What do people love just as much as sports? Fantasy sports! Each week, I’ll pick three forwards, two defensemen and a goalie to assemble a “Fantasy Team of the Week” and we'll track their performances over a seven-day stretch of the schedule. I’ll use an eliminator-style format where once a player is picked, they can’t be used again this season. That way, over the course of a 15-week season, we’ll get to highlight as many as 90 different players around the state during the regular season.
Play along at home and be sure to let me know what your lineup looks like each week on Twitter!
SCORING
I’ve got my fingers crossed hoping for some great statisticians and coaches out there to update info on The Hub but tapering my expectations. Up-to-the-minute updates and complete game logs like NHL.com or ESPN just won’t happen but lets give this a shot and have some fun here.
Week One! I’m going to be a little conservative, as I’m sure there’s some guys absent with football teams still in action or slowly getting back up to speed, fresh off the gridiron. Also, schedules are still slowly trickling into The Hub with the season as early as it is. So I’ve gotta go with some no doubters that I’m confident will be in action this week…
Monday, Nov. 18th - Sunday, Nov. 24th
SCHEDULE: 11/19 @ St. Clair Shores Unified, 11/22 @ Alpena, 11/23 vs. Clarkston
A Couple obvious reasons. Number One: Three games in a week, that’s hard to pass up and a rarity in Week One. LOTS of single-game weeks for teams around the state and definitely understandable as we ease our way into the season. Number Two: Wood is a big-time point producer. Led the Knights in scoring last season with 48 points in 25 games.
SCHEDULE: 11/22 vs. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 11/23 @ Byron Center
I like the Byron Center matchup better than the GRCC contest but Uturo led all Bulldogs in scoring last season as a sophomore with 11 goals. The junior has three career points in four total games against GRCC and BC combined, with an opportunity to start the season off on the right foot.
SCHEDULE: 11/20 vs. Woodhaven, 11/23 @ U-D Jesuit
Could pick a different Trenton forward every week of the upcoming season and potentially pick up fantasy points. Lots of talent up front for the Trojans; Clark is the first one I’ll pick for our FTOW picks but I can promise you he won’t be the last.
11/20 vs. Livonia Franklin, 11/22 vs. Detroit Country Day
If I could, I’d pick Kott every week this season but that’d make this series pretty boring for the other 600ish defensemen in the state. I think he’s had a strong offseason and expect him to come out of the gate at top speed, so as much as I’d like to save a stud pick like Kott for later in the year, I feel confident using him in Week One.
11/22 @ Rochester United, 11/23 @ Rochester Stoney Creek
What a way to start your season with a six-hour bus ride down state. I expect both of these games to be pretty competitive, close decisions and with Peterson as involved in the offense as a senior as he was last season. He had 15 assists in ‘18-19 and I’ll lean on the 6-foot-1 righty to add a couple more helpers this weekend.
11/20 vs. Canton, 11/23 @ Saginaw Heritage
This will be the hardest pick of every week, especially the way programs split time between goaltenders. I expect Wozniak to be "the guy" as the Bulldogs look to replace both of their goalies from a season ago. I like the first-year junior to get both starts, and I think he’s capable of winning either (or both) matchup after the way he performed in the MDHL this fall.