards.
It should go without saying, but the flex spot should be filled with a forward.

In general, pricing seems to be closely tied to past performance, versus projected performance. Salaries are recalculated daily based on season-to-date stats, with a higher emphasis on recent games. In other words, if a player is hot, his price will adjust up accordingly more quickly that on other sites. The challenge is to be ahead of the curve on player values. Checking in with us on RotoGrinders each day should make that part easier. I’ll be in the forums discussing strategy if you want to pop-in and discuss some picks for the day.

DraftStreet Opening Night Lineup

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About the Writer: ‘Chewy’ aka Gary Wilson, operates LandShark Hockey, and has been helping others dominate Fantasy Hockey Leagues for almost 20 years now. Landshark Hockey provides fantasy hockey fans with daily news, updates, and draft strategy including the LandShark Hockey War Room for Daily Fantasy Hockey Lineup Help.