When it comes to fantasy hockey sports betting, most leagues aren’t determined by the stars, as those players are usually divided up equally among the managers that are capable of finding them. With the biggest names divided up throughout the league, the biggest difference between winning and losing is often the ability to project which players will have breakout seasons and emerge as new stars to the game. That would obviously include rookies that will step on to the NHL ice for the first time, but based on the numbers, it might be a good idea to stay away from them. While the odd exception such as Edmonton Oilers’ forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is capable of putting together an excellent season by fantasy standards, there are also a handful of players that don’t make the grade in their first year, and it only makes sense to avoid them.

Unlike in the NHL, fantasy managers don’t have the time to be patient, they need players that produce from the outset. There is no sample size for pay head players drafting a rookie to a fantasy team, and that could be very dangerous. While Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog may have terrific long-term value, he has not produced at the same level as some of the veteran options on his own team as well as others throughout the league, so it doesn’t make sense to pick him up. Sophomores could be exposed to a slide, so keep an eye on third-year players when it comes to picking out potential breakthrough fantasy stars, as they will make the difference between a contender and a pretender.