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Second round of fantasy hockey drafts proving to be crucial in 2019-20

When it comes to players who were selected in the second round of Yahoo Fantasy Hockey drafts, you likely either hit a home run or have had your season sunk to this point.

For reference, here are the players who were taken in second rounds on Yahoo according to their ADP.

1. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers (Yahoo ADP: 14.9)

2. John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs (Yahoo ADP: 15.2)

3. Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars (Yahoo ADP: 16.1)

4. Ben Bishop, Dallas Stars (Yahoo ADP: 16.8)

5. Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers (Yahoo ADP: 16.9)

6. Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames (Yahoo ADP: 17.8)

7. Mitchell Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs (Yahoo ADP: 18.1)

8. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers (Yahoo ADP: 21.8)

9. Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils (Yahoo ADP: 21.9)

10. Erik Karlsson, San Jose Sharks (Yahoo ADP: 23.1)

11. Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights (Yahoo ADP: 25.3)

12. Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues (Yahoo ADP: 26.6)

Let me just start off by saying, if you drafted Tarasenko, it’s not your fault. You’re not bad at fantasy hockey, you just ran into some bad fortune.

After looking at this list, however, it’s easy to see that Tarasenko is not the only player who has failed to live up to expectations thus far this season.

If you drafted John Tavares or Mitch Marner, you haven’t been too pleased by the early returns. Sure, both have been out of the lineup with injuries, but neither has looked like the player they were a season ago. Part of it likely has to do with the fact they’ve played 11 out of a possible 25 games together, but even with that being said, neither has recaptured their 2018-19 form.

Fantasy hockey owners have been frustrated by the production of Karlsson. The NHL’s premier offensive defenseman for what seems like a very long time, Karlsson has not resembled his past self in the slightest. It’s been a trying season for the 29-year-old. Although there have been a lot of tough nights, he has had a couple of strong stretches. Fantasy owners should hang on to Karlsson, as right now, you’d be selling him very low.

Gaudreau’s start to the year has also been deflating. Coming off of a 99-point career year, Johnny Hockey seemed to be entering the prime of his career in 2019-20. This year, however, has been anything but smooth. He has just five goals and 19 points through 26 matches, but there is reason to believe his struggles won’t last long. Throughout his career, he’s owned a shooting percentage of 12.5%. This year, however, he’s shooting at a much lower 7.2%. While the Flames and Gaudreau are struggling, I’m trying to buy low in fantasy hockey.

I’m not the biggest fan of selecting a goalie early in drafts, and those who spent high draft capital on Bobrovsky are certainly wondering why they did just that. His goals-against average of 3.44 and save percentage of .888% aren’t just below his standards, they’re well below league standards. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner has allowed three goals or more in five of his last six outings. His stellar track record, though, still has me interested in having him on my team. I wouldn’t go out and trade for Bobrovsky, but if I drafted him, I wouldn’t be looking to trade him for pennies.

The second round hasn’t been all bad news, though, there’s been some good, too. While you’d like some more goal-scoring out of Hall, he hasn’t been a total disappointment. For as bad as Bobrovsky has been, Fleury and Bishop are part of a small list of highly drafted netminders who have actually performed well this year, and Tyler Seguin has improved mightily upon his rocky beginning.

And then, of course, you have the two clear best choices from this round. If you drafted Draisaitl and his league-leading 32 assists and 48 points, you probably feel like a genius. The distant second-best choice from this round has been Panarin. The ‘Bread Man’ has notched 12 goals and 30 points across 22 games this season, placing him top-10 in the NHL in points.

Unlike the first round of fantasy drafts, where most players have upheld their high pedigree, the second round has seen a much wider variance in production. Chances are the teams doing well in your fantasy hockey league have struck gold to this point with their second selection.

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