Fantasy Hockey Draft Rankings, Advice and Analysis

Fantasy top 100 forwards: Emerging trios by the slice

Tuesday, 10.21.2014 / 12:00 PM
Pete Jensen - NHL.com Fantasy Insider

Every Tuesday during the season, NHL.com fantasy hockey insider Pete Jensen will provide you with in-depth forward analysis. From updated weekly top 100 rankings to trending players and more, Jensen will be your go-to guy for fantasy forward advice all season long.

It's tough to order pizza by the pie in fantasy hockey. Grabbing a slice is much more realistic.

Because of frequent changes to forward combinations and injuries over the course of the regular season, it's always tough to land an under-the-radar point pair, let alone all three pieces of an emerging line. But, in many cases, one slice of the pie can be satisfying.

Three examples have come into fruition over the first two weeks of this season. Each of these trios was either underrated or unlikely entering the season, but has meshed so well that each component has turned into a commodity. The quicker you land a piece of one of these trios, either via trade or the waiver wire, the quicker your team can reap the benefits.

Ryan Johansen (93 percent owned), Nick Foligno (29) and Cam Atkinson (25)

The best point pair in the NHL this season is … Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry? Nope. Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz? Wrong again. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin? You'll never guess … it's Johansen and Foligno (six team goals where each has recorded a point), and the Johansen-Atkinson pair is right behind them (four team goals). Considering Johansen missed all of training camp because of a contract dispute and his frequent linemates Nathan Horton and Boone Jenner are out with injuries, it's remarkable that Johansen has shaken off the rust so quickly and that Foligno and Atkinson have filled in the gaps. Foligno has points in each of his first five games and touches on penalty minutes, shots on goal and hits. Atkinson put up 216 shots on goal last season and has clear 30-goal potential. Each is seeing upwards of three minutes per game for the Columbus Blue Jackets on the power play. If you're in a deep league, don't miss out on Foligno and/or Atkinson.

Jeff Carter (94), Tyler Toffoli (51), Tanner Pearson (49)

This line has taken on a life of its own, and I'm not talking about the nickname. The Los Angeles Kings have scored 14 goals in six games this season, and the components of "That '70s Line" have totaled 11. Carter, Toffoli and Pearson formed a line that carried the Kings for much of their Stanley Cup run last spring, and the trio has yet to be on the ice for a single goal against this regular season. Each member of the line is at least a point-per-game player this season, with Pearson and Toffoli leading the way with seven apiece. Carter and Toffoli, meanwhile, are tied for the NHL lead in rating (each is plus-9). The duo of Carter and Toffoli has at least a point on five team goals (T-2nd in NHL), while the Carter-Pearson tandem has combined for four (T-7th). You get the drift. Each slice should be owned in all formats.

Loui Eriksson (71), Carl Soderberg (24), Chris Kelly (3)

This is technically the Boston Bruins' third line, but it's producing like a top line early on. Soderberg and Kelly are tied for the team lead with five points apiece, and each of the three-point pairs on this line (Eriksson-Kelly, Eriksson-Soderberg, Kelly-Soderberg) has had a hand on three team goals. Eriksson entered the season as a potential top-line wing replacement for Jarome Iginla, but he has picked up where he left off from last season alongside Soderberg, a fellow Swede. It's rare to find points-rating specialists on the waiver wire, so look no further than Soderberg or Kelly if you need a lift in those categories.

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Cammalleri has been as advertised for the Devils, who finished among the League's bottom five in goals per game last season. New Jersey landed the two-time 30-goal scorer in free agency and he has kicked off the season with a five-game point streak and five goals (T-2nd in NHL) in as many games alongside mostly Travis Zajac and Jaromir Jagr. He's seeing three-plus minutes per game on the power play and already has two goals with the man advantage. To top things off, he has 25 shots on goal (7th) and has a career average of nearly three SOG per game. The dual-eligible forward climbed 30 spots in my forward rankings this week and is cashing in for owners who took a flyer on him after the 15th round of their drafts. Pencil him in for 30-plus goals, 20-plus power-play points and 250-plus shots if he plays 75-plus games.

TRENDING DOWN

Matt Moulson (LW, Buffalo Sabres)

Moulson (1 assist, minus-4 in six games this season) was a 30-goal fixture with the New York Islanders next to John Tavares, but those days are over. His fall from fantasy relevance is partially due to his team's offensive woes, but also because he doesn't touch on peripheral categories (penalty minutes, rating or hits). When he's not lighting the lamp, he simply doesn't carry much value. He's playing alongside decent offensive players in Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford and is among the League's top 25 in total power-play time on ice this season (22:57 through six games), but has yet to record a point in those situations. The more fantasy owners see names of left wings like Tanner Pearson, Mikkel Boedker, Nick Foligno and even PIMs-points specialist Antoine Roussel on the waiver wire, the more they are faced with the decision of cutting ties with the struggling Moulson. The Sabres offense has started the season with an even worse goals-per-game average than last season, so fantasy owners shouldn't have as much patience as they did with Moulson during his contract year in 2013-14.

KEEP AN EYE ON

Matt Beleskey (LW, Anaheim Ducks)

It remains to be seen if Beleskey can stick with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on a long-term basis, but the Ducks have stormed out of the gate with five wins in six games and Beleskey has scored a goal in four of those victories. He's at least a short-term stopgap for fantasy owners while he plays with as good of a point pair as there is in the League. The 26-year-old has never scored more than 11 goals in a single season, but could continue to capitalize on his opportunity while Patrick Maroon (knee) is sidelined for much of the next month. If you're in a deep league, take advantage of Beleskey's low Yahoo ownership (8 percent). There's a legitimate chance he'll earn minutes in a top-six role with Anaheim over the course of the season, and you never know what his upside could be if he's on that top line for the long haul.

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TOP 100 FANTASY FORWARDS

These rankings are based on expectations for the season ahead. Value is quantified by line combinations, overall upside and past performance in standard Yahoo categories (goals, assists, plus-minus, penalty minutes, power-play points and shots on goal).

1. Sidney Crosby, C (SAME)

2. Steven Stamkos, C (SAME)

3. Corey Perry, RW (SAME)

4. John Tavares, C (SAME)

5. Evgeni Malkin, C/RW (SAME)

6. Ryan Getzlaf, C (SAME)

7. Claude Giroux, C/RW (SAME)

8. Alex Ovechkin, RW (SAME)

9. Jamie Benn, LW (+1)

10. Tyler Seguin, C/RW (+4)

11. Patrick Kane, C/RW (-2)

12. Jonathan Toews, C (SAME)