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Fantasy - Dump and Chase: 5 players to target in a trade

Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Every Thursday, we examine three players you should consider acquiring on the trade front in your pool.

March 5 marks the trade deadline in most Yahoo leagues, so we decided to present a super-sized edition of this column this week.

Without further ado, here are five players to target on the trade market.

Maple Leafs F Phil Kessel

This Toronto Maple Leafs sniper has scored only five goals in 27 games since the calendar turned to 2015, taking 91 shots on goal over that span.

A career 11.1 percent shooter, Phil Kessel's season success rate sits at 10.9 percent, but has dropped to 5.5 percent over this recent rough patch. Currently on pace for only 29 goals, it would mark his lowest full-season output since his second NHL season.

Buy low if you can, because chances are the famously-streaky Kessel has a hot streak in him down the stretch.

Blackhawks F Patrick Sharp

Patrick Sharp has also been suffering from a drop in his shooting percentage, scoring only 10 goals on 172 shots through 50 games, putting him at 5.8 percent, well down from his career average of 11.4.

With Patrick Kane on the shelf with a serious injury, the Chicago Blackhawks will be looking for someone to step up and fill that scoring void. 

Sharp, who's averaged 27 goals per 82 games over his career, is as good a candidate as any.

Rangers D Keith Yandle

One of the more high-profile additions at the trade deadline, Keith Yandle saw almost 20 minutes of ice time in his New York Rangers debut, and he was featured prominently on the power play.

While he failed to record a point and was a minus-one, we're willing to wager he'll be productive offensively and improve upon his woeful minus-33 rating, thereby making him one of the more valuable defensemen for the balance of the season.

Yandle is the 355th-ranked player in Yahoo leagues over the past 30 days, and his value will only rise from here.

Bruins D Zdeno Chara, G Tuukka Rask

It appears the Boston Bruins will remain in a fight for the playoffs until the very end, meaning their best players will have to prove themselves to be just that, much to the delight of fantasy managers.

Two players that have been relatively disappointing this season - but could be primed for big finishes - are Zdeno Chara and Tuukka Rask.

Yes, the hulking defenseman Chara was injured early on, but his Yahoo average ranking sits at 231, well off his original ranking of 87. He did record a power-play goal and an assist in his last game, possibly signalling a resurgence for the previously steady blue-liner.

At the same time, Rask entered the season as the highest-ranked goalie, but is now 16th among puck-stoppers. Not bad, but clearly not what fantasy managers were expecting from a first-round pick.

The Bruins netminder is a solid buy-low candidate for those seeking significant help in the crease.

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