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With the hockey season well under way, fantasy team managers are all looking for those hidden gems that will provide the extra punch they need for the upcoming fantasy playoffs. In this first installment of From Fantasy to Reality, I will identify an undervalued player from each position who is both putting up great numbers and has an ownership percentage of less than 50 per cent in Yahoo! Leagues. To evaluate players, I will be using the standard points categories, which are goals, assists, penalty minutes, plus/minus, powerplay points and shots on goal for skaters, and wins, save percentage, goals against average, and shutouts.

GOALTENDER

Jean-Sebastien Giguere, COL. 21GP, 12-6-1, .925 S%, 2.06 GAA, 1 SO, 37 per cent ownership

Choosing a backup goaltender in a deep league that won’t destroy your weekly stats can be an extremely difficult task. Luckily, “Giggy” is there to save the day. Starting nearly half of Colorado’s games, Giguere has been the rock in nets that the Avs have needed when their starter, Varlamov, is struggling. His stats also speak for themselves: 12 wins to go along with a superb .925 save percentage and a ridiculous 2.06 goals against average.

LEFT WING

Nick Foligno,  OTT. 50GP, 12G, 18A, plus 1, 69 PIM, 1PPP, 81 SOG, 16 per cent ownership

The Senators have been on a tear since December, and Foligno has been one of the many players on the team to see his statline profit from the recent surge in the standings. He has notched eight points in his last 10 games, going plus three in the process, and has slowly seen his ice time increase. Though his 30 points are nothing to scoff at, his real value is his 69 penalty minutes. Very rarely can a fantasy manager gloat that his enforcers also profit his other stat categories, and in a deep fantasy league, Foligno is a must-have asset.

RIGHT WING

Blake Wheeler, WPG. 46GP, 9G, 24A, plus 7, 26 PIM, 5 PPP, 98 SOG. 33 per cent ownership

When Atlanta acquired Wheeler in a four-player trade, they saw the potential to be a first-liner in the hulking prospect. Fast-forward one year, and the 25-year-old leads his team in points as he fills the top right wing spot seamlessly for Winnipeg. Victim of his team’s slow start, Wheeler now has 13 points in his last 13 games and leads his team with a plus 7 goal differential. He may not score tremendously on the powerplay, but his 26 minutes in the sin bin and 98 shots on goal will benefit his owners enormously.

CENTER

Ryan O’Reilly, COL. 49 GP, 13G, 22A, minus 3, 10 PIM, 12 PPP, 101 SOG. 30 per cent ownership

Despite being Colorado’s leading scorer, O’Reilly continues to be snubbed by fantasy players. His 13 goals and 22 assists may not rank him in the top 50 scorers in the league, but he is a consistent player who’s replacing Matt Duchene while he’s on injured reserve. His 12 powerplay points and 101 shots on goal are excellent additions to any owner looking bolster his stat line, and widely compensate for his minus 3 rating.

DEFENCEMAN

Nick Leddy, CHI. 49GP, 2G, 22A, minus 5, 10 PIM, 7 PPP, 51 SOG, 24 per cent ownership

Leddy’s stat line may not come off as mind-blowing at first glance, despite having a very respectable 24 points in 49 games. Yet his recent play obliges me to add him to this list: four assists, plus four and six shots on goal in five games. Playing on the second defensive pairing of a seemingly invincible Blackhawks team, I can only imagine that Leddy’s numbers are going to continue improving as the season progresses.