Frozen Fantasy: Decisions, Decisions

It's head-to-head playoff time. And sometimes a single roster decision means the difference between winning and well, you know.

Gulp. No pressure or anything.

Hot is hot. And not really is not. In a single-week format, you can't afford to roll guys by name. You need to be ruthless and ride streaks.

Even if that means benching Duncan Keith. Or even Braden Holtby.

Keith used to be a stud. 'Used to' is the key phrase. He has a single goal this season. And just 10 points in 33 games since the calendar turned to 2018 (heading into play Saturday afternoon). Just two of those points have come on the power play.

The drop off has been steep.

Holtby struggled for almost a month prior to his recent 'reset' (coach Barry Trotz's word, not mine). Philipp Grubauer jumped in and started four straight, winning his last three. And in dominating fashion.

Holtby won Friday night, but is it enough? Maybe, if he plays and dominates Sunday. But can you afford a queasy week in a winner-takes-all format?

I'll need to make a decision on Holtby on Monday morning. I've already benched T.J. Oshie. And until recently, I did the same for my beloved Jonathan Toews and even Nicklas Backstrom.

Ryan Spooner and Charlie Coyle have been solid replacements. Far lesser names, but for the most part, far better producers.

Tough decisions for sure. But they paid off, even if they were tough ones.

Now, let's take a look at who caught my eye this week.

Ryan Dzingel, LW/RW, Ottawa (2 percent Yahoo! owned) – Dzingel is a 26-year-old spare part (sorry Sens fans) that just happens to be an opportunistic scorer. He can't generate offense on his own, but has decent enough hands to finish the chances he gets. Dzingel is on the Sens' top line right now and seeing power-play time. He'll get more points before season's end playing with Matt Duchene and Mike Hoffman. They might as well count toward your totals.

Alexandar Georgiev, G, NY Rangers (5 percent Yahoo! owned) – The Rangers are giving Georgiev a long look right now. They're in full-blown rebuild mode and they want to see if he can be their number two in 2018-19. He's not the heir apparent to King Henrik, but Georgiev has played very well since his call-up. Yes, he has allowed a couple sketchy goals. But Georgiev has won three straight starts and sports a .929 save percentage in five starts and a relief appearance. Sure, the undrafted 'tender plays behind a porous blue line. But he may continue to catch lightning in a bottle.

Brian Gionta, RW, Boston (3 percent Yahoo! owned) – This 39-year-old winger parlayed a strong showing at the recent Olympics into one last NHL contract. I thought he'd be just a depth guy, but Gionta put up six points (two goals, four assists) in his first five games. He went cold for the next three, but there's still something left in his tank. Gionta needs six points to hit 600 in his career. A couple of good games could get him close.

Artturi Lehkonen, LW/RW, Montreal (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – Sometimes, the line makes the man. That seems to be the case for the streaky Lehkonen, who is making the most of time on the Habs' top line with Alex Galchenyuk. He has four goals in four games heading into Saturday. You need streakers at this time of the year. Take a chance on this Finnish finisher.

Gustav Nyquist, LW/RW, Detroit (14 percent Yahoo! owned) – Nyqvist has been a disappointment this season – he's headed toward the worst season of his career. But he has elevated his game over the last week. Nyquist is on a three-game goal streak heading into Sunday and has four points in that span. His plus-minus may be queasy, but he sure is firing pucks. Nyquist might surprise over the next 10 games.

Dmitry Orlov, D, Washington (21 percent Yahoo! owned) – I found Orlov lurking on the wire in the Yahoo! Friends and Family league. He's a tested veteran with offensive upside, but he's never put up more than 33 points in a season. But that might change this year. Orlov has posted five points, including his ninth goal of the season, in his last four games. And seven points in his last 10. He's surging. Take advantage. I did.

Neal Pionk, D, NY Rangers (1 percent Yahoo! owned) – Pionk skates well, moves the puck and is a much-needed right shot on the Broadshirts' blue line. The rookie heads into the weekend on a three-game, five-assist scoring streak and that includes three Thursday night against the Pens. Oh yeah, Pionk led the Rangers' defenders in ice time Thursday night … almost five minutes more than his nearest mate. The baby Rangers are getting loads of ice time. I'm excited to see what else he does with it.

Garret Sparks, G, Toronto (0 percent Yahoo! owned) – Sparks is the top goalie in the AHL this season, at least by statistical standards. His 1.78 GAA is a full head above the next best guy. And Sparks is second in save percentage (.936) and third in wins (24). He could legitimately see time in Toronto's blue paint if they allow Frederik Andersen to rest before the postseason. Stash him.

Alexander Wennberg, C, Columbus (21 percent Yahoo! owned) – Wennberg should not be on the wire. Sure, injuries have hurt his season. But he's turning it on now. Wennberg was held off the scoresheet Friday night, but had seven points in four games before that. This under-owned playmaker can help you climb that category.

Back to decisions.

Follow your gut when it comes to under-producing studs. If you just can't stomach the idea of sitting one because they might break back out, then activate them.

Trust your decision. There's nothing worse than second-guessing for a weeklong head-to-head match.

Just be sure to own the decision if it doesn't work out. And learn from it.

Otherwise, enjoy the production. And hopefully the win.

Until next week.