Dobber Nation: Tom Awad and Ryan Ma
In the August 2011 edition, we peek behind the curtain of the mystical projection. How do prognosticators come up with their numbers? And what are some of their fantasy projections for the 2011-12 NHL season?
Forget Me Not
Right around the middle of the season, I love looking back at one-year drafts and seeing who went where. There are always players who fall much further than they should and the more you can snag, the better your team will perform. Since many draft rankings are based on the prior year’s performance, it’s easy to lose names in the draft day madness. Here are some Eastern Conference picks that might be ranked lower than they should.
The Ultimate Fantasy Pool – Vegas Edition Part II
In a little over two weeks, I’ll be heading off to Vegas for some fun. One reason I am heading down is to meet up with several members of the Ultimate Fantasy Pool – a keeper league that uses head-to-head scoring. I have been in the league for two years now, and it features some stiff competition (all of our league members read this site, and one is among the regular columnists).
Over the next few weeks, I am going to introduce the league and each of the 12 teams to the DobberHockey readers. The five teams today – The Crosby Show (myself), Hextall’s Hackers (Tim), Legion (Jeff), the Great Whites (Cory), and Wookie Sandwich (Scott).
Forget Me Not (West 2011)
Following the last couple of years, here’s a list of some of the Western Conference underachieving veterans from last season. Many of them underachieved or were simply injured, which resulted in lower than normal overall numbers for 2010-11. Most pool providers generally base their draft rankings on the previous year’s stats, which could lead many of the following players to be severely undervalued heading into this season. Make sure you make a mental note of these players and don’t fall into the trap of undervaluing them like some of your competitors might on draft day.
Dobber’s Draft Buddy
Unprepared for your 2011 Hockey Draft? Dobber's Draft Buddy is here to help! Draft Buddy provides you with an interactive list of players and their predicted performance for the upcoming 2011 season. Predictions come straight from DobberHockey.com so you will be able to compete with even your most hard core pool buddies. [...]
Making Not-So-Bold Predictions
Being a solid fantasy goalie manager stems from your ability to understand and evaluate three different elements: circumstance, situation and statistical probability. Goaltending is a game of inches both on and off the ice, yet things happen so fast that you have to make informed decisions even faster when goalie news hits the almighty interwebs.
2011-2012 NHL Comeback Players
Every season there are players who bounce back from an off year. Among the reasons - injuries, weaker linemates, being in a coach's doghouse, or just not a fit with a new team. Whatever the explanation, some players bounce back, some don't. Here are my top five candidates to mount a comeback in 2011-2012.
2011-12 Fearless Forecasts
Each year I write out 10 fearless forecasts (some crazier than others). Last September was no different (check my list for 2010-11 out here). I was right in a few cases, I was close in a few cases, and I was completely off base in a few as well. How did you do with your preseason predictions (preferably those that were a bit out there)? The ball for 2011-12 is already rolling over on the hockey forum.
The Draft Guru
Why is it that some GMs always seem to walk out of the draft with a team that maybe doesn’t blow you away with big names but always performs pretty well? If you’re in a multi-category league, they’re either really lucky or they’re rigorously tracking their team as it unfolds in the draft to make sure they contribute to the categories they want. Meanwhile, you’re looking at your roster and wondering what was I thinking?
Never screw up a draft again. Draft like a star with the Draft Guru as your secret weapon.
Power Hungry
With each passing day of the NHL offseason, fantasy owners look further and further into statistics, hoping desperately to find the “steal” of the draft. Almost every guide or magazine on the market will provide their reasons why each player will score X amount of points. But even in most “points-only” leagues, power-play-points is still a prevalent scoring category. Remember that if a player scores a point on the power-play, you’re typically collecting points in two scoring categories instead of one. This article will look into some of the clutch performers from last season and whether or not they have the opportunity to replicate that success.