Preview/Prediction

The start of the 2021-22 NHL regular season is set for Oct. 12, meaning fantasy hockey draft season is in full swing.

The league will return to a traditional 82-game schedule this season after the previous two campaigns were shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning fantasy managers will get even more bang for their buck.

The NHL is stacked with elite talent at every position, so fantasy managers have no shortage of options at their disposal in their drafts.

With the commencement of the 2021-22 season on the horizon, here is a full first-round fantasy hockey mock draft, complete with explanations, along with a list of names to consider for your fantasy team.

                        

1st-Round Mock Draft

1. Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers

As deep as the first round of your fantasy draft figures to be in terms of top-end players, having the No. 1 overall pick remains a cheat code.

Connor McDavid is far and away the best player in the NHL, and he proved it again last season by leading the NHL in assists (72) and points (105) over the course of just 56 games.

The 24-year-old superstar is a three-time Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL's leading scorer and a two-time Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP. He will be the MVP of your fantasy team in 2021-22 as well.

                  

2. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado Avalanche

Once McDavid comes off the board, there is an argument to be made for several players at No. 2 overall. Nathan MacKinnon's consistency separates him from the pack, however.

Ever since his breakout season in 2017-18, when he recorded 97 points, MacKinnon has been well above a point-per-game player. That included 65 points in 48 games last season on the heels of three consecutive 90-point campaigns.

MacKinnon has finished second or third in Hart Trophy voting in three of the past four seasons, and with a stacked Colorado Avalanche lineup supporting him, he should have another massively productive year in 2021-22.

                  

3. Leon Draisaitl, C/LW, Edmonton Oilers

As dominant as McDavid has been throughout his career, he has a teammate who has been nearly as good over the past three seasons.

In fact, Leon Draisaitl was the NHL's best player in 2019-20, when he won the Art Ross Trophy with 110 points and was also named league MVP. That marked his second consecutive 100-point season.

Last season, Draisaitl finished with 31 goals and 53 assists for 84 points in 56 games, and he had a career-best plus-29 rating to boot. All of those factors make him an easy choice in the top three.

            

4. Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning

The first potential risk comes at No. 4 in the form of Nikita Kucherov, who did not play a single regular-season game in 2020-21 because of a hip injury.

That would normally be a major cause for concern, but the 2018-19 Hart Trophy winner returned for the playoffs and was a driving force behind the Tampa Bay Lightning winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup, posting an NHL-high 32 points in 23 playoff games.

When Kucherov last played during the regular season, he had 85 points in 68 games. As long as he stays healthy, there is no reason why he shouldn't clear 100 points in 2021-22.

                     

5. Brad Marchand, LW, Boston Bruins

McDavid, MacKinnon, Draisaitl and Kucherov are all flashier players, but Brad Marchand may be the most complete player in the NHL for fantasy purposes.

Marchand entered last season with three straight campaigns of at least 85 points, including a career-high 100 in 2018-19. He likely would have reached 100 again last season with a full slate of games, as he finished with 69 in 53 contests.

On top of that, Marchand was a plus-26, had 46 penalty minutes and 66 hits. He contributes in every category, and selecting him in the first round of your draft will give you a solid foundation.

                      

6. Auston Matthews, C, Toronto Maple Leafs

Playoff success has eluded the Toronto Maple Leafs over the past several seasons, but Auston Matthews has been an elite scorer during the regular season.

The 24-year-old American netted more than 40 goals for the third time in his five-year NHL career last season, and he won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal scorer (41) in the process.

Matthews also led the NHL in shots on goal and game-winning goals last season, and with a career average of 39.8 goals per season, Matthews is the guy to target in the first round if you want to build around an elite scorer.

                   

7. Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Tampa Bay Lightning

Even with all the contributions of Tampa Bay's many high-end skaters, goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup playoffs MVP last season.

Vasilevskiy led all goalies with a .937 save percentage and five shutouts during the playoffs on the heels of leading the NHL with 31 wins during the regular season and also posting a .925 save percentage, 2.21 goals-against average and five shutouts.

While it is normally advisable to wait on goalies in fantasy, Vasilevskiy is the exception, as he has led the NHL in wins in each of the past four seasons and finished third or better in Vezina Trophy voting in each of those seasons as well.

                  

8. Artemi Panarin, LW, New York Rangers

Artemi Panarin has been a stud ever since making the leap to the NHL in 2015-16 with the Chicago Blackhawks, and he enjoyed the most productive season of his career on a per-game basis with the New York Rangers last season.

Appearing in 42 games, Panarin racked up 17 goals and 41 assists for 58 points. Panarin may have set a career high in points had the season not been shortened because of the pandemic and had he not missed some time because of injury and a personal leave of absence.

All signs point toward Panarin being healthy and ready to go in 2021-22, and if that turns out to be the case, there is no reason why he can't top the career highs of 32 goals, 63 assists and 95 points that he set during his first season in NYC in 2019-20.

                   

9. Mikko Rantanen, RW, Colorado Avalanche

MacKinnon may be the go-to guy in Colorado, but a team as good as the Avalanche tends to produce multiple top fantasy players, and Mikko Rantanen is among them.

With MacKinnon missing some time last season, Rantanen led the Avs in points with 66 in 52 games. He also reached the 30-goal mark for the second time in his career and led the NHL with a plus-30 rating.

Rantanen's career high in points is 87, set in 2018-19. And based on last season's pace and the amount of talent he has around him, a 100-point season in 2021-22 isn't out of the question for the 24-year-old Finn.

                     

10. Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche

Like goalies, it is usually best to wait on defensemen in fantasy hockey drafts, but Cale Makar is the one blueliner worth a look at this year in the late-first or early-second round.

Makar is essentially a forward who plays defenseman, which has been apparent early in his NHL career. He finished with 50 points in 57 games in 2019-20 and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Makar followed that up with 44 points in 44 games last season and finished second in the Norris Trophy voting to determine the league's best defenseman.

If Makar can stay healthy for the 2021-22 season, he has the potential to record a point per game, which would give him a huge advantage over every other rearguard in the NHL.

                

Fantasy Team Name Suggestions

1. Dude, Where's Makar?

Hopefully on your fantasy team—that's where! How the 2000 cinematic classic Dude, Where's My Car?, starring Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott never won an Oscar is beyond the comprehension of many, but if you have Makar on your fantasy team, you will be winning a lot of weekly matchups.

               

2. Happy Kuemper

Anyone with Philipp Grubauer on their fantasy team last season was one happy camper, as the stacked Avalanche team in front of him helped him finish second in the NHL in goalie wins and goals-against average. His replacement, Darcy Kuemper, should make fantasy managers similarly happy this season.

               

3. The Connors

The Conners is the highly popular and successful spin-off of sitcom Roseanne. The Connors could be the name of your fantasy team if you draft Connor McDavid or Kyle Connor. Either way, you should be similarly successful.

                

4. Knight in Shining Marner

Have you specifically selected Florida Panthers goalie Spencer Knight and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner for your fantasy team? Then, boy, is this the team name for you!

                

5. Point of No Return

Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Victor Hedman tend to receive a lot of the credit for the Lightning's success, but Brayden Point is perhaps just as important as all of them. And if he is on your fantasy team, then your opponent has reached the Point of No Return.

Just about everything that could go wrong has in 2021 for the Indianapolis Colts. Beset by injuries on both sides of the ball, the Colts are a winless football team sitting in last place in the AFC South.

Now the Colts have another problem to deal with. After being relegated to irrelevance by youngster Jonathan Taylor and passing-down back Nyheim Hines, veteran tailback Marlon Mack has requested a trade—a trade the Colts are apparently amenable to pursuing.

While many of the Colts' issues in 2021 don't have an easy answer, trading Mack shouldn't be difficult. With injuries at running back mounting across the league, multiple teams should be willing to part with draft capital to acquire the 25-year-old.

It wasn't that long ago (March) that Mack inked a one-year, $2 million deal to stay with the Colts. At the time, he said there were other suitors for his services, but he wanted to stay with the team he spent his first four seasons with.

"There was interest from a few other teams," Mack told reporters. "Indy was always a place that I would like to come back to. It was just being patient out there and listening to what teams had for me. Indy was the best place for me."

Of course, it also wasn't long ago that Mack was an important part of the Colts offense. In 2019, he functioned as the No. 1 running back, gaining 1,091 yards on 247 carries (a 4.4-yard average) with eight scores. But come the following year, the Colts used a Round 2 pick on Taylor, and Mack made it four carries into the season before tearing his Achilles tendon.

Just like that, his days as a significant contributor in Indy were finished. Through three games this season, Mack has carried the ball five times for 16 yards and played just 13 snaps. He was a healthy scratch in last week's loss to the Tennessee Titans.

He may well have been a healthy scratch because the wheels were in motion for him to be dealt. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, when the Colts inked a three-year contract extension with Hines this month, it served as writing on the wall that Mack wasn't part of Indy's offensive plans any longer.

The #Colts and RB Marlon Mack have agreed to mutually seek a trade, per sources. Mack is fully healthy after last year’s Achilles tear. But Jonathan Taylor as the bell cow and Nyheim Hines recently extended, Mack is hoping for opportunities elsewhere.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 28, 2021

Mack asked to be traded—and the team agreed to look into it.

Fortunately for both player and team, interest in his services may be higher than it was in March. Through training camp, the preseason and the first three weeks of the regular season, multiple teams have seen injuries in the backfield that could lead them to kick the tires on Mack—including more than one playoff contender.

         

Baltimore Ravens

No team in the league has had worse luck with injuries at running back this year than the Ravens. First, J.K. Dobbins went down in the preseason finale with a torn ACL. Then backup Gus Edwards followed suit on the practice field shortly thereafter. Pass-catching back Justice Hill also suffered a season-ending torn Achilles.

The Ravens have taken steps to address those injuries, combing through veteran castoffs and signing Le'Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman. But Mack would be a different type of acquisition. Bell and Freeman are aging players whose best days are long behind them. Assuming he's healthy, Mack is a talented ball-carrier with a 1,000-yard pedigree in his prime.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has shown a willingness to make in-season acquisitions, whether it was cornerback Marcus Peters two years ago or edge-rusher Yannick Ngakoue in 2020.

Mack wouldn't be as expensive as either of those additions. A conditional Day 3 pick would probably get a deal done. But after watching youngster Ty'Son Williams manage just 22 yards on the ground in Week 3, it can be argued that landing Mack would be the biggest get of the lot.

         

Carolina Panthers

The first three weeks of the 2021 season have featured good news and bad news for the Carolina Panthers. The good news is the team's first 3-0 start since 2015. The bad news is that in last week's victory over the Houston Texans, star running back Christian McCaffrey suffered a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him multiple weeks.

The team drafted running back Chuba Hubbard to serve as McCaffrey's No. 2 in 2021, and head coach Matt Rhule expressed confidence that the team can rally around the injured star.

"Obviously, you can't replace the production of Christian McCaffrey,'' Rhule told reporters. "But those other players, they've been waiting for their opportunity. Who knows what they can do when given an opportunity. I don't think it's fair, right, to Sam [Darnold] and to the offensive line to go away from what we've been doing. We've been working on it for a long time."

Hubbard has talent, to be sure. But early in his pro career, he has shown issues with dropped passes, and like most rookies, his pass protection is a work in progress. Mack would offer a more proven commodity who can help keep things afloat until McCaffrey returns.

        

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are an outlier among the teams listed in that they aren't a playoff contender if last week's loss to the Dallas Cowboys is any indication.

Of course, the way the Eagles lost that game is part of the reason they might be interested in Mack. In that game, the Eagles rushed for just 64 yards as a team. Philadelphia running backs carried the ball all of three times. Three.

A simple and apparent fix would be for the Eagles to use third-year running back Miles Sanders more. But for whatever reason (perhaps durability concerns), Sanders' carries have dipped in every game this season, from 15 in Week 1 to 13 in Week 2 to just two last week.

The Eagles have also made an effort to procure a veteran complement for Sanders, taking a flier on former Lions running back Kerryon Johnson and stashing Jordan Howard on the practice squad. Mack would be an upgrade over both of those backs, and with a number of coaches in Philadelphia with ties to the Colts (including head coach Nick Sirianni), there's a level of familiarity.

If the Eagles hope to be a threat in the NFC East, the run game has to improve—in a hurry.

         

San Francisco 49ers

Like the Ravens and Panthers, the San Francisco 49ers are off to a good start this season and fashion themselves players in the postseason race. And like the Ravens and Panthers, the 49ers have been hit hard by injuries in the backfield. Raheem Mostert is out for the season after yet another knee injury. Jeff Wilson Jr. is out indefinitely after offseason meniscus surgery. Rookie Elijah Mitchell missed last week's loss to the Packers with a shoulder injury. Fellow first-year pro Trey Sermon has spent time in the concussion protocol.

It's a sobering set of developments for a team that relies heavily on the ground game and saw its 2020 season wrecked by injuries. Zach Hickssep of Horseshoe Huddle believes this puts the Niners squarely in play for Mack.

"Mack's fit in the offense would be outstanding," Hickssep wrote. "His vision and tendency to hit jump cuts would be a perfect fit in Kyle Shanahan's zone-running scheme. I absolutely love this fit, and I personally think swapping Mack for a mid-to-late Day 3 pick with the 49ers makes the most sense out of any mock trade scenario."

The biggest question may be the willingness to part with more draft capital. Niners general manager John Lynch just drafted Mitchell and Sermon and mortgaged the future to move up for quarterback Trey Lance. That said, Lynch has shown he'll be aggressive.

Cancel all plans. Abandon all family obligations. Stock the cupboards and fridge with just the right options for the perfect weekend. 

Friends, this is that weekend. 

Week 5 of the college football season is, without question, the most robust lineup of games thus far.

Alabama vs. Ole Miss, Georgia vs. Arkansas and Cincinnati vs. Notre Dame serve as the headliners. And those are just the tip of the iceberg. The lineup is deep and ripe with opportunity. 

To celebrate the occasion, we asked B/R readers for their boldest predictions heading into the weekend. While this CFB season has already stockpiled plenty of weirdness, the sport will essentially break if even a fraction of these suggestions come to life.

Without further delay, here they are.

           

Turtle Time

User: @conman712

Prediction: Maryland upsets Iowa on Friday night

Let's start with the appetizer.

If the oddsmakers are correct, and they often are, this prediction won't actually be all that radical. As someone with Iowa ties, I can openly declare this game a terrifying spot for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa is a short favorite despite wearing the label as the No. 5 team in the country, according to the AP Poll. Maryland, while unbeaten, is still unranked.

A win here, of course, will change that in a hurry.

It seems impossible that the younger brother of Tua Tagovailoa would somehow be underrated, but here we are. Taulia Tagovailoa has 10 touchdowns and only one interception this season, and he will be a threat to an Iowa defense that currently ranks No. 3 in the nation.

The Iowa offense, which currently ranks 71st, is the issue. And the passing offense is a big part of that, ranking No. 113 nationally.

Things could get (predictably) weird on Friday.

              

More B1G Carnage

User: @recebillings

Prediction: Rutgers upsets Ohio State

On the topic of weirdness, let's get weirder.

But like most predictions in this piece, this isn't impossible. Just ask Michigan.

We saw Rutgers put a scare into Jim Harbaugh's team last weekend after falling behind 20-3. The Scarlet Knights simply could not finish. But as we've seen since Greg Schiano arrived, this program has vastly improved.

The health of Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud is worth monitoring considering he missed the team's game against Akron. But regardless, Ohio State's defense has been vulnerable and its offense has been largely inconsistent.

Plus, this is the Buckeyes' second road game of the year. The first was a meat-grinder of a win against Minnesota—a team that just lost as a 31-point favorite last weekend.

A lot will have to go right for Rutgers to win. The talent gap between these two teams is wide. But with Ohio State seemingly a shell of the team we thought we were getting this year and Rutgers building confidence, a scare would not surprise in the least.

            

Scoreboard Destruction 

User: @TheGatorMan 

Prediction: Ole Miss and Alabama combine for over 110 points

I want this prediction to be correct. I want this game to take five hours and disrupt my entire weekend. I would be pleased—no, thrilled—if Alabama and Ole Miss traded touchdowns deep into Saturday night.

Also, @TheGatorMan didn't stumble upon this number by chance. Last year's matchup between these two teams delivered 113 total points—a 63-48 Alabama win that was thrilling for much of the game. 

I want an encore. No, I need an encore.

With Bryce Young and Matt Corral at QB, an encore seems possible. Still, both defenses have improved since then. And although the total for this game is hovering around 80, I think we fall short of 100 let alone 110. 

To be clear, I hope I am wrong. The fact that I even have to say this game won't feature 100 points speaks to the talent involved.

I hope I am wrong. And if I am, please be sure to tell me how wrong I was.

              

Down Go the Sooners

User: @JqBook 

Prediction: K-State makes it 3 in a row vs. OU

This feels North Carolina State-Clemson-y. That is to say—for those who didn't watch the Tigers lose last weekend—that Kansas State has a real shot.  

Before we talk about the game, a quick history lesson. Kansas State has won the past two games against Oklahoma as @JqBook points out, doing so in thrilling fashion each time. In 2019, K-State won 48-41. In 2020, 38-35.

That is not a minor accomplishment against a program like this.

The Wildcats return home to Manhattan for this matchup, a site that has delivered its fair share of upsets. Although the Wildcats lost last week at Oklahoma State, a rejuvenated effort could be in the cards.

The point spread certainly reflects that as the number is hovering around double digits. Given Spencer Rattler's struggles and the Sooners' inability to generate points in bunches the way they normally do, K-State should have plenty of confidence heading into this matchup despite last weekend's loss. 

I like this quite a bit.

             

Also, Down Goes Clemson (Again)

User: @h2h003 

Boston College blows out Clemson. Like 20+ point victory

Well, this would be bad. Not if you're Boston College or if you own a Clemson message board, but if you are a member of the Clemson football program.

The commentary from @h2h003 is a tad aggressive. In fairness, though, that's what I asked for. 

It feels like he or she is really leaning into the blowout aspect of this. But given what we've seen from Clemson—or better yet, what we haven't seen—nothing should be completely dismissed. 

Even with its loss to North Carolina State, Clemson is still more than a two-touchdown favorite against Boston College. The Eagles are 4-0 following a solid win against Missouri.

If you told me before the season began that Clemson would have two losses while Boston College and Wake Forest would be undefeated entering Week 5, I would have laughed you off.

But here we are.

Can BC win this game? Of course. Clemson is struggling, and a slew of meaningful injuries won't help. But I also envision a bit of a bounce back this week, which the oddsmakers seem to envision as well.

It won't be the Clemson we expected to see, but it'll be a much better version than the one we've seen of late.

And if they lose by 20-plus, drinks are on me.

             

The Nittany Lions are the New Kings of CFB

User: @Iggyoversteph16

Prediction: Penn State is No. 1 in the AP Poll next week 

If you are into maximum chaos, you will cherish this prediction. And since I am into maximum chaos, allow me to explore this in depth. 

For starters, Penn State needs to beat Indiana. If you remember last year's thriller at the beginning of the Big Ten's season, that is not a given. (I want to also shout out everyone in the comments who predicted that Penn State will lose this game before we go any further. Your thoughts should be noted.)

But for this prediction to be realized, let's keep it moving.

After Penn State's win, the following things must transpire. 

Alabama must lose to Ole Miss, Georgia must lose to Arkansas and Oregon must lose to Stanford. All three of these games have a spread greater than a touchdown, and both SEC games have a spread greater than two touchdowns. 

That is a polite way of pointing out that this concept, while bold, also seems somewhat reckless.

To be clear, I love recklessness. I appreciate recklessness. And if the top three programs in college football all lose this Saturday, I will celebrate the sport's descent into chaos in style.

That said, Penn State will need an abundance of help to make this possible. It would need, quite simply, one of the greatest Saturdays the sport has ever seen.

But just imagine waking up from your slumber on Sunday morning and seeing this new top five in the AP poll.

1. Penn State

2. Ole Miss

3. Arkansas

4. Alabama

5. Georgia 

What a day it would be.

             

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