Frozen Fantasy: Stay Close or Be Lost

American Thanksgiving used to be the date when NHL and fantasy squads measured their starts. And whether they were playoff worthy or not.

Not any more.

This season is a clear indication that the proverbial winds of change have hit hockey. Hard. Fail to get a great start and your season is at risk.

Just ask the Habs, Rangers AND Oilers.

The Oilers might have the best opportunity to claw their way out of their hole, in part because of talent and in part because their division is the weakest in hockey.

The Habs have Carey Price, so I suppose anything is possible. But the Rangers live in the Metropolitan and the usually calm and collected Alain Vigneault already looks defeated.

Slow starts can no longer be overcome in fantasy, either. Owners need to be super-aggressive – and take gambles they wouldn't normally take, just so they don't get left behind.

Case in point. I play in a 14-team, head-to-head league where my top four forwards are Auston Matthews, Mark Scheifele, Ryan Getzlaf and Sean Monahan. Sounds delicious, right? Slow starts by a few of my guys and a couple of injuries mean I'm sitting fourth.

Not bad until you realize that the three money teams above me are already way ahead of the pack.

Like NHL GMs, I historically waited until U.S. Thanksgiving to consider changes, too. Now that kind of passive approach will mean I'll be lost before I've hit the quarter pole.

As hard as it is to change strategy, I need to do it. And so do you.

Stay close now. Be aggressive. Or be lost.

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

Sven Baertschi, LW, Vancouver (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – The Sedins are no longer the Orca's top line – that gig now appears to be the domain of Baertschi, Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser. That is, if they up the ante on their consistency. Coach Travis Green is tinkering with the trio and even split them up early this past week. But it's only a matter of time before these three are THE three in Vancouver. Baertschi is the least owned, but potentially just as productive as the other two. Or almost. Buyer beware on the plus-minus, but there's value here if that isn't a concern.

Anders Bjork, LW, Boston (7 percent Yahoo! owned) – Bjork has elite speed, great skill and strong defensive acumen. He's only a few months removed from the NCAA, where he became just the second player in history to be a finalist for both the Hobey Baker and Humanitarian awards. Bjork is riding shotgun with world-class talents Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. That alone should give you a sense of both his talent and his potential. And now that Bergeron is back, Bjork will benefit. Big time.

Michael Del Zotto, D, Vancouver (5 percent Yahoo! owned) – Del Zotto has always had offensive talent, but he's also been a disaster in his own zone. And that hasn't changed. Despite that shortcoming, Del Zotto is being used like a number one in Vancouver right now. It's not coach Travis Green's fault – Alexander Edler is out and the cupboard on the blue line is bare. The points are coming, but Del Zotto's being undressed by opposing forwards with speed and smarts. Choke back the bile rising in your throat and take advantage of his four-game, five-assist scoring streak.

Jason Demers, D, Arizona (4 percent Yahoo! owned) – Demers is a steady, top-four defender on a team without a win, so he's easy to overlook. But he's on a quiet, three-game scoring streak heading into weekend play and he's seeing time on the second power-play unit. He won't take you over the top in your league, but he might just help owners in deeper formats who have been hit with injuries.

Derek Dorsett, RW, Vancouver (5 percent Yahoo! owned) – Dorsett exploded with two goals and an assist Friday night, but he'd already been on my radar with his penalty prowess this past week. The dude's fists had been flying. Dorsett won't get loads of points, but he won't hurt you badly, either. Except with those fists. He (and his 42 PIM) is a rare breed in today's NHL and that means his single-category domination makes him a truly valuable fantasy asset. And if you didn't check the player rater, go do it – Dorsett is number one on the 7-day rater Saturday morning! I sure hope his mom does a screen grab – it might never happen again.

Vince Dunn, D, St. Louis (0 percent Yahoo! owned) – Dunn is young, but talented, and he might just see a whole lot more power-play time if Colton Parayko's hand is busted. I'm watching, just in case. I'm also hoping like heck that Parayko is fine – I own him in a couple of leagues and I need him in the lineup.

Keith Kinkaid, G, New Jersey (18 percent Yahoo! owned) – Emoji man went from Twitter-friendly bench warmer to starter this week after Cory Schneider landed on the IR. Kinkaid might only get one or two games given how Jersey's schedule stacks up. And it remains to be seen if the Devils in front of him can score. But a starter is a starter, if only for a little while. Worst case, you block someone from owning him. And maybe stop his overuse of those stupid emojis.

Brock Nelson, LW/C, NY Islanders (8 percent Yahoo! owned) – Holy sniping – Nelson has four goals in his last four games. And on the third line. I think he and Josh Ho-Sang are developing some real chemistry. And that bodes well for the Isles and fantasy owners. Ho-Sang's speed is at the top of the league, but he needs the right linemates to turn that into production. Enter Nelson. Both men stand to gain significantly if my hunch is correct. And if I'm right, the Isles will suddenly have a top-nine that will be in the top-third in the East. If they can deal with their defense and negative goal differential, then they might just compete for a Wild Card.

Michal Neuvirth, G, Philadelphia (15 percent Yahoo! owned) – Neuvirth faced off against the Panthers and Preds this week and looked dominant. He allowed just one goal in each of those games and appears to be playing his way toward a platoon split with Brian Elliott. So far, Neuvirth has started three of the Flyers' seven games and if that pattern sticks, the Czech netminder is going to get 35-40 games. Or more, if he continues to outperform Elliott. Neuvirth's ownership grew 6 percent Friday (me, included) – how about you?

Justin Williams, RW, Carolina (16 percent Yahoo! owned) – This 36-year-old still has it. For the past few seasons, Williams would save himself during the regular season and then turn it up for the playoffs. That's not the case so far this season. He has five points (one goal, four assists) in five games and that includes three on the power play. Williams won't score at a point-per-game pace for the whole season, but he could end up in the mid-50s given the depth of the Canes. And if you need assists like me, Williams might be your man.

Back to staying close.

Admittedly, change is tough. If you're like me, you'll doubt yourself continuously when you first change up your approach.

Case in point? I doubted the deal I told you about last week – you know, the one where I got an injured Leon Draisaitl for a high-performing Mika Zibanejad. I know – sounds nuts, right? But the dissonance I felt was so very real.

But what's better – the feelings that come with watching your season slip away or the feelings you experience when you try something different?

One is passive. The other is active.

I'd rather go down swinging than sit and watch my hopes slip away.

I wonder what that means for the Habs and Rangers. Hmmmmm …

Until next week.