Frozen Fantasy: Digging Into Bad Weeks

Sometimes you're the windshield. Sometimes you're the bug. It's an old song, but sometimes it fits when it comes to fantasy.

That's this week for me.

It's hard to stay motivated when just about every guy on your squad flops at exactly the same time. I'm in it. I feel for those of you in the same boat.

This week has been dismal for my Yahoo! Friends and Family squad. Just four of my players sit in the top 110 performers over the last seven days. One of them I added Saturday morning, so technically I have just three.

Three in the top 110.  Spit.

And to make it worse, there are 22 free agents better than my fourth-best performer in that span.

Sigh. You know it's bad when Blake Lizotte and Jamie Oleksiak would have done more for your squad than Brayden Point, Brad Marchand and even Andrei Svechnikov.

Fantasy owners get in binds like this every season. Patience is key, but how long do you go without taking action?

I don't have an easy answer. I'm not crazy enough to drop underperforming studs. Neither are you. But what about your middle class?

For example, I own MacKenzie Blackwood. He's my third starter and owned in 37 percent of Yahoo! leagues. He sits behind Petr Mrazek and Sergei Bobrovsky (gag). But the Devils suck. And I worry they're destroying him.

But James Reimer is on the wire. Is a backup better over time than a starter?

Optimus Reims is having arguably the best season of his career. I've highlighted him below, but take a look at his last month. Reimer is ranked 32nd overall – not in goalies, but in the entire player pool.

Blackwood? He's 184th over the same month span.

Sometimes we all hang on too long to guys based on promise, not production. Sometimes we all forget to use the research tools that Yahoo! gives us. I did.

Lesson learned. Now let's hope Optimus Reims lights a fire under my squad. And me.

Now, let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.

Noel Acciari, C, Florida (8 percent Yahoo! owned) – Acciari is having the best week of his hockey career. The fourth-line workhorse was elevated to a scoring line and bing-bang-BOOM – two consecutive hat tricks, including a natural one in just four short minutes. Acciari was never drafted and never showed this kind of touch with the Bruins. But then again, he was only really asked to be a banger there. He's not going to keep this up, but it's clear he has the kind of 200-foot game that makes him super-versatile. And Acciari obviously knows where to put his stick when guys like Jonathan Huberdeau and Vincent Trocheck fire laser-accurate passes his way. I've snagged him with the hope he has one or two more great games. Every little bit helps.

Christian Dvorak, LW/C, Arizona (23 percent Yahoo! owned) – Just in case you missed it, Dvorak picked up a new linemate recently. It might take a few games to get the chemistry going, but his offense is going to rocket with both Phil Kessel and Taylor Hall on his flanks. Go check your wire, just in case your league is sleeping on him.

Marcus Foligno, LW/RW, Minnesota (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – The hit man is on fire right now, both along the boards and near the net. Who knew? Foligno delivered his first multi-point game this week and has six points in his last seven games. And 24 hits. Take a deeper look and you'll see Foligno is scoring at a career pace AND tracking toward 225 hits (or more). Guys who can put up points and muck it up are like a semi-rare gemstone in today's NHL. Your format will dictate if he fits.

Kevin Hayes, C, Philadelphia (13 percent Yahoo! owned) – Hayes has not looked like himself in Philly. He had just six points in his first 20 games and his ownership dropped like a stone. But lately, Hayes' game looks like it has taken a huge step forward. Since Nov. 19, he's put up 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 15 games. Go see if Hayes is on your wire … before someone else does.

Boone Jenner, LW/C, Columbus (24 percent Yahoo! owned) – The Blue Jackets have struggled this season, but they're on a three-game winning streak. And Jenner is a big part of it from his perch on the top line. He's putting up modest points, but delivering well in faceoff wins and hits. Plus, Jenner's positional versatility gives you a lot more roster options – let's face it, his value would slip if he only qualified at pivot. Give him a look.

Connor Murphy, D, Chicago (3 percent Yahoo! owned) – I've always liked Murphy, but he's never quite become the player I thought he would. But I tuned in Sunday and saw glimpses of the dominant defender he's becoming. No, Murphy doesn't play with the edge his dad, Gord, did. But he's become the Hawks' top minute-muncher and he's getting a few points along the way. Murphy has five helpers in his last nine games and his ice time has ranged from 20:56 to 27:47. This guy looks like the future of the Chicago back end. You can do worse in your last D spot.

Gustav Nyquist, LW/RW, Columbus (20 percent Yahoo! owned) – Nyquist is a consistent, high 40s-low 50s winger who gives you a little bit of everything. And he goes on quiet streaks. Like the one he's on now. Nyquist has six points, including five assists, a plus-6 rating and nine SOG in his last four games. Digging a little deeper, he's actually on a career pace - one that could see him flirt with 60 points. Nyquist doesn't deliver much beyond pure points, but there has to be room for a 60-point winger on a lot more than one-in-five leagues.

James Reimer, G, Carolina (16 percent Yahoo! owned) – I watched the Optimus Reims era in Toronto up close – it was like a car crash a lot of days. I'm still disgusted by the ugly behavior of fans, especially toward his wife when she sat in the stands. But that's another story. Reimer was then OK in Florida, but he's quietly become one of the NHL's best backups in Raleigh. And that warrants much, MUCH higher ownership. Reimer is 6-1 with two shutouts in seven starts since Nov. 16. He's picked off the Bolts, Avs, Flames and Oil, among others. Grab him for spot starts. Now.

Back to bad weeks. And patience.

I've sometimes been victim to my own patience in fantasy. Lesson learned. They're just players and if I don't take risks, I'll have another 'meh' season.

I'm not going to go crazy and you shouldn't either. But now's the time to take a few bigger risks.

Dumping an underperforming starting goalie on a bad team is step one. Mathew Dumba might be step two.

Spit.

Until next week. BTW, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Happy Kwanzaa. And in the middle of it all, I hope for a Festivus miracle for your team and mine.