Selecting the right collection of forwards on draft day is crucial to having a successful fantasy hockey season. Balancing out positional scarcity with versatility and searching for optimal category coverage are great ways to find value after loading up on the top scorers in the early rounds. While this isn’t a precise ranking for drafting, it will provide some insight into the best way to tackle the deepest pool of players in the fantasy landscape.
Tier 1 – McDavid still on top
Connor McDavid remains in a class of his own despite having his reign of three straight league-scoring titles snapped in 2023-24. His offensive consistency has led him to 100-point performances in seven of the past eight seasons, and he has operated at well over a point-per-game pace in all nine of his NHL campaigns. When a player is universally regarded as the top pick on draft day, he deserves a tier to himself.
Tier 2 – Offensive Anchors
Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, Nikita Kucherov, Auston Matthews, David Pastrnak
All the forwards in this tier can also reach the 100-point plateau. Following his Hart Trophy-winning performance in 2023-24, MacKinnon will likely be the second player taken in most drafts. Matthews has led the league in goals in three of the past four seasons. For fantasy managers willing to address center depth later on draft day, Kucherov and Pastrnak are the top two right-wing options. Draisaitl provides some versatility thanks to his eligibility as a left winger. Regardless of the chosen direction, these forwards are all excellent ways to start building a roster.
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Tier 3 – Early-round star power
Artemi Panarin, Jack Hughes, Kirill Kaprizov, Mikko Rantanen, Matthew Tkachuk, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson
There is some first-round talent here, with the likelihood of producing between 90 and 100 points. Panarin, Rantanen and Miller cracked the 100-point plateau in 2023-24, while Nylander and Kaprizov came close.
Pettersson and Tkachuk topped 100 points in 2022-23, while Marner and Hughes were one point shy of that milestone two seasons ago. Hughes’ injury history is concerning but the upside is too hard to ignore.
Tier 4 – Elite upside
Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Jack Eichel, Jason Robertson, Tage…