NHL fantasy · 2026–27 draft preparation. The best first move in a Yahoo hockey league happens before you put a player in the queue: open League → Scoring & Settings.
Yahoo’s published default is head-to-head points. Private leagues can change that. If your league uses categories, you are balancing several competitions; in a points league, you are adding up the scoring weights. The same roster can behave very differently in those two systems.
Read beyond goals and assists
Yahoo’s default points settings award 0.9 per shot and one per blocked shot, alongside six per goal and four per assist. That makes sustained shooting and defensive involvement meaningful. Check power-play opportunity too: deployment helps explain where additional production might come from.
The NHL’s September draft board places Macklin Celebrini fourth and Cale Makar eighth. Use rankings to organize the pool, then adjust for your scoring and positional requirements. A famous name is not a substitute for that work.
Decide what a goalie start is worth
Points formats can reward workload; category leagues may punish a bad outing through save percentage or goals-against average. Read the minimum-appearance rule and weekly acquisition limit before building a streaming plan. Yahoo’s published defaults include three goalie appearances and four player adds per week, but your commissioner may have changed both.
The move: save your scoring settings, mark the scarce positions and prepare a second option at each draft tier. Then use training-camp roles and health updates to refine the list. The NHL season is approaching; the rules of your own league are already available.
