GMG's Market Buzz IV : The Sharp-est Blade



If there is one player who benefited most from the All Star Game, it is Patrick Sharp. Not only did he get picked over Toews in the fantasy (reality) draft, he went on to win the MVP honours of the game. I had mentioned during the festivities that picking Sharp ahead of teammate Jonathan Toews was a great idea because let's face it, names aside, Sharp has more value.

After a few heavily caffeinated nights of number crunching, Sharp received a PG Roto Score of 13 (Kane 12, Toews 11). Rest assured that in a couple of weeks the PG scoring system will make a lot more sense, but for now let us focus on this underrated player and his fellow Hawks.

To date Sharp is having a stellar season. He is on pace for 76 points, 43 goals and 33 assists. For those keeping track, that is more goals and more points than his mentioned teammates. Digging deeper, you will see that from Monday January 31st 2011 to the start of the 08-09 season, Sharp has recorded 77 goals. In that same time frame, Patrick Kane put in 68 goals, a nine goal differential.

In point-only leagues, Kane is (and should be) expected to go first every time, simply because he has the highest upside of the three. On the other hand, Toews' consistency over the last two seasons (68 and 69 points respectively) as well as his current pace of 68 this season makes him a strong candidate to get drafted before Sharp, especially in leagues with non-positional requirements. However, if you want to win in rotisserie and win now, Sharp is automatically the go-to guy.

That said, Sharp has a realistic potential to be a repeat 30+ G, 40 A, 40 PIM, 35 PPP, 300 SOG player with a fluctuating plus/minus for years to come. If those stats align, which is likely when considering his pace this season, it would give him a PG Roto Score of 14 (pushing 15). Accomplishing that feat would immediately launch him into any Top 20 lists that follow the standard set of Yahoo! rotisserie categories (G, A, +/-, PIM, PPP, SOG). Eye opening? Most definitely!

Yet even with those facts laid out, Sharp will never get the respect he rightfully deserves because his name isn't - and has never been - marketed like Toews and Kane. Yes, he makes two million dollars less (4.2 million as opposed to 6 million) and yes, he has dual eligibility (C/LW), but until his face value (or fan base) grows, Sharp will always be picked late. That's a shame.

Advice? Use this knowledge to your advantage. Understand that he is underrated and draft him appropriately. If you are in a keeper league and want to trade for him, do it this season or do it now. Getting MVP at the All Star Game definitely padded some value in the eyes of Sharp owners, but once the dust settles, there is still a chance that those same managers fail to realize his full (roto) potential - you do.

Sharp's current rotisserie value should be alongside guys like Bobby Ryan and Alexandre Burrows. Is it? Probably not. Surprisingly, if all goes well, Sharp could rival Corey Perry in rotisserie value by season's end. If that happens, well, you lost any chances of acquiring him at a bargain. You snooze, you lose.

Sharp owners better watch out!

Happy trading!

GMG signing off

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Gates Imbeau
Assistant Manager - DobberSports.com
Writer - Fantrax.com
Regular Guest - The York Report via NextSportStar.com
Email: gates@dobbersports.com
Twitter: @GM_Gates