Fantasy top 100 forward rankings for August 2018

NHL.com updates the top 100 fantasy forward landscape based on past production and expectations for next season in standard Yahoo leagues. Fantasy owners should use these updated rankings as a basis for team evaluation, keeper decisions and offseason draft research. These rankings will be updated throughout the offseason after other signings, trades, injury and prospect news, training camp, NHL Preseason games, fantasy mock drafts and any other developments. For more fantasy coverage, visit NHL.com/Fantasy.

We're less than two months away from the start of the 2018-19 season, so here are some fantasy hockey takeaways from recent forward developments around the NHL:
1. Skinner enters rankings after trade to Sabres: Left wing Jeff Skinner is the biggest riser in this forwards update, joining the top 60 at the position after being traded to the Buffalo Sabres (previously 107th). He goes from a diminished role for the Carolina Hurricanes to a likely top-line, first power-play spot with elite center Jack Eichel, who's now on the cusp of the top 25. Eichel jumped right wing Phil Kessel, who played on the Pittsburgh Penguins' third line in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and left wing Artemi Panarin, who faces contract uncertainty (potential 2019 unrestricted free agent) with the Columbus Blue Jackets after his NHL career-best season.
Worth noting: Breakout candidate Sam Reinhart (current restricted free agent) moves up seven spots as a result of the Skinner trade, and Buffalo's projected top line (Skinner-Eichel-Reinhart) has risen to 15th in NHL.com's first line rankings.
READ: [Fantasy impact of Skinner trade | Buffalo Sabres fantasy preview]
2. Neal joins top 100 forwards with link to Gaudreau-Monahan duo: Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau has
reportedly expressed the desire
for him and center Sean Monahan to skate with James Neal (signed five-year contract July 1). That news has prompted a bump for Neal into the top 100 forwards (95th) and strengthens his bounce-back candidacy. With Neal being a lock for at least 20 goals and a candidate for 30 or more, Gaudreau enters the top 25 forwards. Monahan is recovering from four surgeries but is a potential fantasy center bargain if healthy.
READ: [Calgary Flames fantasy preview | More team previews ]
TOP 100 FANTASY FORWARDS
Standard Yahoo skater categories include goals, assists, plus/minus, penalty minutes, power-play points and shots on goal. Positions indicate eligibility in Yahoo leagues during 2017-18 season (subject to change at Yahoo's discretion in offseason). ... Value has been quantified based on factors including but not limited to past production, projected line combinations, power-play usage, injury history, sleeper upside, anticipated regression or bounce-back candidacy, age and contract status (pending unrestricted or restricted free agent). ... Any potential 2019 UFAs (\) and RFAs (\\) are noted below. ... INJ. indicates players with injury concerns.
1. Connor McDavid, C, EDM
2. Alex Ovechkin, LW, WSH
3. Nikita Kucherov, RW, TBL
4. Sidney Crosby, C, PIT
5. Evgeni Malkin, C, PIT
6. Patrik Laine, RW, WPG\*
7. Auston Matthews, C, TOR\\
8. John Tavares, C, TOR
9. Brad Marchand, LW, BOS
10. David Pastrnak, RW, BOS
11. Steven Stamkos, C, TBL
12. Nathan MacKinnon, C, COL
13. Tyler Seguin, C/RW, DAL*
14. Jamie Benn, C/LW, DAL
15. Blake Wheeler, C/RW, WPG
16. Claude Giroux, C/LW, PHI
17. Patrick Kane, RW, CHI
18. Taylor Hall, LW, NJD (
INJ
.)
19. Evgeny Kuznetsov, C, WSH
20. Anze Kopitar, C, LAK
21. Mark Scheifele, C, WPG
22. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, STL (
INJ
.)
23. Patrice Bergeron, C, BOS
24. Johnny Gaudreau, LW, CGY
25. Mitchell Marner, C/RW, TOR\\
26. Jack Eichel, C, BUF
27. Artemi Panarin, C/LW, CBJ*
28. Phil Kessel, RW, PIT
29. Aleksander Barkov, C, FLA
30. Filip Forsberg, LW, NSH
31. Leon Draisaitl, C/RW, EDM
32. Joe Pavelski, C/RW, SJS*
33. Ryan Getzlaf, C, ANA
34. Jakub Voracek, RW, PHI
35. Evander Kane, LW, SJS
36. William Karlsson, C/LW, VGK\\
37. Ilya Kovalchuk, LW/RW, LAK
38. Alexander Radulov, RW, DAL
39. Sean Monahan, C, CGY (
INJ
.)
40. Mathew Barzal, C, NYI
41. Nicklas Backstrom, C, WSH
42. Sebastian Aho, LW/RW, CAR\\
43. Brock Boeser, RW, VAN (
INJ
.)\\
44. Mikko Rantanen, LW/RW, COL\\
45. Patric Hornqvist, RW, PIT
46. Matthew Tkachuk, LW, CGY (
INJ
.)\\
47. Sean Couturier, C, PHI (
INJ
.)
48. Jonathan Marchessault, C/LW, VGK
49. Rickard Rakell, C/LW/RW, ANA
50. William Nylander, C/RW, TOR (RFA)
51. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW/RW, WPG
52. Viktor Arvidsson, LW/RW, NSH
53. Logan Couture, C/LW, SJS
54. Brayden Schenn, C/LW, STL
55. Clayton Keller, C/LW/RW, ARI
56. Brayden Point, C/RW, TBL\\
57. Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, FLA
58. Wayne Simmonds, RW, PHI (
INJ
.)*
59. Teuvo Teravainen, C/LW/RW, CAR\\
60. Jeff Skinner, LW, BUF* (NEW)
61. Mikael Granlund, C/RW, MIN
62. Max Pacioretty, LW, MTL (
INJ
.)*
63. Ryan Johansen, C, NSH
64. Mike Hoffman, LW/RW, FLA
65. James van Riemsdyk, LW, PHI
66. Cam Atkinson, RW, CBJ
67. Vincent Trocheck, C, FLA
68. Jeff Carter, C, LAK
69. Gabriel Landeskog, LW, COL
70. Kyle Connor, LW, WPG\\
71. Eric Staal, C, MIN*
72. Dylan Larkin, C/RW, DET
73. T.J. Oshie, RW, WSH
74. Jake Guentzel, C/LW, PIT\\
75. Reilly Smith, LW/RW, VGK
76. Jaden Schwartz, LW, STL (
INJ
.)
77. Nazem Kadri, C, TOR
78. Jonathan Toews, C, CHI (
INJ
.)
79. Sam Reinhart, C/LW/RW, BUF (RFA)
80. Mark Stone, RW, OTT (
INJ
.)*
81. Alex DeBrincat, LW/RW, CHI
82. Andrei Svechnikov, RW, CAR
83. Pierre-Luc Dubois, C/LW, CBJ
84. Anders Lee, LW, NYI*
85. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, EDM
86. Chris Kreider, LW, NYR
87. Mika Zibanejad, C, NYR
88. Tom Wilson, LW/RW, WSH
89. Evgenii Dadonov, LW/RW, FLA
90. Jordan Eberle, C/RW, NYI*
91. J.T. Miller, C/LW/RW, TBL
92. Alex Galchenyuk, C/LW, ARI
93. Pavel Buchnevich, LW/RW, NYR\\
94. Nico Hischier, C, NJD (
INJ
.)
95. James Neal, LW/RW, CGY (NEW)
96. Matt Duchene, C/RW, OTT*
97. Corey Perry, RW, ANA
98. Dustin Brown, LW/RW, LAK (
INJ
.)
99. Tomas Hertl, C/LW/RW, SJS
100. Jason Zucker, LW/RW, MIN
Dropped out: Tyler Toffoli, C/RW, LAK; Zach Hyman, C/LW, TOR
Just missed: Yanni Gourde, C/RW, TBL\; Nino Niederreiter, LW/RW, MIN; Filip Zadina, LW/RW, DET; Bo Horvat, C, VAN; Travis Konecny, C/LW/RW, PHI\\; Ryan O'Reilly, C, STL; Brendan Gallagher, RW, MTL; Anthony Mantha, LW/RW, DET; Nolan Patrick, C, PHI; Patrick Marleau, C/LW, TOR; Derek Stepan, C, ARI (INJ.); Alex Tuch, RW, VGK\\; Anthony Beauvillier, C/LW, NYI\\; Kyle Palmieri, RW, NJD; Valeri Nichushkin, RW, DAL; Elias Pettersson, C, VAN; Nick Bjugstad, C/RW, FLA; Nick Schmaltz, C/LW, CHI\\; Kevin Fiala, LW/RW, NSH\\; Jakub Vrana, LW/RW, WSH\\; Valentin Zykov, LW/RW, CAR; Jack Roslovic, C, WPG; Joe Thornton, C, SJS* (INJ.); Derick Brassard, C, PIT\; Timo Meier, LW/RW, SJS\\; Ondrej Kase, LW/RW, ANA
READ:Top 100 forward rankings for July 2018