Fantasy draft guide for leagues with hits category

It's one of the hot debates in fantasy hockey: Is it better to categorize penalty minutes or hits?

Standard Yahoo formats don't take hits into account, but this alternative stat grows with each passing season and is now prevalent in more than one-third of all leagues.

Whether Yahoo will eventually institute hits as a standard category remains to be seen, but the hits inclusion instead of a more arbitrary stat like PIMs would make sense. Though PIMs can gauge the physicality of a player, the stat is centered around tactical penalties, which are detrimental in reality and can reflect undisciplined play. Players who use clean body checks on opponents can help their team regain possession of the puck and generate offense. That said, advanced statistics and the Stanley Cup Playoffs show how valuable possession anchors like Duncan Keith (16 hits in 80 games last season) can be, so hits don't always equate to real-life value.

With so much gray area, the discussion rages on -- but the only things fantasy owners need to be concerned with are their upcoming draft(s) and the categories in your league settings. If you're doing a PIMs league, immerse yourself in NHL.com's top 250 rankings. If you're going the hits route, study this cheat sheet leading up to draft day.

Below are more than 50 players who should be on your radar in hits leagues. Fantasy owners should value these assets a few picks/rounds higher than their standing in NHL.com's rankings depending on the degree of boost provided by their hits performance. For easy reference, I listed additional forwards and defensemen you should consider relevant in 12-team hits leagues.

NOTE: "Rank" is player's place in NHL.com's standard-league top 250, based on the average of Matt Cubeta and Pete Jensen's ranks. … "Elig." is position eligibility in Yahoo leagues. … "Avg." is hits-per-game average from last season. ... "Coverage" is categories of strength in addition to hits.

Rank	Forwards	Elig.	Team	Avg.	Coverage	Analysis
1	Alex Ovechkin	LW/RW		3.20	G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG	Consensus No. 1 asset; most goals, PPP, SOG since '12-13; top 10 since NHL started tracking hits
6	Jamie Benn	LW		1.46	G, A, PPP, SOG	2nd in points since '13-14; category cog entering prime for much-improved Stars; 2nd off board
7	Claude Giroux	C/RW		1.36	G, A, PPP, SOG	Most points since '10-11; outhit Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, Tyler Seguin, John Tavares
14	Ryan Getzlaf	C		1.30	G, A, +/-, SOG	Worthy of 1st-round pick in hits leagues; more value if blocks count (95 in '14-15, 2nd among 'F')
19	Max Pacioretty	LW		1.33	G, A, +/-, SOG	Offseason injury & low PPP output concerning, but still among best points-rating-SOG contributors
29	Blake Wheeler	RW		1.62	G, A, +/-, SOG	Finished 20th in Yahoo's year-end ranks; ADP is 61.3; one of League's most underrated players
40	David Backes	C/RW		2.84	G, A, +/-, PPP	Scored 2nd-most goals (26) in '14-15 among those with 200-plus hits; as steady as they come
50	Gabriel Landeskog	LW		2.06	G, A, PPP, SOG	Rating took hit with Avalanche's regression, but has averaged 62 points, 173 hits in past 2 seasons
53	Andrew Ladd	LW		2.62	G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG	Durable power forward had 60 points for 1st time and shattered previous high with 212 hits in '14-15
57	Wayne Simmonds	LW/RW		2.24	G, PPP, SOG	Yahoo ADP (90.7) far too low for such well-rounded track record; 3rd NHL-wide in PPG (46) since '11-12
58	Filip Forsberg	C/RW		1.32	G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG	Surefire top-40 player in hits leagues; made up for late-season slump with point per game in playoffs
64	Nick Foligno	C/LW		2.44	G, A, +/-, PPP	Breakout stud may dip in goals/PPP with Brandon Saad in mix, but opportunistic in any role
74	Ondrej Palat	LW		1.65	A, +/-	Works dirty areas for 'Triplets Line'; covers assists and plus-minus with healthy dose of hits
75	Chris Kreider	LW		2.03	G, A, +/-	Finished in top 60 in standard leagues because of PIMs; could score 25-30 goals with 150-plus hits
79	Evander Kane*	LW		3.22	G, A, SOG	Sabres' center additions can help cause; 2nd-most SOG per game (3.7) since '10-11 behind Ovi (4.6)
81	Milan Lucic	LW		3.20	A, +/-	Contract year for Lucic and Anze Kopitar, so rebound could be in store for each; T-10th in hits in '14-15
91	Scott Hartnell	LW		2.08	G, A, PPP, SOG	One of four players (Ovechkin, Ladd, Landeskog) to amass 60 points, 200 SOG and 160 hits last season
95	Ryan Kesler	C/RW		2.09	G, A, SOG	Points have fallen off in recent years, but hits/SOG strong; proj. line: Jakob Silfverberg, Carl Hagelin
120	Chris Kunitz	LW		2.85	A, PPP, SOG	Phil Kessel could take pressure off Kunitz, who had 211 hits but dipped by 20-plus in three categories
129	Brandon Dubinsky*	C/LW		3.23	A, +/-, SOG	2nd-line 'C' who can score, win draws and rattle opponents; capable of 60 points, 200 hits, 200 SOG
135	Mats Zuccarello	LW/RW		1.54	A, +/-	Playoff injury and PP woes (0 PPG in 2014-15) are concerning, but can rebound if he stays on top line
136	Ryan Callahan	RW		2.39	G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG	Far from best scorer, but gets it done in all six categories; 7th among forwards in hits since '09-10
149	David Perron	LW/RW		2.11	A, SOG	Stock tumbled after poor finish (3G on 60 SOG in 27 games); 25 goals, 100 hits, 200 SOG are feasible
159	Brayden Schenn	C/LW		2.43	A, PPP	Undervalued PP producer who has yet to put it all together; 399 hits in past two seasons combined
164	Nick Bjugstad	C		2.06	G, SOG	Strong in three categories but PP strides crucial since he won't be with Jaromir Jagr at even strength
172	Troy Brouwer	RW		2.51	G, +/-, PPP	T.J. Oshie's replacement could break 50 points with 200-plus hits if he lands with Backes, Alexander Steen
176	Justin Abdelkader	LW/RW		2.15	G, PPP	A lot hinges on health of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg; balanced scorer who hits a ton
180	Marko Dano*	C		2.69	A, +/-, SOG	Strong totals (21 points, plus-12, 84 SOG, 94 hits) in 35 games in '14-15; sky is limit on wing for champs
196	Anders Lee	C		2.22	G, +/-, SOG	Bulk of goals came on John Tavares' wing with Kyle Okposo out; ADP (173.3) makes him draft bargain
218	Jimmy Hayes	RW		2.04	G, PPP, SOG	Brings physicality and finishing ability to Patrice Bergeron's line; expect 25-30 goals if he sticks
245	Mika Zibanejad	C/RW		1.86	G, A	46 points alongside mostly Bobby Ryan and Mike Hoffman; back-to-back seasons of 118-plus hits
238	Michael Raffl*	C/LW		2.57	G, +/-	Sleeper if he sticks/stays healthy alongside Giroux and Jakub Voracek; T-17th in G/60 (67+ GP) last season
248	Dustin Brown	LW/RW		2.95	SOG	Depth wing has consecutive 27-point seasons, but among best hitters ever (3.4 per game in career)
Rank	Defensemen	Elig.	Team	Avg.	Coverage	Analysis
33	Kris Letang*	D		1.90	G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG	2nd-best points-per-game average (0.75) among 'D' since '10-11; 110-plus hits three times
35	Dustin Byfuglien*	RW/D		2.94	G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG	Eligibility, coverage and hits make him a one-of-a-kind fantasy asset; No. 1 'D' in such formats
42	Shea Weber	D		2.13	G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG	Offense dipped with Roman Josi's rise, but covers points, PPP, SOG, hits and blocks like no other
56	Brent Burns	RW/D		1.80	G, A, PPP, SOG	Like Byfuglien, retains RW/D; back-to-back 245-SOG seasons & career-high 60 points in '14-15
59	Drew Doughty	D		1.85	G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG	Does it all for fantasy owners; unlucky season on PP but remains quarterback and puck-possession giant
77	Oliver Ekman-Larsson	D		2.04	G, A, PPP, SOG	Led all 'D' in goals (23); top-5 at position in hits leagues, especially with Keith Yandle gone
114	Justin Faulk	D		1.91	G, A, PPP, SOG	Bright spot for Canes with career-best 49 points, 20 PPP, 238 SOG and 157 hits; better with each season
119	Aaron Ekblad	D		1.35	G, A, +/-	100-plus hits was icing on cake for Calder winner; solid across board; PP numbers will only get better
130	Dougie Hamilton	D		1.47	G, A, PPP, SOG	Joins deepest 'D' group in NHL; should be 1st-unit PP with Mark Giordano, Johnny Gaudreau & Co.
161	Johnny Boychuk	D		2.38	G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG	Seamless transition to elevated role after trade to Islanders; no one expected such flawless coverage
178	Zdeno Chara*	D		1.98	A, +/-	Age and health concerns after sizable step back in '14-15, but departure of Hamilton re-opens window.
186	Jack Johnson	D		1.99	G, A, PPP	Has chance to lock down top-unit PP duties; weapons around him justify breakout candidacy
191	Jacob Trouba*	D		1.49	G, A	Crowded 'D' picture in Winnipeg, but goal-scoring is game-changer (17 goals in first 130 NHL games)
192	Brent Seabrook	D		1.65	G, A, PPP, SOG	Minus rating was unusual, but reliable in every other category; six straight seasons of 100-plus hits
193	Dion Phaneuf	D		2.37	A, PPP	Career-low goal total (3), but PIMs/hits keep him fantasy-relevant; new regime could mean trade
204	Jake Muzzin	D		2.45	G, A, PPP, SOG	Shooting percentage upswing led to career season (10 goals, 31 assists); consistent SOG and hits producer
206	James Wisniewski*	D		1.67	G, A, PPP	PP specialist joins Faulk on Carolina's top unit after playoff benching in Anaheim; Sekera 2.0 if healthy
226	Erik Johnson*	D		1.98	G, SOG	Buy-low veteran had 12 goals, 93 hits and 107 blocks in 47 games before season-ending injury
239	Michael Del Zotto*	D		2.39	G, A	Revitalized at even strength (23 EV points led Flyers 'D'); best hits rate of career (2.4 per game)
240	Travis Hamonic	D		3.00	A, +/-	3rd in command on Isles 'D', but tied for 23rd in hits last season with career-highs in points & rating

Other relevant forwards in hits leagues: Matt Beleskey* (LW, BOS), Tommy Wingels (LW/RW, SJS), Lance Bouma (C/LW/RW, CGY), Matt Martin (LW/RW, NYI), Charlie Coyle (C/RW, MIN), Shane Doan (LW/RW, ARI), Nino Niederreiter (RW, MIN)

Other relevant defensemen in hits leagues: David Savard (CBJ), Rasmus Ristolainen (BUF), Matt Niskanen (WSH), Alec Martinez* (LAK), Radko Gudas* (PHI), Simon Despres (ANA), Dan Girardi (NYR)

* Played fewer than 70 games in 2014-15

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