Buying Low- Valtteri Filppula

Valtteri Filppula is one of the most heavily dropped fantasy forwards thus far this year yet he is still contributing.

Analysis: Valtteri Filppula has five points in six games this year. He’s chewing up nearly eighteen minutes of ice time per game and has a plus/minus rating of plus-3. He even offers center and left wing position eligibility. I understand that in such a short season fantasy owners cannot wait for players to get through a slump but Filppula is not slumping. His knee appears to be fine and if it becomes a problem THEN you drop him from your squad not BEFORE like so many seem to be doing now. If you have been watching Detroit this year you know his play has been solid. Keep in mind that he’s coming off of a career year- 66 points, plus-18 and he’s still only twenty-eight years old.

Filppula isn’t going to rack up tons of power play points or penalty minutes but he does have a place in most leagues. If five points in six games, eighteen minutes of ice time and a solid plus/minus rating isn’t good enough then have fun losing your fantasy hockey league this year. Filppula is available in 20-30% of fantasy leagues nationwide so pick him up if he’s been dropped in your league.

Underrated D-Men- Hamhuis And Hedman

Dan Hamhuis and Victor Hedman are off to great starts early this year yet they still are not getting much love in the fantasy world.

Analysis: Dan Hamhuis was a 37 point defenseman last year(22nd in NHL) that was also plus-29(2nd among D-men). Those are key stats for fantasy hockey owners but Dan Hamhuis is only owned in about half of fantasy leagues and only fifteen percent of dreaded ESPN leagues. Thus far this season Hamhuis has three points in four games and is averaging twenty-two minutes of ice time on an average of twenty-seven shifts per game. There is no excuse why he isn’t universally owned in fantasy leagues.

Victor Hedman is one of our sleepers this year and he too has been playing well. You really cannot judge Hedman strictly on his points per game production but he does have two points in four games. He chews up ice time(21 min/g) and will be contributing in plus/minus this year(plus-6 so far) because Tampa Bay is one improved hockey club. I know it’s early but he is the 27th ranked defensemen this season and he will finish in the top 40. Hedman is available in about forty percent of fantasy leagues.

Stock Rising- Elton Brand

Elton Brand has two double-doubles in his last three games.

Analysis: Elton Brand is averaging 13.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG and is shooting 56% from the field over his last five games. His minutes have been close to thirty per game in this span and he may be starting at center for the Mavs relatively soon. At the moment he is available in well over half of fantasy leagues but his stock is on the rise.

Brand also contributes at the line(80%) and is averaging 1.2 BPG and 0.6 SPG in just twenty-one minutes per game this year. He is quite the shot blocker for a 6’9″ power forward and even as a thirty-three year old he is still getting it done defensively. Brand has been a top twenty fantasy power forward over the past two weeks. In this span he has been outperforming Kevin Garnett, JJ Hickson and Ed Davis just to name a few heavily owned big guys.

Even at Elton Brand’s age he is still producing very well. He rebounds, blocks shots, shoots a high percentage and he won’t kill you at the free throw line… exactly what you want from your lower tier fantasy big men.

NHL Rookie Watch

Vladimir Tarasenko is the most polished rookie in the NHL this year and he is wasting no time scoring in bunches. Tarasenko has been a point per game player in the KHL over the last three years and has matured into a very special forward. Vlad already has 3 goals, 2 assists and 8 shots in two games this year. Expect about 40 points from the twenty-one year old Russian in this shortened season. But… keep an eye on his ice time- in two games he’s only averaging 14 minutes per game(the Blues are deep and defense oriented).

Mikael Granlund is probably the most anticipated European rookie this year after having spent the last few years playing in SM-liiga. Granlund does have one point in two games this year but he will not be relied upon much in Minnesota this season unless injuries hit the Wild. The off-season acquisitions of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to go along with Mikko Koivu, Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi will limit Granlund’s impact this year. Granlund is also averaging only 14 minutes of ice time per game thus far but don’t expect 40 points from him this year.

If you want to go the rookie rout in deeper leagues and I’m not talking about Nail Yakupov, you may want to consider Jakob Silfverberg, Cory Conacher or Jonathan Huberdeau(if he stays past five games).

Harrison Barnes Is Heating Up

Harrison Barnes struggled early in his rookie campaign but recently he has taken his game to the next level.

Analysis: Harrison Barnes is averaging 10.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.6 3PM and 1.0 SPG over the last two weeks. He is doing everything a lower tier fantasy small forward needs to do- hit threes, score, steal and rebound at a respectable clip. The rookie is shooting 49% from the field in January as opposed to just 38% in December. He now has nearly forty games under his belt and the stat sheet is reflecting his maturation as a professional.

Barnes is available in over seventy percent of leagues and now is the perfect time to buy this kid. He has been on the end of about thirty minutes per game over the past few weeks which is always good news for fantasy owners. As a result of the increased playing time Barnes is shooting more than ever and rebounding at the best clip of his extremely young career. Barnes is becoming a valuable lower tier fantasy asset and keep in mind that he’s not going to kill you in deeper leagues in any important small forward categories as long as he is getting his 25-30 minutes a night.