Frozen Fantasy: Don't Let Them Win Easily

There are way more losers than winners in Yahoo leagues -- it's just the way it is. And that means there are a lot more checked-out owners at this point of the season than ones who are engaged.

Don't be that guy. Or girl.

I am seventh in the Yahoo Friends and Family league. It's an industry league, so bragging rights mean something in this league -- we all like to throw jabs at each other.

Seventh sucks. Large.

Part of that was bad luck. But honestly, part was bad drafting. I went early in the snake and built around Sidney Crosby. You and I both know how he started the year. Ugh. Then I grabbed Jakub Voracek. Don't judge me. Just join me in laughing.

Otherwise, I'd just cry. LOL.

I knew pretty early that I wouldn't win this year. Or even come close. But I have steadfastly refused to throw in the towel.

Neither should you.

My objectives in this format changed before Christmas. Since then, I am only focused on two things: finish as high as I can while screwing the leaders.

No offense, boys. All is fair in love and fantasy hockey.

I refuse to be an enabler to their success. The top teams know that a lot of other owners check out, so they only focus on the two or three competitors. That's where you and I come in.

Use the Full Standings setting to see which leader you can mess with. In mine, there are three teams within 4.5 points of each other. I'm within spitting distance of one of those teams in assists (and just ahead of another). And I'm just ahead of a couple in save percentage and goals-against. Movement in either of those categories means that 4.5-point span could actually be 2.5. Or 6.

I won't let them win easy. That six-point span won't happen on my watch. And it shouldn't happen on yours, either.

Sharpen your objectives. And then openly taunt your league mates with your approach.

Just like I did with this today. Remember, boys -- objects in the mirror are closer than you think. Bah-ha-ha-HA.

Now let's look at who caught my eye this week. I've popped them into categories to help you meet your newly focused objectives.

GOALIE CATEGORIES

Keith Kinkaid, G, New Jersey (3 percent Yahoo owned) - I grabbed Kinkaid in the wee hours of Saturday morning after I stopped swearing about the Cory Schneider injury. Scheids has carried the goalie load for me in a couple leagues, one of which is heading into playoffs. And that injury means he's dirt to me. Spit. Kinkaid can do the job, but he isn't an NHL starter over the long term -- he has all the right tools, but he's a 14.4 NiCad compared to 24V Lithium. Short term, he'll be just fine, but he doesn't have much margin for error -- his teammates have scored two or fewer goals in 11 of 16 games since the start of February. But a starter is a starter now, especially if you've been hit with injuries. Stash Kinkaid before someone else does.

Calvin Pickard, G, Colorado (9 percent) - The Avs have a new starter. OK, it's not entirely official. But just look at the Pickard vs. Semyon Varlamov numbers over the last while. Varly is 1-4 with a .854 save percentage in five starts since Valentine's Day. Pickard is 3-1 with a .933 save percentage in four starts (five appearances) in the same span. Check. Now go get Pickard.

HITS

Brett Ritchie, RW, Dallas (1 percent) - The elder Ritchie brother may some day be a permanent fixture on the top line in Dallas. This week, he gets an audition there while Patrick Sharp is sidelined to tend to his boys. Ritchie didn't get any points Friday night, but he laid eight hits, punched his way to a five-minute fighting major and fired three shots. He's another cheap and cheerful contributor that can be dropped faster than a sack of frozen turkeys when you no longer need him (BTW, I love classic Les Nesmond).

Devante Smith-Pelly, RW, New Jersey (1 percent) - New home, new opportunity. And newfound production. Smith-Pelly popped in a goal and an assist skating beside Adam Henrique in his Jersey debut Thursday night. He followed it up another snipe Friday night. The production won't continue, but the hits will. And he can be had on the cheap.

EVEN-STRENGTH POINTS

Alex Killorn, LW/C, Tampa Bay (16 percent) - He's skating with an inspired Steven Stamkos and resurrected Ryan Callahan. Eight points, including three goals, in nine games. 'Nuf said.

POWER-PLAY POINTS

Jason Pominville, RW, Minnesota (32 percent) - Pominville suffered from Yeo-burn for most of the season. The usually serviceable winger delivered just 21 points in his first 56 games and was pretty much unownable in a lot of fantasy formats. But Yeo's firing was like a mega dose of Zantac for Pominville, who quickly put together an eight-game, 12-point streak (five goals, seven assists). Four of those came on the power play. Minny is in a dogfight with Colorado for the second wild-card spot in the West, so Pominville and his boys will be playing some mighty desperate hockey. He could be sitting on your wire -- he was on mine.

MULTI-CATEGORICAL GOODNESS

Carl Hagelin, LW, Pittsburgh (14 percent) - Hagelin is a good-looking player, but he's flat-out gorgeous riding shotgun beside the now-healthy Evgeni Malkin. Hagelin has four points (two goals, two assists), 13 shots and a plus-3 rating in four games since last Saturday. All Hagelin needs to do is put his stick on the ice and he'll pick up points beside Geno. He's my top pick this week.

Zach Bogosian, D, Buffalo (3 percent) - Yah, right -- the plus minus anchor? You betcha. Bogey has seven points, including three goals, and 14 shots in his last six games heading into Saturday. Buffalo isn't as bad as many of you think -- its totals would be good enough for fourth in the Pacific. OK, it's the Pacific. I give you that. But still. Bogosian will never been the man-beast he was projected to be on his draft day. But go ahead and roll the dice if you have dead wood on your blue line.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau, C, Ottawa (11 percent) - This diminutive center has speed and skill to burn. Pageau profiles as a middle-six center, but his poise with and tenacity in pursuit of the puck have him on my radar this week. And even more more now that the Sens have shut down Kyle Turris. Pageau had a six-game, eight-point streak (three goals, five assists) snapped on Thursday night. But he also delivered 14 shots, seven blocked shots and a plus-4 rating in those same six. Opportunity is knocking.

GOALS

Tanner Pearson, LW, Los Angeles (3 percent) - It's about effing time. Pardon my French, but this guy really gets my dander up. I held Pearson in a keeper league last summer after his success on That 70s Line. #Mistake. He "rewarded" me seven goals and 22 points in his first 55 games and I finally benched his sorry butt. So you guessed it -- that's when he decided to show up. Pearson has five goals and an assist in his last six games. Four of those goals came in the last week -- that's the second-most in the NHL for that period. It's an unsustainable pace, but like the Ritchie brothers, he's cheap and cheerful.

PIM

Nick Ritchie, LW, Anaheim (1 percent) - Ritchie has talent, but you'd never know it, especially after Thursday's full-on meathead performance. He picked up 25 freaking minutes in the sin bin with a couple short circuits. Gah. But short circuits like this can really help you jump up a couple points in the PIM category. Check your standings -- a guy like Ritchie won't hurt you in other categories and could just move you up the ladder.

Back to digging in.

Sharpened objectives mean you might need to make some unorthodox decisions. You need to be ruthless in your assessments -- you may need to drop good players you'd otherwise keep, simply because they can't help you meet those objectives.

Just don't hand that good player to your competitors, though. Be smart and savvy with your decisions. Don't let anyone win easy.

Focus on the places where you can make a real difference. I've snagged Kinkaid, Pickard, Pominville and Hagelin to bolster my efforts. Who will do that for you?

Enjoy stalking your fantasy competitors. I know I am.

Until next week.