Draft With Your Head, Not Your Heart
You’ve been hearing about Nicholas Robertson for a few years now and love his skill, ceiling and tenacity. There’s a void on the LW and Robertson is in a prime position to sweep in and take that spot and provide some excitement, not to mention offer a nice reduction in payroll in relation to those ‘overpaid stiffs’ occupying the other top-six spots. You think he’s going to hit 30 goals this year and with your first or second pick you proudly select his name and click “draft player” on your computer screen.
Please don’t do that. The ‘heart’ picks can all wait until the end of the draft. Or sometimes even on waivers afterwards. Fantasy is where loyalty and emotion have to completely go out the window. You don’t need to have Toronto Maple Leafs players on your team nor do you need to have your favorite or most likeable players.
Likewise for those that the heart does not take kindly to. If Brad Marchand is available in the second round you have to suck it up and take him, regardless of how much you can’t stand him, his punchable face, his antics, his team, the Boston Red Sox, Ben Affleck, Batman vs. Superman, Superman’s (Henry Cavill) digitally-removed moustache or Auston Matthews’ thin, creepy moustache (Whew, I eventually got there).
Stick to the stats and do not be swayed by team affiliation or personality traits. Keep your sleeper, young hot-shot picks for the mid-later rounds, depending on their hype and/or draft pedigree.