Particular to Yahoo Sports activities
The fantasy season hits the halfway level of its common season on the finish of this week when you’re taking part in head-to-head. Do not forget there aren’t any video games on Sunday the 24, Christmas Day and Dec. 26, because the NHL takes its Christmas break.
With that out of the best way, let’s think about some gamers who’re rostered in ample Yahoo leagues and who may very well be simply dropped.
Dylan Cozens, C, Buffalo Sabres (53% rostered)
Cozens is having an OK season with 5 objectives and 16 factors in 30 video games, however he’s not even near his tempo of final season when he garnered 31 objectives and 37 assists as a 21-year-old. Cozens is seeing 31 seconds fewer on the ability play (going from 2:48 in 2022-23 to 2:17 this 12 months), and consequently is averaging a degree with the person benefit each 7.5 video games, down from one each 4.5 video games final season when he picked up 18 factors. Cozens had an enormous sport Friday in Vegas when he had a objective and two assists, however these forms of video games are few and much aside to warrant conserving him in your roster presently. There are too many facilities higher than him in case your league performs by place relatively than grouping all forwards collectively.
Patrik Laine, RW, Columbus Blue Jackets (35% rostered)
Laine might be misplaced for six weeks with a fractured clavicle, however he wasn’t value having in your fantasy roster earlier than the damage. Laine had scored 198 objectives in his first seven seasons within the NHL, together with a 44-goal season as a 19-year-old. However he has fallen upon arduous instances in 2023-24, scoring solely six instances whereas including three helpers in 18 video games. Laine missed 13 video games earlier than getting damage Dec. 14 in Toronto, 9 by way of an upper-body damage early within the season, three with an sickness and yet another as a wholesome scratch as a consequence of ineffective play. All of it provides as much as dropping Laine as he may very well be out till the All-Star break in early February.
Cam Fowler, D, Anaheim Geese, (35% rostered)
Fowler has three assists in his final two video games, giving him two objectives and 15 factors in 31 video games. His level whole locations him tied for thirty sixth in scoring by a defenseman, however his minus-14 ranking is fifth-worst (or 269th-best relying in your view) amongst blueliners. If you happen to play with that class, that’s actually going to harm your fantasy workforce and his lack of pictures on objective this season — solely 40 in 31 video games — makes him unfit so far as fantasy is worried.
Matty Beniers, C, Seattle Kraken (34% rostered)
Beniers snapped a six-game pointless streak Monday with a objective and an help, however he’s nonetheless struggling in his sophomore season with solely 5 objectives and 15 factors in 33 video games. That is a far cry from final season’s 24 objectives and 57 factors, which have been ok to garner Beniers the Calder Trophy because the NHL’s prime rookie. Maybe Monday’s efficiency is an indication of excellent issues to return for Beniers, however I believe there are much better decisions at heart than the 21-year-old.
Anders Lee, RW, New York Islanders (30% rostered)
Lee is off to a horrible begin with seven objectives and 10 factors in 30 video games. It has been his worst efficiency in his profession, surpassing the 2015-16 marketing campaign when he had 15 objectives and 36 factors in 80 video games. Lee has seen his power-play time go down from 3:05 final season to 1:38 this 12 months, and that has been mirrored in his two power-play objectives and nary an help, an enormous step down from his six objectives and 14 factors with the man-advantage in 2022-23. Lee struck for a pair of markers Dec. 9, however that has been the one time he has hit the scoresheet within the final seven video games.