Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and Fantasy Hockey – Part 1

I consider myself an expert on antasy hockey. Over the course of the season, I will be sharing my insights with you. I won't always advise fantasy managers get this guy or drop that guy, rather I'll give you insight on how to play the game. To begin, I want to share my 10 Rules of Winning Fantasy Hockey. My goal is to help you win and I thought it might be insightful as well as fun to incorporate the wisdom of two of the greatest martial artists in recent history Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris.

“Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.” - Bruce Lee

Rule 1: If you are a serious player, your goal is to win the season. That means in rotisserie formats, you would rather be in first place on the last day of the season, than any other day. In head-to-head formats, you want to win the playoffs.

“I think setting a goal, getting a visual image of what it is you want. You've got to see what it is you want to achieve before you can pursue it.” - Chuck Norris


Rule 2: Set lineups in advance. How many times have you kicked yourself because player X on your team scores a pair of goals with a helper and you didn’t get around to putting him in your lineup that day? I usually set my lineups on Monday and Thursday, and I overlap those days as a double check. Also, every time I add or delete player, I go back through my future lineups to make sure I have everything covered.

“To become a champion requires a good mental attitude toward preparation.” - Bruce Lee


Rule 3: Play “Moneyball.” I don’t mean that you should play for money, but rather use the central concept from the book/movie; find the undervalued asset and use it to your advantage. In fantasy hockey that stat is Average Time on Ice (ATOI) for forwards and to a lesser extent Power Play Time on Ice (PPTOI). For defensemen, I look at PPTOI and Short-Handed Time on Ice. In the NHL, a player can’t contribute if he doesn’t get in the game; and players who don’t contribute ride the pine. For fantasy leagues that use a Penalty Minutes category, you can adjust to take it into consideration.


Rule 4: Do your homework. You don’t have to follow every game on TV, but at least check the headlines. If a key player gets hurt (or is returning from injury) it will make a headline on ESPN, Yahoo!, NBC, Sportsline, NHL.com, etc. Also follow trends. You want players in your lineup that are playing well now. Most fantasy league sites have stats broken-down to 7 days, 14 days, 30 days and full season. If you take injuries into account, you will find the players who are trending up or down. This leads to Rule 5.

Whatever luck I had, I made. I was never a natural athlete, but I paid my dues in sweat and concentration and took the time necessary to learn karate and become world champion. - Chuck Norris


Rule 5: Find some experts. I have a wife and three kids, I can’t crunch every number; but there are people and services that do. For example the Rob Higgins HFI and Dobber Hockey are two good sources. There are also plenty of online gurus. Find someone who works best for you. You don't need to know everything only where to find it.

I'll have part two of this series next week.

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