Frozen Fantasy: Roster Fatigue is Real

Taxi squads. COVID-19. Superstars behaving badly. My head is already spinning and we're still in week one. At least of most leagues.

Tired yet? I am. If just a little.

Hockey has brought relief and joy to the darkest period of our lifetimes. But like you, I'm living through a checkerboard of PPD and non-IR absences on every roster I ice.

It's a challenge. My teams are a mess. I even know someone who already seems ready to give in.

Times are hard. But it's time for a little perspective.

I get to play fantasy. I get to work from home. I get to stay safe, while others go out to do essential work (thank you, by the way – that doesn't get said enough today).

I get to watch hockey. And stream whatever I want. And I get to write for you.

Perspective is everything. Roster fatigue is just a blip. Let's dig in a little. Take a breath. We can do this together.

I'm going to throw out my resistance. I'm going to let go of what I think I know. I'm going to hang my toes over the board and just let this season ride.

I'm not going to stress about short-term absences. Who cares about PPD? If you're not performing, I'm going to find someone else, no matter who you are.

OK, that last one might need work. But you get what I mean.

This season is different and it needs a new approach. I'm not going to try to make every trade perfect – I'm going to just make moves that keep skaters on the ice.

I'm going to set my roster so every guy with a potential game is on the ice. And then grab a pop and enjoy the games.  

And I'm not going to complain.

Patience. Perspective. And perseverance. Let's do this folks. And let's have a blast.

Now let's take a look who caught my eye this week.

Jake Allen, G, Montreal (25 percent Yahoo!) – This may be the first season in a long time that Allen doesn't break our hearts. He's never been able to match his 33 wins in 60 starts back in 2016-17. But this Habs team is good and he may finally be in a role that lets him truly flourish. So far, so good – two wins, a 2.01 GAA and 39 saves. Goaltending will be a fantasy challenge this year with so many teams splitting time. You need to have the best backups in the best positions to win. That may just include Allen.

Andreas Athanasiou, RW/LW, Los Angeles (5 percent Yahoo!) – He's as fast (or faster) than Connor McDavid. His sniping is as sharp as Phil Kessel (in his prime), even if the results don't quite match. But Athanasiou can't play D worth spit and it actually holds him back in fantasy. In a big way. D doesn't usually mean much in our game, but with Double-A it can actually keep him off the ice. He was a miserable fit in Edmonton, but so far, so good in La-La-Land. Heading into play Saturday, Athanasiou was on a four-game, four-point streak. He's not a point-per-game player, but he can throw down at a 30-goal, 60-point pace. That will help.

Tyler Bertuzzi, LW/RW, Detroit (26 percent Yahoo!) – Detroit is hard to watch. I've tried. You've tried. This proud franchise has promise, but is painful unless its first line is on the ice. Bertuzzi makes things watchable, even if he was recently demoted to the fourth line. It lit a spark. He potted a goal and an assist Tuesday and laid four hits Friday night. He won't always be productive, but will be fun to watch. And on a deep roster, Bertuzzi can help. Just make sure the Pepto-Bismol is close.

Jeff Carter, LW/C, Los Angeles (27 percent Yahoo!) – I forgot how good Jeff Carter could be. I dropped him from my draft lists – that minus-41 over the last two seasons was the final straw. But the extra time off in 2020 might have injected one last burst into his game. Carter has a goal, four assists and a plus-3 rating in his first four games. And heading into Saturday, he's fired 16 shots. He can help, at least short term.

Joel Eriksson Ek, Minnesota (15 percent Yahoo!) – I dropped this guy last week to accommodate an IR transaction and missed out on four points (two goals, two assist) in his last two games. He's actually outperformed EVERY guy on my Yahoo! Friends and Family squad so far. Yes, I'm sorely tempted to scoop Eriksson Ek back up – he jumped from 10 to 15 percent rostered overnight Friday. But he's behind Nick Bjugstad and Nick Bonino, and that will limit his opportunity. Watch the Wild closely and if the two centers ahead of him ever end up on IR, you know what to do.

Kaapo Kahkonen, G, Minnesota (5 percent Yahoo!) – Cam Talbot left Friday's game after one frame and Kahkonen stepped right into the fire. He promptly stopped all 17 shots he faced and earned the win. Talbot has looked great this season, but so has Kahkonen - that is, after he got the jitters out. Get him. Now. Backups have never been more valuable.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Montreal (8 percent Yahoo!) – Double-K's work in the bubble last year showed he was more than just a pretty little passer. The kid can shoot! We all went WTF on draft day in 2018 when the Habs picked this slender center. But his talent is real and he's still just 20 – he has another four to five years to hit his prime. Kotkaniemi started slowly this season, but heads into Saturday's game with a goal and two helpers in his last two games. He's winning a few face-offs and laying a few hits. Double-K is going to provide more fantasy value this season that any of us thought. And that WTF will disappear forever.

Nick Schmaltz, RW/C, Arizona (9 percent Yahoo!) – Schmaltz has scored in three straight games, all against the Golden Knights. Yep, one of the most complete teams in the league with a now near-impenetrable blue line. Schmaltz is a top-line center rostered in less than one-in-10 leagues. That feels like a crime, even if he's a desert boy. I have him in two of my six leagues. I'm about to have him in a lot more.

Back to perseverance. And patience, too.

That old story of the tortoise and the hare is swirling in my head. That reptile wasn't sexy or glamorous – cripes, it didn't even have a great shell.

But sticking to the task and plodding along sure got it somewhere great.

That's a great metaphor for life and fantasy hockey. And who knows, simply staying in the game right now might be the ticket to leading – or even winning – your league.

Now let's go and get this. Who's with me?

Until next week.