Everyone knows about the injury discount. Sometimes it may mean getting a player later in the 1^st round who would have been in the top 3. Other times it means getting a player with a good track record in the bench round. Let’s take a look at some of this season’s biggest players who will no doubt come at an injury discount. Here are some players that will be going later than they did last season just based on injury:

Sidney Crosby

Sid the kid played exactly half of a full season last year. In those 41 games, he registered a sexy line of 32-34-66. That put him on pace for 64-68-134 which would have trumped Daniel Sedin’s 104 points, which led the league. It could have been a memorable season for Crosby. He was shooting the puck at a 300+ shot pace. Concussions are undoubtedly the most unpredictable of any injury a player can experience. The first whispers were about Sydney not being ready for the start of the season. Ray Shero answered quickly saying emphatically that Crosby would be ready. Who do we believe here? We will probably have a better answer for this once training camp starts. If he’s cleared for contact in practice, he’s going to be taken top 5 in your draft. If not, he may slip to the second round. This one is as risky as the risks come.

Andrei Markov

He started the 2010-2011 season on the shelf after off-season knee surgery. Then after he returned, it took only 7 games for him to be out again, needing another reconstructive surgery on the same knee. The Canadiens gave him a 3 year deal, so they think he will be back, but do you? I’m betting yes. Can you afford to miss out on a guy whose PPG totals have been 0.75, 0.82, and 0.71 the 3 seasons leading into last. Spend that late round flier on this guy and he will reward you handsomely, so long as he’s healthy.

Derek Roy

He was at exactly a point per game when he went down after 35 games last season. He tore his left quad and was out until a Game 7 of the first round. The fact that he played in that game should give you confidence that he’ll be fully healthy heading into this season. He should be a solid mid-round pick as he showed the ability to be produce at an elite pace.

Zach Parise

Parise ruined a lot of teams chances last season as he was lost after just 3 weeks with a torn meniscus. He came back for one game in April, but was shutdown after that. It sounds as if he’s healthy this season and he just signed a 1-year deal. That means he’s playing for a contract. If he slips to the second round, grab him.

Evgeni Malkin  

It’s tough to give solid advice on Malkin. He only played 43 games last season before needing knee surgery. He’s healthy now, or at least that’s what the Penguins are saying. But are his lack of production and injuries from the last 2 seasons worth spending your premier pick on? I’m not so certain. His name commands so much attention in fantasy hockey circles that there’s probably no shot he slips beyond the first round. I doubt you’re going to get much of an injury discount on this one.