While the NHL may be slow to change, the world of fantasy hockey has evolved rapidly. Just a few years ago, it seemed like their only option was a barbecue-based league, which turned into head-to-head matches, auction giveaways, etc. Recently, I started getting hooked on a new way to play fantasy hockey: Daily Leagues. While it’s not a replacement for the grind, planning, trash talk, and final payoff of a season-long league, it does offer a great alternative with immediate payoff.
Here’s how it tends to work: You go toe-to-toe with an opponent, or a room of opponents, and draft a salary-based roster for one night’s action. At the end of the day, the stats are added up and the winner takes all. That is all. Instant gratification.
Various sites are popping up that offer Daily Fantasy games. Some are cap based while others have an automated draft system which I don’t really like. (I don’t like a computer making random decisions for me.) Fanduel, DraftZone, and FantasySportsLive are some of the more popular ones that have sprung up in the last year or so.
Most of these sites offer a few different options for hockey, along with the NFL, NBA, and MLB; not that I care… It’s all hockey to me). Perhaps the best part about sites like Fanduel is that you can win money every night or play for free. When you sign up for a game, you choose what level you want to play at and who you want to play against.
daily strategy
As daily fantasy hockey continues to grow in popularity, fantasy players will have to change their mindset a bit when it comes to strategy. With this format, you no longer need to worry about details like whether Marty Turco will lose his starting job in February. All that matters is that you know who starts tonight and who is likely to get hot.
The first strategy you need to master is to identify the value of the players. With a salary-based budget, it’s critical to identify players who are undervalued so you can free up cap space to spend on a guy like Malkin or Stamkos. In this format, defenders have little relative value, so it’s best to spend the absolute minimum possible on this position. To start the season, guys like John Carlsson and PK Subban were dirt cheap. Its price is starting to increase, so you should keep an eye out for new cheaper options that appear. At the front end, some of the Flyer strikers will deliver a lot of value for little cost. Guys like Leino, Giroux and Van Riemsdyk are currently underrated.
Lineups for most sites play with 1 goalie and 2 each on LW, RW, C, and D. When setting up your lineup, start in the goalie position. Remember, it is only for 1 night, so it is essential that you identify who starts. Several websites offer information on starting goalkeepers that is quite reliable. For the best information, go to that team’s local sources, as they will often post it on a blogger site, Twitter, or even the team’s home page. If you can find value in this position, go for it. Many times NHL teams will start back up against a weaker opponent. Backups tend to be lower in cost, so you can tell if you play nice. For example, in Fanduel, a top goalie like Miller or Luongo can cost 8K of their 55K cap. You can get an early backup on a good rig for 3 or 4K, which obviously leaves room to add better options on offense.
Next, identify the 2 cheapest defenders who have any hope of getting you points. In general, defenders produce half as many points as forwards, so you are wasting your money by putting a mid to high level defender on your roster. One thing to watch out for on defense is penalty minutes. While D points are hard to predict, penalty minutes are more predictable.
After filling out your crease and blue line, it’s time to spend your money where it matters most, on offense. Start from the bottom up and identify one or two players you can tolerate at a lower price. Next, add a couple of spiky forwards to the mix. Finally, play the last few places with what you have left. Once you’ve completed your list, check how much cap space you have left. Take a look at your cheapest options one by one and see how much better you do with what you have left.
The future of daily fantasy sports
While it will never completely replace traditional full-season fantasy leagues, daily leagues are growing in popularity and offer a completely different approach to the game. If you like the idea of playing for money, I recommend starting out in one of the free leagues for a couple of games until you get the hang of it. You’ll find yourself looking at the out of town marker a lot more closely once you’re in the daily game.