Fantasy Stars of the Week - Week #1

Welcome to this season's first FHS Fantasy Stars of the Week. If you're a regular reader, you'll know this popular feature is delivered piping hot fresh to your door each and every Monday throughout the season. 

This year, a bit of a twist:  a roundtable vote of all FHS writers will determine the FSOTW. Look for some special guest votes throughout the year as well. We hope you enjoy this exercise in fantasy democracy!

In addition to the week's top 3 fantasy performers, you'll also see our choices for weekly Rookie Star, Breakout Star and Free Agent Star, plus the not-so-coveted Breakdown of the Week booby prize.

With the season starting on a Thursday this year, week #1 was actually ten days, Oct. 6 - 16. So let's get started with the the biggest and brightest from the past week and a half in Fantasy Land:

3rd Star, from the Dallas Stars, numero 32, Kari Lehtonen... 4 games, 4 wins, 1.48 GAA, .955 SV%. Whammy. I'm thinking Kari and the Stars have a few less doubters than they did two weeks ago. FHS Votes: 2 firsts and 1 second.

2nd Star, from the Toronto Maple Leafs, numero 81, Phil Kessel... in just 3 games, he had 8 points (5G, 3A) including 2 GWG. ALL goals were scored at ES (and with Bozak at center!). Thanks to Diomedes for the detailed breakdown there. FHS Votes: 1 first, 2 seconds, 2 thirds.

1st Star, from the New York Islanders, numero 91, John Tavares... after realizing he wasn't even in the running for this week's three stars, JT threw down a couple of 4 point games and left us with no choice. Stay on the ice and form a greeting line!  FHS Votes: 3 firsts, 2 seconds.

Honorable mentions: Kris Letang, Shane Doan, Johan Hedberg, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Jonas Hiller. 

Rookie Star of the Week: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM - 3 games, 4 goals, 2 PPG, +2, 9 SOG. Instant chemistry with Hall and Eberle. Anyone still saying 9 games might be about 73 short. Luke Adam finished a very close second here with 3G 3A in 4 games.

HM: Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Breakout Star of the Week: Tyler Seguin, BOS - 1G, 4A in 5 games. Fun to see what the kid can do with top line minutes. With David Krejci out the last two games, Seguin saw his ice time creep up over the 20 minute mark for the first time in his young career.

HM: Semyon Varlamov, James Neal, Max Pacioretty.

Breakdown of the Week: No clear loser here, so let's give it to Craig Anderson (4 starts, 1 win, 5.07 GAA, .853 SV%). We all knew Ottawa would be bad, but THIS bad? 

DHM: Joe Thornton, Martin Brodeur

Free Agent Star of the Week (less than 50% owned in Yahoo!): Vinny Prospal, CBJ (40% owned). Vaclav's odd pattern of good year/bad year predicts this year to be a good one. 5 GP, 3G, 2A, 10 PIM is a nice way to start.

HM: Johan Hedberg (24% owned), David Legwand (34% owned), Sami Salo (12% owned), Jason Arnott (8% owned)