As a fantasy owner, you will be tasked with many tough decisions throughout the season. Roster moves can make or break where you finish in the standings. Even if a player had 30 goals last season, it doesn't mean they are going to rekindle that type of production this season. It may be tough to let such a player go, but sometimes it can be for the best.

Each week, there is mostly talk of who you should pick up off the waiver wire. But, in many cases, the player you are choosing to let go can be just as important as the player you are adding.

The Vancouver Canucks believed forward Loui Eriksson (44 percent owned in Yahoo) would join Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin to form a solid top line. Unfortunately that hasn't come to fruition because of Eriksson's struggles. He has six goals, five assists and is minus-10 in 29 games, which has him 408th in Yahoo's performance-based rankings. Eriksson has gone six games without a goal and five without a point. It's safe to drop the 31-year-old in a 10- or 12-team league.

As crazy as it may sound, it could be time to jump ship on a couple of San Jose Sharks forwards. Patrick Marleau (42 percent owned; ranked 269th) has seven goals, three assists (three power-play points) and is minus-4 with 67 shots on goal. The Sharks are tied for 20th in goals per game (2.43) after finishing fourth (2.89) last season. That regression has taken a toll on Marleau's value and you can only justify owning him in deep formats.

Sharks center Joe Thornton (86 percent owned; ranked 171st) has fallen outside of the top 150 players after finishing ninth overall in 2015-16. Thornton has been more productive than Marleau, but his category coverage isn't inspiring. He has 16 assists and seven PPP, but has two goals and is plus-2 with eight penalty minutes and 27 SOG (less than one per game). If you're operating in a 12-team league, hold onto Thornton. But you may be able to find a more valuable player on the waiver wire in an 8- or 10-team league.

A few other players with high ownership who have underperformed include Detroit Red Wings forwards Dylan Larkin (C/RW, 69 percent; ranked 192nd) and Gustav Nyquist (LW/RW, 47 percent; ranked 251st). Defensemen Zdeno Chara (53 percent; ranked 280th) of the Boston Bruins, Matt Niskanen (52 percent; ranked 293rd) of the Washington Capitals, and Jake Muzzin (71 percent; 352nd) and Alec Martinez (81 percent; 196th) of the Los Angeles Kings also could be worth replacing in shallow formats.

WAIVER WIRE WATCH

Robby Fabbri, C/LW, STL (37 percent owned)

After starting the season with no goals and three assists in 12 games, Fabbri has 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 16 games for the St. Louis Blues. He's back on track to eclipse his rookie point total (37 in 72 games) from last season. Fabbri has been a valuable asset with the man-advantage, scoring six PPP after having eight in 2015-16. Skating on a line with Vladimir Tarasenko will do wonders for your fantasy production, and, though Fabbri doesn't have great category coverage, he is a solid get if you're after points.

Video: STL@NJD: Hunt sets up Fabbri for an early goal in 1st

Antti Raanta, G, NYR (32 percent owned)

You would have never thought Henrik Lundqvist's job as the New York Rangers starting goaltender would be in jeopardy, but Raanta is definitely making things interesting. He's started three straight games, going 3-0-0 with two straight shutouts. He made 19 saves in a 5-0 win against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday after making 26 in a 1-0 overtime victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. We saw what Cam Talbot was able to do backing up Lundqvist in 2013-14 and 2014-15 (33-15-5, 2.00 goals-against average, .931 save percentage, eight SO). Raanta won't supplant Lundqvist as the starter, but needs to be added as a handcuff and could even provide long-term value as a third goaltender on your roster.

Conor Sheary, LW/RW, PIT (20 percent owned)

It was mentioned last week that defenseman Ian Cole's exposure to the Pittsburgh Penguins forwards was boosting his fantasy value. Sheary is the latest Penguins player to experience the effects of playing with Sidney Crosby; he has three goals, three assists and is plus-4 in his past six games. Sheary is eighth among regular Pittsburgh skaters with 0.71 points per game (15 in 21 games) and should maintain his strong rating (plus-11) if the Penguins continue to thrive (5-0-0 this month). Dual eligibility is also a plus for Sheary, who has scored all of his points at even strength. He would be the next man up should any forward on the Penguins' first two power-play units sustain an injury.

Andrej Sekera, D, EDM (16 percent owned)

Sekera is finally showing he's the most valuable fantasy defenseman for the Edmonton Oilers. He's seen a jump in playing time, skating at least 26:00 in three of his past four games. He has one goal, two assists, one PPP and nine SOG in that span. In December, Sekera is leading the Oilers in power-play ice time (3:19) and has taken over the No. 1 defenseman role that Oscar Klefbom previously occupied. Sekera is even playing big minutes shorthanded (2:58 in span) and brings heavy exposure to NHL scoring leader Connor McDavid (39 points in 31 games).

Video: EDM@PHI: Sekera nets SHG on well-placed one-timer

Tomas Plekanec, C, MTL (16 percent owned)

The injuries to Montreal Canadiens centers Alex Galchenyuk and David Desharnais should have forced many owners to pick up Plekanec out of necessity, but that hasn't been the case. His ownership percentage is extremely low considering Galchenyuk and Desharnais are each expected to miss 6-8 weeks with a knee injury. Plekanec had four assists in the Canadiens' 10-1 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, and he has six points and is plus-5 in three games on the top line. If you only need a streamer for a week or two, Plekanec has nine points and is plus-9 with 30 SOG in 16 home games; the Canadiens play four of their next five at Bell Centre.

Other candidates: Nino Niederreiter (LW/RW, MIN; 22 percent), Jacob Markstrom (G, VAN; 15 percent), Anders Lee (LW, NYI; 8 percent), Drake Caggiula (C/LW, EDM; 3 percent)