Good afternoon folks. This week I'm going to share an invaluable nugget of wisdom for those going thru drafts. The most important thing is to avoid drafting too many “names” or sleepers who could break out. It is ALWAYS essential to mix and match a bit. There have been a few drafts which I have participated in and already you can see the crazy picks by the bushel load. There are players that obviously can be waited on and ones that cannot.

 

Time to take a look at this one glaring example. Out of the following goalies which one would you take first?

 

 

In each of the first three drafts I have seen, the best of the trio has not gone first. As a matter of fact Roberto Luongo has gone third in one of those drafts. He went second in the other two behind Martin Brodeur, who went first in all three. 

Now Brodeur is a clear case of name recognition even when Roberto Luongo has a clearly positive reputation as a fantasy stud amongst goaltenders. However, Brodeur is heading towards 40 in a couple years, while Luongo is not even 30 yet and has not entered the French Canadian goalie prime yet.
 

Typically, Alexander Ovechkin or Evgeni Malkin are the first overall picks in drafts. You could swap those two very easily but they are first in each of their respective positions (Left Wing and Center). Yet a guy like Luongo does not get the same respect. 

Last year, Luongo had a bad injury that kept him out for a couple of months, but Brodeur missed four months with a torn bicep. However, Brodeur gets the name game nod…very baffling. This may balance out eventually but right now, the old guard still rules the fantasy hockey drafts.

 

So where have these three players gone average wise so far? You ask…and we shall give you the information. Martin Brodeur has gone 7^th (1^st round). Roberto Luongo has gone 12^th (end 1^st round). Marc-Andre Fleury has gone 55^th (mid 5^th round). Fleury has had the most swing going from 11^th in one draft to 109^th in another. The reality is amongst the three, you want to stay away from Fleury if you can. He is insulated with a high scoring team while Brodeur and Luongo’s teams obviously play more defense.

 

The value is in Luongo…he is a clear top 5 or top 10 pick at the very worst. If you have the chance to take him and the big players are gone. He must be snatched. When you see a guy get a shutout once every 6 starts…that is a sign. Always look for steady value and not necessarily the “name” guy. It will serve you well in many leagues and may help you surprise a few fantasy hockey veterans as well. 

Next week we will dig deeper into some draft picks and why they were made. Until then, you can always send a comment to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . I will be glad to fire back a quick replay and happy hockey watching as the preseason rolls on.

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Tags: Fantasy Hockey  Value  Roberto Luongo  Martin Brodeur  Marc Andre-Fleury  Alexander Ovechkin  Evgeni Malkin