Frozen Fantasy: Small Victories

Over the last week, my struggling Yahoo! Friends and Family team went from 28.5 points (I know) to a remarkable 45 points. And from dead last to a tie for ninth. At least for a moment.

I'd do a backflip if I didn't have a busted kneecap.

Fantasy hockey can be tough. Sometimes you compete. Sometimes your squad sucks beyond belief.

I own both this season.

I work hard in both situations. Maybe even a bit more in the latter. It's about pride. And small victories.

Some owners give up when they aren't winning. I could never do that. I don't believe in quitting. I commit to something and I see it through.

There are plenty of reasons to try to compete when you are down the standings. Pride is a big one. Reputation is another.

Respect for the rest of the league might be the biggest of all.

In at least two leagues, my scratching and clawing will affect who makes the playoffs and who doesn't. And whether a team might finish second or third. Or maybe even first. None of them deserve to have the title handed to them. They need to work to succeed.

There are no gifts. Not on my watch. Or yours.

My Friends and Family squad had already dropped back to 10th by the end of Friday night. But 44.5 points is a whole lot better than 28.5.

And that's more than a small victory to me.

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

Rasmus Andersson, D, Calgary (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – Andersson looks damn good alongside Mark Giordano. He filled in for T.J. Brodie on Wednesday and snagged two helpers. Sure, Gio makes everyone look better. But Andersson's vision and passing, along with his ice-water calm in his own zone, makes him a real find. The Flames may be forced to keep him with Giordano if he continues his poised approach. He's definitely on my watch list.

Jesper Bratt, LW/RW, New Jersey (6 percent Yahoo! owned) – I've talked about Bratt before, so I'll keep this short. He has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in his last 10 games and he's only been held off the score sheet once in that span. Bratt is showing elite skill without the benefit of having Taylor Hall in the lineup. He's worth stashing.

Alexandar Georgiev, G, NY Rangers (5 percent Yahoo! owned) – Georgiev has started four of the Rangers' last eight games. And he's looked good, aside from a six-goal stinker against the Pens last Sunday. Georgiev is 3-1 during that stretch with wins over Boston, Toronto and Buffalo. King Henrik turns 37 at the beginning of next month. And despite Henrik's massive contract through 2020-21, the Rangers need to figure out what they have in the 23-year-old Russian. He's going to play.

Marcus Johansson, LW, New Jersey (4 percent Yahoo! owned) – Johansson picked a great time to get hot. While he has just 27 points in 48 games, the winger has put up seven – including three goals – in his last six contests. Johansson will be a solid target for a contender seeking depth scoring. He might toil on their third line, but get time on the second power-play unit. Add him now.

David Krejci, C, Boston (34 percent Yahoo! owned) – Who needs David Pastrnak when you have this guy? Krejci is riding a five-game, 10-point scoring streak that includes eight helpers. And it just so happens to coincide with Pastrnak's absence. Sure, he's only eligible at pivot, but he was a top-25 fantasy producer this week. Roster him until Pastrnak comes back.

Anthony Mantha, LW/RW, Detroit (29 percent Yahoo! owned) – Mantha has completely underwhelmed this season. So much so that I had almost given up on him as a keeper. Until this week. The Mantha I saw on Wednesday night was flat-out dominant. He set up four goals and he now has nine points (three goals, six assists) in six games heading into Sunday. Mantha needs to prove to Wings' brass that he is part of the winged-wheel's future. You might as well benefit.

Kevin Shattenkirk, D, NY Rangers (26 percent Yahoo! owned) – I've been critical of this guy for years. And been criticized for it at times. While I still think Shattenkirk is overrated, I'm banking on improved production over the last 20 games. After all, he's still the only D on the Rangers top power-play unit. And he has four assists in his last five games heading into the weekend. Shattenkirk was on the wire in the Friends and Family league, so I snagged him. I've made big gains in the last week or so. Maybe he can help with a few more.

Joe Thornton, C, San Jose (13 percent Yahoo! owned) – Jumbo Joe turns 40 come July. So 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in his last 12 games are pretty impressive. He won't get you shots, hits or PIM, but he will deliver some power-play goodness. And Thornton's veteran guile matters, especially as the season grows long. Steady production may be boring, but I'll take that over long scoring droughts between occasional offensive flares from some flash-in-the-pan.

Back to small victories.

So how did I make a sudden climb? Sergei Bobrovsky and Mike Smith are winning. Finally.

And waiver grabs Nino Niederreiter, Mats Zuccarello, Darcy Kuemper, Erik Gustafsson and Curtis McElhinney have carried guys like Logan Couture and Jonathan Huberdeau.

And Filip Forsberg. Spit.

I've made 41 waiver pickups, second only to the team in second place. Not every one has worked out.

But some have. And I'm hoping those guys make the league leaders clench their butts just a little bit tighter. For five more weeks. Then they can have their victory.

But I'll have mine, too. However small.

Until next week.