Week 14: Fantasy top 100 forward rankings for 2017-18

Each week during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with an overview of the fantasy forward landscape. With production trends, injury news and top 100 rankings based on performance and upside in standard Yahoo leagues, fantasy owners should use this information as a basis for roster decision-making.

MORE FANTASY RANKINGS:
Top 50 defensemen
|
Top 25 goalies

TRENDING UP

Alexander Radulov, RW, DAL: Whether Radulov has played on the first line with elite forward(s) Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin or the second with Jason Spezza and Mattias Janmark, his first season with the Dallas Stars has been even better than expected from a fantasy standpoint. Radulov (40th in Yahoo) was
a preseason bargain
who has returned immense value based on average draft position (87.7). He has back-to-back three point games and nine points (four goals, five assists), two power-play points and 15 SOG over his past five games. He's on pace for 31 goals, 23 PPP and 198 SOG over 82 games, significant improvements compared to his solid totals from last season with the Montreal Canadiens (18 goals, 16 PPP, 147 SOG).
Mark Stone, RW, OTT: Among those with at least 15 games played, Stone is one of 24 players League-wide averaging at least a point per game (40 points in 40 games). The Ottawa Senators have had plenty of line changes since acquiring Matt Duchene from the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 5, but Stone has kept his production respectable during their struggles and has at least one point in nine of his past 12 games totaling 15 points (three goals, 12 assists), a plus-7, four PPP and 23 SOG in the span. Stone has back-to-back three-point games playing on an even-strength line with center Derick Brassard (29 percent owned) and wing Ryan Dzingel (LW/RW, 2 percent) and on the first power-play unit with defenseman Erik Karlsson.
Sebastian Aho, LW/RW, CAR: Thanks largely to the rekindled chemistry between Aho, Teuvo Teravainen (C/LW/RW, 40 percent owned) and Jordan Staal (C, 27 percent), Carolina is 8-3-1 over their past 12 games and back in Stanley Cup Playoff contention. The Hurricanes have been wildly inconsistent, but Aho has put together a strong stretch of 10 points (six goals, four assists) and 23 SOG over his past seven games. Few Hurricanes players have overachieved from a fantasy standpoint, but they lead the NHL in Shot Attempts close (55.4), suggesting their breakout stretch could carry over into the second half.

TRENDING DOWN

Tampa Bay Lightning secondary scorers: The Lightning are shaking up their forward lines, putting Vladislav Namestnikov on the third line with Yanni Gourde and Alex Killorn and elevating Chris Kunitz to the first line with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. There's no concern at all surrounding Stamkos, Kucherov or Tyler Johnson, but second-liners Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat have been quiet offensively; Point has no points over his past four games, and Palat has no goals on 39 SOG over his past 19. Fantasy owners of Namestnikov should be concerned because his fantasy relevance may hinge on his lineup placement, but Gourde (C/RW, 31 percent owned, 85th in Yahoo) is fourth among rookies in points (30 in 42 games) and leads them with a plus-18. With better linemates, Gourde is worth considering again in standard leagues.
Kevin Fiala, LW/RW, NSH: The Nashville Predators wing has no points over his past seven games, and they have lost six of their past nine games (3-4-2). The line of Fiala, Kyle Turris and Craig Smith has struggled lately after a hot start, and Fiala's fantasy ownership is down to 20 percent as a result. Nashville's forward group has been trending down in each of the past two weeks after the injury to elite left wing Filip Forsberg, but fantasy owners should still have some faith considering they rank fourth in power-play efficiency (24.2 percent) and tied for ninth in goals per game (3.07). With defenseman Ryan Ellis back in their lineup, Nashville has the offensive firepower from the back end that can alleviate the loss of Forsberg over time.

TOP 100 FORWARD RANKINGS

Standard Yahoo categories include goals, assists, plus/minus, PIMs, PPP and SOG for skaters. ... Value has been quantified based on factors including but not limited to past production, line combinations, power-play usage, injury history, age, sleeper, bounce-back or breakout potential, anticipated regression, contract status, Yahoo ADP and overall upside for the rest of the season. ... Any players with day-to-day injury concerns (DTD) are noted. NEW - INJ. indicates a player who has returned from injury and rejoined the rankings.
1. Nikita Kucherov, RW, TBL (SAME)
2. Steven Stamkos, C, TBL (SAME)
3. Alex Ovechkin, LW, WSH (SAME)
4. Sidney Crosby, C, PIT (+1)
5. Connor McDavid, C, EDM (-1)
6. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, STL (SAME)
7. Tyler Seguin, C/RW, DAL (SAME)
8. Blake Wheeler, RW, WPG (SAME)
9. Brad Marchand, LW, BOS (+2)
10. John Tavares, C, NYI (-1)
11. Auston Matthews, C, TOR (-1)
12. Phil Kessel, RW, PIT (SAME)
13. Evgeni Malkin, C, PIT (SAME)
14. Jamie Benn, C/LW, DAL (SAME)
15. Nathan MacKinnon, C, COL (+1)
16. Patrick Kane, RW, CHI (-1)
17. David Pastrnak, RW, BOS (+2)
18. Jakub Voracek, RW, PHI (+2)
19. Patrik Laine, RW, WPG (-1)
20. Claude Giroux, C/LW, PHI (+3)
21. Johnny Gaudreau, LW, CGY (-4)
22. Ryan Getzlaf, C, ANA (+3)
23. Brayden Schenn, C/LW, STL (-2)
24. Patrice Bergeron, C, BOS (DTD)
25. Nicklas Backstrom, C, WSH (+1)
26. Anze Kopitar, C, LAK (-4)
27. Taylor Hall, LW, NJD (+2)
28. Brock Boeser, RW, VAN (+2)
29. Alexander Radulov, RW, DAL (+4)
30. Anders Lee, LW, NYI (-3)
31. Sean Monahan, C, CGY (+3)
32. Jonathan Marchessault, C/LW, VGK (+7)
33. Josh Bailey, LW/RW, NYI (DTD)
34. Artemi Panarin, C/LW, CBJ (+7)
35. Aleksander Barkov, C, FLA (+8)
36. Evgeny Kuznetsov, C, WSH (-8)
37. Jack Eichel, C, BUF (-5)
38. Leon Draisaitl, C/RW, EDM (-3)
39. Vladislav Namestnikov, C/LW, TBL (-2)
40. Evander Kane, LW, BUF (-4)
41. Mathew Barzal, C, NYI (-1)
42. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, WPG (SAME)
43. Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, FLA (+1)
44. Sean Couturier, C, PHI (+1)
45. Mikko Rantanen, LW/RW, COL (+3)
46. Brayden Point, C/RW, TBL (-8)
47. Tyler Toffoli, C/RW, LAK (+2)
48. Vincent Trocheck, C, FLA (-2)
49. William Nylander, C/RW, TOR (+2)
50. Tyler Johnson, C/RW, TBL (+2)
51. Joe Pavelski, C/RW, SJS (-4)
52. Rickard Rakell, C/LW, ANA (-2)
53. Eric Staal, C, MIN (SAME)
54. Jonathan Toews, C, CHI (+2)
55. Dustin Brown, LW/RW, LAK (+2)
56. William Karlsson, C/LW, VGK (+4)
57. Wayne Simmonds, RW, PHI (+8)
58. Gabriel Landeskog, LW, COL (+1)
59. Mark Stone, RW, OTT (+10)
60. Logan Couture, C/LW, SJS (NEW - INJ.)
61. Ryan Johansen, C, NSH (-6)
62. Kyle Turris, C, NSH (-8)
63. Viktor Arvidsson, LW/RW, NSH (-5)
64. Mika Zibanejad, C, NYR (-3)
65. James Neal, LW/RW, VGK (-3)
66. Mikael Granlund, C/RW, MIN (+1)
67. Reilly Smith, LW/RW, VGK (+1)
68. Corey Perry, RW, ANA (NEW - INJ.)
69. Patric Hornqvist, RW, PIT (-3)
70. Mitch Marner, C/RW, TOR (-6)
71. James van Riemsdyk, LW, TOR (-1)
72. Matthew Tkachuk, LW, CGY (-1)
73. Max Pacioretty, LW, MTL (-1)
74. Sebastian Aho, LW/RW, CAR (DTD)
75. Anthony Mantha, LW/RW, DET (-1)
76. Dylan Larkin, C/RW, DET (-1)
77. Mike Hoffman, LW/RW, OTT (+6)
78. David Perron, LW/RW, VGK (+6)
79. T.J. Oshie, RW, WSH (-3)
80. Danton Heinen, C/LW/RW, BOS (+5)
81. Kevin Fiala, LW/RW, NSH (-18)
82. Jake Guentzel, C/LW, PIT (-9)
83. Milan Lucic, LW, EDM (-6)
84. Mats Zuccarello, RW, NYR (-6)
85. Joe Thornton, C, SJS (+1)
86. Jeff Skinner, LW, CAR (-5)
87. Pierre-Luc Dubois, C/LW, CBJ (SAME)
88. Nino Niederreiter, LW/RW, MIN (DTD)
89. Teuvo Teravainen, C/LW/RW, CAR (+2)
90. Nick Schmaltz, C/LW, CHI (+7)
91. Nazem Kadri, C, TOR (-11)
92. Clayton Keller, C/LW/RW, ARI (-10)
93. Kyle Palmieri, RW, NJD (-3)
94. Josh Anderson, RW, CBJ (-6)
95. David Backes, RW, BOS (NEW)
96. Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, CBJ (-4)
97. Kyle Connor, LW, WPG (-4)
98. Alexander Steen, C/LW/RW, STL (+1)
99. Ondrej Palat, LW, TBL (-3)
100. Ryan Kesler, C, ANA (SAME)
Dropped out:Tom Wilson, LW/RW, WSH; Jordan Eberle, C/RW, NYI; Pavel Buchnevich, LW/RW, NYR
Just missed:Brandon Saad, LW, CHI; Yanni Gourde, C/RW, TBL; Jason Zucker, LW/RW, MIN; Erik Haula, C/LW, VGK; Bryan Little, C, WPG; Tanner Pearson, LW, LAK; Nico Hischier, C, NJD; Patrick Marleau, C/LW, TOR; Henrik Zetterberg, C/LW, DET; Mathieu Perreault, C/LW, WPG; Brendan Gallagher, RW, MTL; J.T. Miller, C/LW/RW, NYR; Jakob Silfverberg, LW/RW, ANA; David Krejci, C, BOS; Micheal Ferland, LW/RW, CGY; Zach Parise, LW, MIN; Daniel Sprong, RW, PIT; Tomas Hertl, C/LW/RW, SJS; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, EDM; Alex Tuch, RW, VGK; Evgenii Dadonov, RW, FLA; Timo Meier, LW/RW, SJS
Key injuries:Filip Forsberg, LW, NSH; Mark Scheifele, C, WPG; Jaden Schwartz, LW, STL; Chris Kreider, LW, NYR; Cam Atkinson, RW, CBJ; Bo Horvat, C, VAN; Jeff Carter, C, LAK; Alexander Wennberg, C, CBJ
READ: Last week's Top 100 forward rankings