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Columbus Blue Jackets Best Fantasy Players and Union and Blue League Update

By Preston Byers

COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 06: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period in a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Islanders on October 06, 2017, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 06: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period in a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Islanders on October 06, 2017, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Hockey season is back. That means fantasy hockey season is back as well. In the first few games of the season, we tracked how the Columbus Blue Jackets players were doing in fantasy as well as how we did individually in our fantasy league.

The Columbus Blue Jackets opened their season with a back-to-back, facing the New York Islanders on Friday while travelling to Chicago to play the Blackhawks on Saturday. The team came away with two points after shutting out the Isles and then subsequently falling in Chicago, but let’s ask some real questions. How did they do in fantasy?

Everyone wants to know about fantasy. And even if you don’t, you really do. Fantasy hockey is such a big thing now that we here at Union and Blue couldn’t even resist. All five of us each drafted 28 players to fill our rosters in our league on Oct. 2. Ten CBJ players were taken.

Related Story: Union and Blue Fantasy Draft Results

Best CBJ Players

Through the first two games of the season, there were a few Columbus Blue Jackets that stood out the most. The top point-getter ended up being Zach Werenski (WWDD) as the second-year stud accumulated 9.3 fantasy points. His eight shots on goal were the highest on the team and he is the only CBJ player to record a power play goal thus far.

Sonny Milano–who is still a free agent–came in second as the rookie leads the team in goals with two. His 8.3 fantasy points just barely edged out Artemi Panarin (ARCH), who recorded three assists in his debut with Columbus on Friday.

Worst CBJ Players

The bottom fantasy point players shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Markus Hannikainen (FA) is last on the team with 1.3 points while Matt Calvert (FA) sits in second-to-last with 2. Hannikainen will probably sit near the bottom of the team for the entire year, but Calvert may do better depending on his TOI. The worst player that is currently on a roster was Oliver Bjorkstrand (SON), who put up 5 fantasy points.

Union and Blue Matchup Results

With the five-team league setup, there will always be one team on a bye each week. This week’s team was Wild Westpy’s Dubious Dubois (WWDD). And that was sort of unfortunate as the team put up some good numbers, finishing with 204 points thanks to Alex Ovechkin‘s two hat-tricks and 29.8 fantasy points. Werenski’s offensive skill as a defensemen also helped the team out.

In the matchups, Always Sonny in Columbus (SON) played Dirty Mike And The Boys (MIKE). It wasn’t close at all as SON kept pushing farther and farther ahead nearly each day. The only time that MIKE was able to best SON was on Oct. 6 when Sergei Bobrovsky recorded a shutout for MIKE and earned 10.9 points.

Always Sonny’s CBJ players weren’t anything special, but nothing awful as Cam Atkinson and Oliver Bjorkstrand combined for a goal and an assist for 11.5 total fantasy points.

Always Sonny in Columbus: 229.4

Dirty Mike And The Boys: 175.2

The other matchup of the week was between the two site experts as Lansing’s Arch City Army (ARCH) took on Preston’s Pucks (PP). This was a much closer battle as the two teams stayed within 20 points the entire time. The factor ended up being Oct. 6 as Preston’s Pucks only had two players with games while ARCH had five, all of whom recorded at least one point. That 20.7-point swing was enough to put Arch City Army in the lead, something that they would not relinquish for the rest of the matchup.

Preston’s Pucks has no Columbus Blue Jackets, but Arch City Army’s one, Artemi Panarin, was enough to make an impact with 8 fantasy points.

Arch City Army: 194.9

Preston’s Pucks: 187.5

Transactions

The only transaction completed following the draft was done by Wild Westpy’s Dubious Dubois. WWDD dropped Florida forward Evgeni Dadonov to make room for “The Real Deal” James Neal of the Vegas Golden Knights. Neal has been on fire for Vegas in the first two games, scoring three goals in two games, including the overtime game-winner against Arizona on Saturday. His 14.5 fantasy points puts him in the top 20 of all players.

Read Next: CBJ Recall Josh Anderson

Upcoming Matches

This upcoming week’s matches will last an entire week unlike this past week’s. Arch City Army will be on the bye week while the top two teams from week one, Wild Westpy’s Dubious Dubois and Always Sonny in Columbus, will battle for supremacy. And the early-season bottom feeders will also fight to see who can pick up their first win of the year as Preston’s Pucks and Dirty Mike And The Boys play.

Expect Sonny Milano to be picked up in the league after a two-goal week. Brandon Dubinsky also may be a good choice as he had some nice plays in the first two games. To follow all the transactions, matchups in real-time and more, click here.

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