Welcome back all! Playoffs are in full swing now in leagues everywhere! For those in Playoffs or have a Bye this week, I'd like to say congrats and let's finish the job out. Those who missed I know it's frustrating, but I always encourage to keep playing even when the season has come to a close. Why is that? Because come June, we're all going to be sitting around watching the Stanley Cup and inevitably you'll accidentally look at your phone to check fantasy or you'll be with friends and will want to talk about your league. As long as fantasy hockey is here to be enjoyed and played, I say march on!

The Immediate Fix (Grab this guy and use him for the next several days)

Alec Martinez, D, Vegas Golden Knights (Rostered in 44% of ESPN leagues, 19% Fantrax, 8% Yahoo) – Yes, yes, I know that Alec Martinez was the Odd-Man out last week but he's back and we need him now more than ever as an Immediate Fix.  

I could give you some fancy analytical stat on why Martinez is the player to add as we go into next week but don't really have one on hand outside of his blocked shot total on the season which sits at a jillion. Okay, so it's 152, but Martinez is healthy right now and if he can provide blocked shots along with a couple shots in a game to go along with time on the Vegas top PK unit, that might separate him from other defensemen right now.   

The other reason is because of schedule and that's what makes Martinez an advantageous add. Because we love the NHL and the NHL hates us, the slates next week are as we've come accustomed to seeing; a three-game slate to start the week, followed a Tuesday with the entire league plus an NFL team, a one-game Wednesday slate, and so on. Vegas here is where we can maybe take advantage of this as the Knights play on both Monday and Tuesday next week and are one of only two teams that play four times next week. The other being Anaheim so…pass. Look, this might be the add you make to get any scoring in early in the matchup period but sometimes it's plays like that, that ultimately propel you to the next round.

The Building Block (Buy now, sit back and enjoy the production)

Cam York, D, Philadelphia Flyers (Rostered in 30% of ESPN leagues, 57% Fantrax, 19% Yahoo) – The weeks all blend together right now but I know a couple week's back I wrote up Cam York as a Building Block, but I am back at your front door preaching the good word of our guy Cam York.

The Flyers have to skate Cam York 20-plus minutes a game right now; that's just where things are at. Travis Sanheim is another nice player but outside of those two on the blue line we're looking at Egor Zamula, and three players that don't even have their numbers up on Daily Faceoff.  York for the most part gets top power play time and has been very good as of late with five points in his last four games.

The roster numbers are also very agreeable here with him only being rostered at 30% over on ESPN and 19% on Yahoo, so my guess is here in smaller to mid-size leagues he's likely hanging out on the waivers somewhere. Plus, just looking ahead here next week the Flyers are going to see the Canadiens and the Blackhawks, which both can easily lead to healthy fantasy production. I can guarantee that York is going to see plenty of ice time but can't guarantee he's not healthy scratched two games in a row for no reason…sorry, I just had to get that in there.

The Odd Man Out (His short-term value is cause for concern)

This week's Odd-Man Out is going to be a little unorthodox I know but follow me here for a second. I looked up and down all three fantasy sites trying to come up with a name for an Odd-Man but ended up circling back to something that I see take place in all of my leagues. This week's Odd-Man might just be…you.

I say this every year around playoffs, there is no next week. Most leagues only have a one-week matchup period and if things go south, a good fantasy year is over in a snap. What I'm getting at here is difficult decisions need to be made sometimes regarding good players and sometimes they need to be made sooner rather than sitting on a decision. Take last season for example: someone in my main league had John Tavares who, sure, was an excellent fantasy player to have. Toronto started benching players towards the final week of the season, with Tavares being one of them, but this was only speculation that it would be more than one healthy scratch. Two games later without JT in the lineup, meaning that's just a roster spot that's burned on a player who isn't going to suit up.

I've been there myself; I've had to make really hard drops when it came crunch time and believe me, it's difficult to drop a player that is in the 90^th percentile on fantasy roster. Of course, you can worry about that player getting scooped up later, but for now the only later we have is the next two weeks at the very most, and even then, that may be asking a lot. For dynasty leagues out there, this is of course advice to disregard for the most part, or those out there in keeper leagues, but if you're one that does yearly drafts, then this might just help you advance. It’s a tough balance, believe me I get it, but I stand by when you have to make a move in fantasy, you're usually in trouble.

The Anchors (They’ll do nothing but disappoint even over the long haul)

Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida Panthers (Rostered in 88% of ESPN leagues, 70%, Fantrax, 56% Yahoo) – I know this has happened at multiple points over the last couple seasons, but why does it feel like we can't get four straight weeks of healthy Aaron Ekblad?

The Florida Panthers became my favorite team to watch around mid-January and are one of those clubs that are excellent for fantasy hockey. Even some of their ancillary players have value at times, both in DFS and larger fantasy leagues. Right now, the report is that he has a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day but will miss a minimum of two weeks. Come again?

So assuming that report is correct, and he is out for a minimum of two weeks, I think it's safer not just to outright drop him and look elsewhere on waivers. Even if he does come back or at least practice before drawing back into the lineup, the fantasy season might be all but over for most leagues out there.  

Love ‘Em (These squads are sure to pay dividends in the coming days

This period runs through March 22^nd – April 2^nd

Seattle – We love a homestand here as the Kraken will be home starting Sunday with great matchups against the Habs and two against the Ducks.

Colorado – Another club on a nice homestand here as the Avs will have five-straight games at home starting this week against the Blue Jackets on Friday.

Dallas – The Stars will see Arizona and San Jose upcoming, followed by a matchup against a flailing Pittsburgh club. Perfect makings for a Love 'Em.  

Leave ‘Em (These squads will leave fantasy owners sorely disappointed in the short term)

Tampa Bay – Another week here for Tampa as a Leave 'Em as they're one of three teams with only two games on the schedule.  

Minnesota – Two games on the schedule for Minnesota puts them towards the back of the pack here coming up. This is a top line that's higher rostered in fantasy so losing them for a week could be tough to navigate.

New York Islanders – A Florida road trip is all that's on the horizon for this Islanders team, so they're a Leave 'Em this week.

*For continued fantasy news and notes, follow me on Twitter @ndySanz.