Top 10 fighters with fantasy hockey value
Tom Collins
2014-07-21
The Top 10 fighters with fantasy hockey value
As long as penalty minutes are counted in fantasy leagues, fighters are going to have a lot of value.
It's an easy way for a player (and a fantasy owner) to rack up five penalty minutes. And since a fighter isn't doing his NHL team much of a disservice, he's more than likely to keep playing over a guy who gets three minor penalties in a game.
But some fighters can do more than drop their gloves. They can score, or win faceoffs, or hit or whatever else. Many of them bring extra value that could win you an important head-to-head matchup.
Patrick Maroon's 13 fights was one of the highest in the league last season, but the rookie was able to contribute in other areas of the ice. He scored 11 goals and 29 assists, which are decent for a third-line rookie. He also managed to finish with a plus-11 and 101 penalty minutes. His 124 hits were seventh among rookie forwards last season.
Konopka has always been one of those under-appreciated fighters, and it's a bit shocking he's still a free agent. But he's great for fantasy leagues that count faceoff wins. Last year, Konopka had 12 fights, the fourth-straight full season he had at least 10. But pro-rating the lockout season, Konopka averages almost 21 fights a year. Last year, Konopka oin 345 faceoffs, with a winning percentage of 60.8 per cent. That's not a one-year fluke. Since he started taking regular faceoffs in 2009-10, Konopka has won 1,647 faceoffs, alongside a 59.6 winning percentage.
Roussel is not scared to drop the gloves with anyone in any league at any time. His yearly fight card shows he fights in the pre, regular and post-seasons, in the QMJHL, AHL and NHL. It's a trend poolies hope continues, as he's a solid contributor in a lot of categories. Last season, he scored 14 goals and 15 assists, finished with 209 penalty minutes (third in the league) and 146 hits.
3. Chris Neil
While Neil may not be the 20-point guy he was five seasons ago, he's still valuable in fantasy hockey leagues. Last year, his 211 penalty minutes were second in the league. His 15 fights were tied for third in the league (meaning you were getting at least 75 penalty minutes from him just in fights). In six separate games last year, he had at least 10 penalty minutes in the same game, which probably won many managers a lot of matchups. He also had 253 hits, seventh-best in the league.
Fantasy owners are hoping Simmonds may become the next Milan Lucic, but he may have already reached that level. Simmonds is another one of those guys who can fight and score. He's been in at least six fights in each of the last five seasons, and last year potted 29 goals, 60 points, 106 pims, 15 powerplay goals and four game-winners. He also took 209 shots, and dished out 132 hits.
1. Milan Lucic
The unapologetic beast is one of the best all-around fantasy guys, as he contributes in a lot of different categories. When he's not pummeling guys with his fists (at least five fights in each of the last four years), Lucic is doing other things that help you win your fantasy matchup. Last season, he scored 24 goals, had 59 points, a plus-30, 91 pims and five game-winning goals. He also had 240 hits, 12th best in the league.
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