Week 9: Fantasy top 50 defenseman rankings for '16-17

All season long, NHL.com's Brian Metzer will rank the top 50 fantasy defensemen for standard Yahoo leagues (goals, assists, plus/minus, penalty minutes, power-play points, shots on goal). Players with long-term injuries have been removed from this list.
These rankings are based on expectations for the rest of the season. Value is quantified by defense pairs, power-play usage, past performance and overall upside in standard leagues. Changes in value each week are based on recent performance and/or lineup trends.

It's always hard to say goodbye in fantasy hockey, especially when it involves letting go of a player you thought would be a difference maker in your draft.
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Let's look at a handful of defensemen who came into the season with high expectations but haven't produced at expected levels. We'll also give some advice on whether you should keep said players around or move on without them.
John Carlson of the Washington Capitals, the 10th defenseman off the board on average in Yahoo drafts, scored his first goal Dec. 9 against the Buffalo Sabres. Carlson had eight points in his first 22 games this season but is heating up of late. He has five points in his past six, each coming with the man-advantage. But even after his recent surge, he's averaging .46 points per game -- a far cry from what he's done over the past two seasons (.70 in 2015-16, .67 in 2014-15). That said, the Capitals appear to have woken up offensively, scoring three or more goals in seven of their past 10 games. Hold on to Carlson in the hope he finishes among the top 15-20 fantasy defensemen (where he belongs).

Dougie Hamilton leads Calgary Flames defensemen with 17 points, but Mark Giordano (12) was the bigger fantasy target entering the season. He was the 14th defenseman selected, carrying an ADP of 71.2. Giordano had career highs in goals (21) and points (56) last season, but the 33-year-old is currently averaging .39 points per game - well behind his averages from 2013-14 (.73), 2014-15 (.79) and 2015-16 (.68). Some owners might be ready to unload the Flames captain, but it's worth noting he was in a similar situation a year ago; he had six points in his first 22 games before managing 50 in his final 60. That total included 25 points in 34 games following the All-Star break. This strong finisher is a keeper.
On the flip side, Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers should only stick on keeper-league rosters at this point. He was the 17th defenseman off the board in Yahoo and carries an ADP of 79.6. Fantasy owners hoped this young franchise defenseman (20) would build on back-to-back seasons of at least 35 points, but he has only produced nine in 30 games. He has started to come around with seven points in his past 15 games, but is still minus-13 on the season and minus-4 in his past three games. He is tied for eighth in the League (forwards included) with 100 SOG, but players like Ekblad shouldn't be specialists. It's worth noting he has 57 hits and 25 blocks, but they aren't standard statistics and don't tip the scales in his favor. It wouldn't be an easy drop and he's going to stay in our rankings, but he should no longer be a regular in your lineup.

Trending Up

Justin Faulk of the Carolina Hurricanes was the 19th defenseman drafted in Yahoo leagues, a direct result of him scoring 31 goals and 86 points in a combined 146 games over the past two seasons. He missed time with injury early in the season and fell into a long scoring drought (one point in 14 games from Nov. 1 to Dec. 4), but is finally rounding into form. Faulk had three points (one goal, two assists) in an 8-6 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, and has totaled five points in his past four games. His minus-11 rating is still a glaring issue, but his fantasy owners could be rewarded for their patience in the coming months if Faulk and the young Hurricanes continue to improve.

Trending Down

Jake Muzzin of the Los Angeles Kings was the 24th defenseman on average in Yahoo drafts and carries an ADP of 104.4, but is falling way short of those levels. He is coming off back-to-back 40 point seasons, but has only seven points in 28 games this season. He picked up one assist in a 6-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, but was minus-4. He is now minus-7 in his past six games and minus-8 this season. He has also taken a sizable step back on the power play (one PPP) after combining for 27 PPP in the prior two seasons. He has chipped in 62 SOG, but there are more efficient players available on the waiver wire in many leagues.

Worth Noting

• Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has moved away from the usual four-forward look on their first power-play unit. Defenseman Trevor Daley (13 percent owned) has joined Kris Letang on the points with elite forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, and the Penguins have converted on five of 12 opportunities with the man-advantage in wins against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Arizona Coyotes. Daley has two points (one PPP) in the span, and Letang has four assists (three PPP).
  - New York Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh did not play against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday because of the flu. The Rangers have a two-game road trip this week against the Dallas Stars on Thursday and Nashville Predators on Saturday, so be sure to monitor McDonagh's status before setting your lineup.
  - Ryan Ellis (23 percent owned) of the Nashville Predators was activated from injured reserve on Tuesday and played 21:57 in a 6-3 victory against the St. Louis Blues. Skating on the first defense pair with Roman Josi, Ellis had one SOG and was a plus-3. He has nine points (three PPP) and is a plus-9 in 20 games this season.

Top 50 Fantasy Defensemen

These rankings were last updated Dec. 14
1. Brent Burns, SJS (SAME)
2. Shea Weber, MTL (SAME)
3. Erik Karlsson, OTT (SAME)
4. Kris Letang, PIT (+2)
5. Victor Hedman, TBL (-1)
6. P.K. Subban, NSH (-1)
7. Zach Werenski, CBJ (SAME)
8. Kevin Shattenkirk, STL (SAME)
9. Dustin Byfuglien, WPG (SAME)
10. Roman Josi, NSH (SAME)
11. Ryan Suter, MIN (SAME)
12. Drew Doughty, LAK (+1)
13. Duncan Keith, CHI (-1)
14. Shayne Gostisbehere, PHI (+1)
15. Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF (+5)
16. Ryan McDonagh, NYR (DTD)
17. Mark Giordano, CGY (SAME)
18. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI (-4)
19. Brent Seabrook, CHI (-1)
20. Keith Yandle, FLA (-1)
21. John Carlson, WSH (+1)
22. Dougie Hamilton, CGY (+4)
23. Andrei Markov, MTL (+7)
24. Alex Pietrangelo, STL (-3)
25. Cam Fowler, ANA (+2)
26. Colton Parayko, STL (-3)
27. Sami Vatanen, ANA (-2)
28. John Klingberg, DAL (+1)
29. Alec Martinez, LAK (-5)
30. Torey Krug, BOS (+2)
31. Damon Severson, NJD (+2)
32. Aaron Ekblad, FLA (-4)
33. Justin Faulk, CAR (+2)
34. Mike Green, DET (-3)
35. Tyson Barrie, COL (-1)
36. Seth Jones, CBJ (SAME)
37. Marc-Edouard Vlasic, SJS (DTD)
38. Justin Schultz, PIT (+5)
39. Morgan Rielly, TOR (+2)
40. Anton Stralman, TBL (SAME)
41. Jake Muzzin, LAK (-2)
42. Ivan Provorov, PHI (+3)
43. Matt Niskanen, WSH (+4)
44. Ian Cole, PIT (-2)
45. Oscar Klefbom, EDM (+3)
46. Nick Leddy, NYI (+3)
47. Dion Phaneuf, OTT (-3)
48. Ryan Ellis, NSH (NR - INJ.)
49. Matt Dumba, MIN (NEW)
50. Trevor Daley, PIT (NEW)
Dropped out: Zdeno Chara (BOS), TJ Brodie (CGY)
Key injuries: Mark Streit (PHI), Tyler Myers (WPG), Alexander Edler (VAN)
READ: Last week's Top 50 defenseman rankings