Goaltending is a tricky position to draft in fantasy hockey. There are elite goaltenders that are worthy of a top ten selection, then there are about 20 other net minders that can be considered sleepers. They may not have top shelf talent, but they can accumulate points due to the strength of the team they play for.

Jimmy Howard has long battled the knock that he benefits from a great team playing in front of him. He proved skeptics wrong last season when he anchored the fifth ranked overall defense in the NHL. The Red Wings were expected to struggle in their first season (in the last 20) without Niklas Lidstrom. While many of the young Detroit rear guards stepped up, it was Howard who bailed them out more often than not.

Creeping towards the roped off area reserved exclusively for the elite goaltenders is the 29-year old Howard who posted another stellar season in the Hockeytown net. Widely regarded as the beneficiary of some excellent Detroit Red Wing teams, Howard was the reason that Detroit made the playoffs for an NHL-record 22nd consecutive year. His top level play nearly carried the Red Wings to a stunning upset over the top-seeded Chicago. An overtime Game 7 goal from Brent Seabrook saved the Hawks from a colossal upset at the hands of their hated rivals.

Outside of Ottawa, not many people could tell you who Craig Anderson is. He could quite legitimately be the man who is awarded the Vezina Trophy. Seriously.  His statistics are an exact reflection of just how good Anderson has been and a painful reminder to the Colorado Avalanche that he and Brian Elliott were once their property.

Anderson battled through some injuries last season, returning for the playoffs and a huge series upset over the Montreal Canadiens. The magic ran out for the Senators in the next round against the Pittsburgh Penguins as Anderson was left out to dry against the offensively gifted Penguins.

With a full season only two weeks away, Anderson and the Senators will welcome back their top center Jason Spezza and top defenseman Erik Karlsson. After playing almost all of last season without their two best players, the Senators also added Bobby Ryan to the fold to replace their long time captain Daniel Alfredsson. Expect Anderson and the Sens to be serious contenders for the Northeast Division and even the Eastern Conference.

So when it comes to the borderline elites Howard and Anderson, which is the right choice? Both seem to be reaching the peak of their career after dispelling the belief that they were a product of their environment. Honestly, you could flip a coin ten times and pick either one, but I’ll choose Jimmy Howard based solely on his durability in the Detroit goal. Before the shortened 2013 season, Howard was riding a three-year streak of 35-plus win seasons to start his career.

This might be the year that both Jimmy Howard and Craig Anderson assume their place among the top goaltenders in the world, but I fully expect Howard to make the leap. I’d bet on Anderson to be right behind him, but for your fantasy hockey team go with Howard.