Master Fantasy Hockey: Tips and Strategies for a Winning Season

It's nearing the end of summer, and you need your hockey fix. The Stanley Cup Playoffs ended in June, and while the Entry Draft took place in late June and most of free agency, a few days after that, there has not been a lot of news in the hockey world. Everyone is back in school or at work, and the hockey season is just around the corner. Training camps will start in the third week of September, and fantasy league drafts have already been taking place.

Understanding Fantasy Hockey Draft Strategies

There is no better day in the year than draft day. It's an adult version of Christmas. It's tough falling asleep the night before, and you look forward to the day for weeks. Each player you pick is like a present; some turn out to be a ten-speed bike you ride with joy for a decade, while others are like the ugly sweater you get from your aunt on Christmas.

There are two basic ways to draft in fantasy hockey. There is the snake/serpentine draft where participants select players in order by round. The even rounds are the reverse order of the odd, meaning that if you pick first overall, you select last in round two and then first again in round three. That order continues back and forth as the draft "snakes" down the draft board.

There is also the auction-style draft. In this method, each team gets an amount of money (let's say $260) and must purchase all their players in one-dollar increments until they fill out their roster. You cannot spend more than the limit, so at a certain stage in the draft, you need to have at least the same amount of dollars remaining as players required. Therefore, if you need eight players to fill out the rest of your roster, you must still have at least eight dollars remaining. This is a fun way to play, as it is possible to get any player(s) you desire, as all you have to do is outbid everyone for them.

Essential Fantasy Hockey Categories

A big decision to make will be what categories your pool will use. If this is your first time playing fantasy hockey, don't use too many categories, as it will become complicated, first trying to draft and then actually playing.

Understanding Roto and Head-to-Head Fantasy Formats

The first way is a roto-style pool in which you play different categories and get points according to where you are ranked in each category.

One league that I'm in, we play nine categories which include: forward goals, defensemen goals, assists, power play goals, plus/minus, shots on goal and penalty minutes for the skaters and wins and goals-against-average for goaltenders. We use 13 forwards, six defensemen and three goaltenders on our active roster and an eight-man bench. There are 12 teams and we are ranked accordingly in each category, with the team leading the category getting 12 points, the team in second place getting 11, and on and on down to the last-place team getting a solitary point. All the points in every category are added up, and the overall standings are posted. It doesn't matter if you lead a category by one or 100, you still get 12 points.

Another way to play fantasy hockey is head-to-head. This is the method used regularly in Yahoo leagues. Every week you play a different team. You are allocated points for goals, assists, etc., and the team that accumulates the most points each week is the winner. Teams with the best records at the end of the season play off, and there is an eventual winner.

Tips for Successful Fantasy Hockey Draft Day

Okay. So now you've decided how you're going to play. It's draft day. You're sitting in front of the computer playing a Yahoo league, looking over your RotoWire Draft Kit while mulling over who to draft, or you're sitting in a room with the rest of your league, waiting for the first pick.

In regular drafts where each person makes a pick, I like to take one goalie and two defensemen early if possible because of the lack of depth in those positions. Goaltenders tend to go really early in drafts, much like running backs in football pools, and you're really scrambling if you wait. Of course, if everyone has the same idea, a lot of excellent forwards are available much later than they should be.

The center position is usually very deep, and you can always get good players late in the draft by waiting to take that position. Fill out your other slots earlier, and you will have a good team.

Be aware of what the players around you need and have already taken. If you're drafting in the second or second last position, the person next to you will get two picks in a row. If he has already filled out his goaltending slots and you need a goaltender, you can pick another position first and still get the goaltender without a worry on the way back. If you do it the other way around, they may take the player that you wanted.

When you are in an in-person draft, look for other participants' tendencies. While this won't necessarily be apparent for first-timers in a league, after a couple of years, you realize who likes to spend money, who will hang around and look for bargains late, etc. Also, keep in mind who is in the bidding for your players, as it will be easier to make a trade with them later in the season. You know that they already like the player.

Mastering Daily Fantasy Hockey Contests

Daily fantasy contests are one-day leagues that give fantasy players a quick fix, as the contest is over by the end of the night. Daily contests are the rage now, and when playing, I tend to take all three members of a line against a weak opponent.  Look for good bargains, especially on the blueline, and make sure your goaltender is playing that night. Most contests have a 7 pm ET close, so you are taking a chance with players (and especially goaltenders with West Coast start times. Check out Yahoo's daily fantasy games. It's a great way to play.

Optimizing Your Fantasy Hockey Lineup Throughout the Season

The draft is now over, and the season has started. Keep an eye on the schedule at all times, as you can gain a huge advantage over your opponents. The New York Rangers (the week of December 15-21), Carolina (December 29-January 4), Edmonton (January 12-18) and Pittsburgh (March 30-April 5) all play five games in their respective weeks, with the Penguins perhaps the most valuable as they play during the fantasy hockey playoffs. There are plenty of columns to read on Yahoo and RotoWire weekly to help you plan your week and help out with waiver wire pickups.

The most important thing is to have fun. Enjoy.