This article is part of our Beat the Cap series.
There is little argument; center is the deepest position in fantasy hockey. In seasonal formats, pivots with winger eligibility receive a slight boost, and often times it's recommended to wait on centers entirely. The fantasy relevant options are so aplenty. Alternatively, the talent pool dries up extremely quickly on the wings.
In daily games, the same depth variance applies, and sometimes to an even greater degree, depending on the number of games on the schedule and the teams in play. Last Friday serves as a perfect example. There were four games on the docket, and the five wingers I had confidence in were Max Pacioretty, Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist, Jiri Hudler and Patric Hornqvist, less than one winger per active team that night.
Sticking with the example, Anaheim, Detroit and Pittsburgh all have an excellent one-two punch up the middle, although Sidney Crosby (illness) ended up sitting out. Add Anze Kopitar and there were still six high-end options at center.
DraftKings allows more lineup flexibility, and you can roster three wingers and three centers, if you use your flex slot on a center. However, FanDuel has a rigid lineup format, where you have to start two players at each forward position.
Spending up to secure top-tier wingers and pairing them with mid-priced centers has proven to be a valuable daily strategy this season. There have been a number of consistent performers with undervalued prices up the middle. Mike Ribeiro, Jori Lehtera, Bryan Little, Nick Bjugstad, Tyler Bozak and Tyler Johnson have all stayed very affordable despite their excellent production.
Perhaps the most fitting example is Nicklas Backstrom, who received a huge and well-deserved price boost this week, after his three-goal game Saturday.
Before games kicked off Tuesday night, there were 54 players with 23 points this season, and 24 of them were centers. Additionally, six of the top seven scorers this season man the middle.
There have been many nights where Steven Stamkos, Claude Giroux and Tyler Seguin have posted contest-winning numbers. The majority of the time, though, you have to roster low-priced fliers or cheap goaltenders to fit under the cap with those three. The same applies with Ryan Getzlaf, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
The above three lineups all feature high-priced defenseman, and I went with an expensive goaltender in two of three cases. Being cost conscious at center enables additional spending throughout your lineup, and it is an excellent approach in cash games, especially.
Admittedly, it is easy to cherry-pick lineups and show winning results. The point, though, is to present examples of how the lineups are assembled. There are many nights you'll be able to roster a near-balanced lineup with a high-priced center, too. This isn't to say you shouldn't roster Seguin, either, but you shouldn't do so blindly and without considering your lineup options.
Last week, we touched on tracking your results and looking for success and failure. Lately, the price gap between the top-tier centers and the second- and third-tier centers has been drastic enough to present an opportunity to strengthen lineups by honing in on those lower tiers.
Simply put, there is a significantly steeper drop off in talent on the wing -- especially on FanDuel, where you have to roster four wingers -- at a similar price drop off. There are plenty of nights where this inconsistency can make targeting a mid-priced center or two an extremely beneficial strategy to strengthen your lineup at other positions.
The Flow
A number of modestly priced centers have been mentioned, and they'll continue to be excellent options in the right matchups and at the right price. Here are four more, who might be next in line to provide cap relief, while also producing ample fake points. Last weeks mentions of Mike Santorelli and Mathieu Perreault are worthy of inclusion, too.
Mika Zibanejad, C, Ottawa: Held off the score sheet just once in his last seven games, Zibanejad could stand to benefit most from the coaching change in Ottawa. He oozes offensive talent and passed the eye test Saturday against the Bruins.
Scott Gomez, C, New Jersey: Lining up with Jaromir Jagr and returning to where he had his most success has helped Gomez of late. He has a three-game point streak with two goals and two assists.
Mikael Granlund, C, Minnesota: The young pivot always passes the eye test, but the statistical results haven't been as consistent. He is worth monitoring, though, because he plays top-line minutes and the talent is there. He is close.
Mark Scheifele, C, Winnipeg: Scheifele had a three-point game Thursday, which highlights the offensive upside he possesses. He took off last season in December, so perhaps this year will be similar. Expect a solid run from here out.
If you have additional questions or would like to see anything specifically covered in Beat the Cap contact me in the comments below or via Twitter @naparker77.
With the NHL on Christmas break next week, we'll take a week off as well. Enjoy your holidays and good luck on the daily sites!
