Vegas Golden Knights: Top Fantasy Hockey Options

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There are some players on the Vegas Golden Knights roster you may want on your fantasy team.

With the regular season just around the corner, the Vegas Golden Knights inaugural season is sure to be one fun ride. The regular season also comes with another popular game to the fans, and that’s fantasy hockey. Who would’ve thought Vegas hockey fans would be drafting players from their franchise?

For those not familiar with fantasy hockey, let me explain some of the rules. Fantasy hockey leagues are usually made up of 10-12 teams where players build a team that competes with other players. Scoring is based on statistics generated by professional hockey players or teams.

It’s pretty simple; the most frequent scoring is Head to Head categories, Head to Head points or just points. In most leagues, you must pick two centers, two left wings, two right wings, four defensemen, one utility player and two goaltenders for your starting lineup. You also have a few reserve spots on your team, usually around four or five players.

I won’t bore you with the rest of the rules, but I will write this based on the most common scoring which is Head to Head categories. I’ll give you some Golden Knights players who may breakout and a few players who I think will fall short of expectations.

Draft:

Vadim Shipachyov

Shipachyov could be a risky pick for your fantasy teams. He’ll more than likely be the number one center on the Golden Knights roster. And not just that, he’ll likely center the first powerplay unit as well. Anyone who follows Shipachyov track record back in the KHL, he puts up a ton of assists, and that’s very valuable to multiple categories.

The big warning sign is he is a 30-year old rookie from the KHL without any NHL experience. We just don’t know how his play will translate at the NHL level. But despite that, Shipachyov could be a big pickup if he continues his KHL pace at the NHL. Especially if Head Coach Gerard Gallant lets him roam freely in the offensive zone a bit.

Jonathan Marchessault

Marchessault had one hell of a campaign last year for the Florida Panthers. No one saw that one coming; he was a big reason why some fantasy teams won their leagues. Picking up a 30 goal and 51 point player on the waiver wire will do that for you. However, the Cap-Rouge, Quebec natives role may have changed going to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Yes, he won’t have the same talent around him as he did in Florida. But he should maintain a spot on the top line with Shipachyov and be on the top power-play unit as well. And not only does he score, but he also shoots the puck a ton which counts for leagues that use shots on goal as a category. Draft him in the later rounds.

Shea Theodore

Theodore could be a steal in your fantasy draft and highly recommend drafting him. The 22-year-old has a very high ceiling with the way the team might use him. His stats last year with Anaheim is nothing to sneeze at, but he has a ton of potential leading the Golden Knights blue line.

I envision the Golden Knights using him on the top powerplay unit at the point. That position is where most top defensemen get their points. However, Theodore also comes with risk as all fans know the Golden Knights are currently carrying 11 defensemen. Theodore can be in and out of the lineup a ton, especially at the start of the season. Therefore, be cautious and draft Theodore in the last few rounds.

Don’t Draft:

Marc-Andre Fleury

Fleury had a subpar regular season in 2016-17, finishing the year 18-10-7 with a GAA of 3.02 and a save percentage of .909. And obviously, it’s not his fault he didn’t get a ton of starts with the emergence of Matt Murray. But I just don’t know how much he’ll improve being the number one starter for the Golden Knights.

Think about it, the volume of starts will probably be there. But in fantasy hockey, it comes down to wins, GAA, and save percentage and I just don’t think he’ll get the job done in fantasy. Look somewhere else for a goaltender unless you’re desperate.

David Perron

Perron’s probably one of my favorite players on this roster. However, his status in fantasy is a huge question mark. Everyone knows about his health issues in the past which makes him very untrustworthy. In addition, he’ll only be hanging around the Golden Knights third line, and it’s not a guarantee the team will use him on either powerplay unit.

The Sherbrooke Quebec native put up a respectable 46 points in St. Louis last season, but I don’t think that will translate on this Golden Knights roster. There’s not a lot of skilled, talented forwards on this roster that will help the 29-year-olds numbers in fantasy. All in all, look elsewhere for a winger.

Next: What will be the Vegas Golden Knights goal song?

There’s not a ton of players to choose from on Vegas. Looking at the list of players they have, it’s not a very offensive minded roster. If you’re in deeper leagues of 14-16 teams, here are a few other players to keep an eye on: Oscar Lindberg, James Neal, Jason Garrison, Cody Eakin and Reilly Smith. Otherwise, stay away from most of the Vegas Golden Knights.

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