Week 9: 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.

#

TRENDING UP

Sidney Crosby, C, and Patric Hornqvist, RW, PIT:The Pittsburgh Penguins captain re-enters the top-five forward rankings after one of his trademark scoring rampages. Crosby has at least a point in eight of his past nine games for a total of 16 points (seven goals, nine assists), including five straight multipoint games. Crosby has been thriving alongside Hornqvist, who has 10 points (five goals, five assists) and 39 shots on goal in his past nine games. Hornqvist (75 percent owned) is back on the first power-play unit with Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and defenseman Kris Letang, and has climbed to 46th in Yahoo's performance-based rankings.
New York Islanders top line: There are 21 players averaging better than a point per game through at least 25 games, and New York Islanders' top-liners John Tavares, Anders Lee and Josh Bailey are each represented on the list. Bailey is tied for 10th League-wide in scoring (31 points in 26 games) and tied for second in assists (26) behind Blake Wheeler (28). Lee has five goals over his past four games and is suddenly fourth in the League with 16 goals behind Alex Ovechkin (20), Nikita Kucherov (19) and Tavares (17). This line has taken its performance up a notch in its second season together and has quietly become one of the top five trios in the game.
Second power-play units:Bryan Little (C, 29 percent owned in Yahoo) has found consistency alongside Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers on the Winnipeg Jets' second line, scoring at least one point in seven of his past nine games. He has five power-play points in the span on the second unit with Ehlers, Mathieu Perreault and defenseman Tyler Myers. … Kevin Fiala (LW/RW, 6 percent) has benefited from the Nashville Predators acquiring center Kyle Turris on Nov. 6, scoring 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 12 games alongside Turris and Craig Smith (RW, 18 percent). Turris (six PPP), Smith (four) and Fiala (three) have excelled together on the second power-play unit since the trade.

#

TRENDING DOWN

Teuvo Teravainen, C/LW/RW, CAR:The Carolina Hurricanes have fallen back into their inconsistent scoring ways, and Teravainen (51 percent owned in Yahoo) has gone six straight games without a goal. He has 15 SOG in the span but is minus-6, making him one of the most-dropped players in Yahoo on Monday. Remain patient with Teravainen, who has been a boom-or-bust fantasy option since joining the Hurricanes last season. He has remained alongside Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal on the top line and first power-play unit and averages 2:58 per game with the man-advantage.
Brandon Saad, LW, CHI:It seems like ancient history when Saad broke out for a hat trick on opening night and had eight points (six goals, two assists) over his first six games. That's because he's been held to six points (four goals, two assists) over his next 21 games. He's clinging to a spot in the top 100 forward rankings because of his bounce-back potential alongside Jonathan Toews at even strength and Patrick Kane on the power play. That said, it's concerning that Saad has one PPP in 27 games and has never had more than 10 PPP in a single season.
James Neal, LW/RW, VGK: The Vegas Golden Knights forward started his contract year strong with 19 points (12 goals, seven assists) in his first 21 games, but has now gone five straight games without a point. Neal's scoring drought correlates with David Perron's five-game injury absence, but it appears Perron (upper body) is nearing a return. The productive first-line trio of Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Reilly Smith has remained intact during Perron's absence, so Neal hasn't had much help alongside Erik Haula and Oscar Lindberg.

#

WORTH NOTING

-- Anaheim Ducks forward Rickard Rakell (upper body) could return this week and is expected to line up next to Corey Perry and recent acquisition Adam Henrique (C, 17 percent owned) on their top line. Activate Rakell (C/LW, 75 percent owned) off injured reserve in fantasy and/or consider adding Henrique, who has points in each of his two games since the trade. Henrique will be the No. 1 center until Ryan Getzlaf (face) or Ryan Kesler (hip) return.
-- The Tampa Bay Lightning and St. Louis Blues have split up their high-scoring trios, at least for the short term. Steven Stamkos (now alongside Tyler Johnson and Vladislav Namestnikov) has been separated from Nikita Kucherov (now with Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat). The clear beneficiary is Johnson (C, 23 percent owned in Yahoo), who was buried on the Lightning's third line for much of the season but scored two goals (one power-play goal) on five SOG against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. The Blues have separated Brayden Schenn and Jaden Schwartz (now with Alexander Steen) from Vladimir Tarasenko (now with Paul Stastny and Vladimir Sobotka). Schenn (five games) and Schwartz (three) are stuck in scoring droughts.

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. Connor McDavid, C, EDM (SAME)
4. Sidney Crosby, C, PIT (+4)
5. Alex Ovechkin, LW, WSH (+1)
6. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, STL (-2)
7. Auston Matthews, C, TOR (-2)
8. Tyler Seguin, C/RW, DAL (-1)
9. Phil Kessel, RW, PIT (SAME)
10. Mark Scheifele, C, WPG (+1)
11. Blake Wheeler, RW, WPG (+3)
12. Johnny Gaudreau, LW, CGY (-2)
13. Patrick Kane, RW, CHI (-1)
14. Filip Forsberg, LW, NSH (+3)
15. Jamie Benn, C/LW, DAL (-2)
16. Evgeni Malkin, C, PIT (NEW - INJ.)
17. John Tavares, C, NYI (-2)
18. Patrik Laine, RW, WPG (+3)
19. Brad Marchand, LW, BOS (+3)
20. Brayden Schenn, C/LW, STL (-4)
21. Anze Kopitar, C, LAK (+3)
22. William Nylander, C/RW, TOR (+1)
23. David Pastrnak, RW, BOS (+3)
24. Claude Giroux, C/LW, PHI (-4)
25. Jaden Schwartz, LW, STL (IR)
26. Sean Monahan, C, CGY (-7)
27. Jakub Voracek, RW, PHI (SAME)
28. Taylor Hall, LW, NJD (SAME)
29. Alexander Radulov, RW, DAL (SAME)
30. Nathan MacKinnon, C, COL (+3)
31. Evgeny Kuznetsov, C, WSH (SAME)
32. Patrice Bergeron, C, BOS (SAME)
33. Leon Draisaitl, C/RW, EDM (-8)
34. Nicklas Backstrom, C, WSH (-4)
35. Anders Lee, LW, NYI (+5)
36. Brock Boeser, RW, VAN (+2)
37. Vladislav Namestnikov, C/LW, TBL (-1)
38. Sean Couturier, C, PHI (+1)
39. Evander Kane, LW, BUF (-2)
40. Aleksander Barkov, C, FLA (DTD)
41. Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, FLA (+2)
42. Jack Eichel, C, BUF (-8)
43. Anthony Mantha, LW/RW, DET (-8)
44. Mark Stone, RW, OTT (-3)
45. Artemi Panarin, C/LW, CBJ (+3)
46. Jake Guentzel, C/LW, PIT (+20)
47. Mathew Barzal, C, NYI (SAME)
48. Vincent Trocheck, C, FLA (+12)
49. Rickard Rakell, C/LW, ANA (NEW - INJ.)
50. Josh Bailey, LW/RW, NYI (+7)
51. Tyler Toffoli, C/RW, LAK (-1)
52. Nazem Kadri, C, TOR (SAME)
53. Kyle Turris, C, NSH (SAME)
54. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, WPG (+10)
55. Mike Hoffman, LW/RW, OTT (-10)
56. Ryan Johansen, C, NSH (IR)
57. Jonathan Marchessault, C/LW, VGK (+16)
58. Viktor Arvidsson, LW/RW, NSH (SAME)
59. Dustin Brown, LW/RW, LAK (SAME)
60. Patric Hornqvist, RW, PIT (DTD)
61. William Karlsson, C/LW, VGK (+19)
62. Brayden Point, C/RW, TBL (-11)
63. Max Pacioretty, LW, MTL (+13)
64. James Neal, LW/RW, VGK (-15)
65. James van Riemsdyk, LW, TOR (-11)
66. Joe Pavelski, C/RW, SJS (-11)
67. Wayne Simmonds, RW, PHI (-11)
68. Mikko Rantanen, LW/RW, COL (-3)
69. Clayton Keller, C/LW/RW, ARI (-2)
70. Logan Couture, C/LW, SJS (-9)
71. T.J. Oshie, RW, WSH (DTD)
72. Jonathan Toews, C, CHI (-3)
73. Eric Staal, C, MIN (+2)
74. Brendan Gallagher, RW, MTL (+10)
75. Teuvo Teravainen, C/LW/RW, CAR (-13)
76. Dylan Larkin, C/RW, DET (-8)
77. Sebastian Aho, LW/RW, CAR (-7)
78. Mikael Granlund, C/RW, MIN (-7)
79. Corey Perry, RW, ANA (SAME)
80. Nino Niederreiter, LW/RW, MIN (-8)
81. Jeff Skinner, LW, CAR (-9)
82. Mitch Marner, C/RW, TOR (-8)
83. Reilly Smith, LW/RW, VGK (+5)
84. Cam Atkinson, RW, CBJ (-6)
85. Milan Lucic, LW, EDM (+11)
86. Jason Zucker, LW/RW, MIN (+1)
87. Matthew Tkachuk, LW, CGY (-6)
88. Kyle Connor, LW, WPG (-2)
89. Jonathan Drouin, C/LW/RW, MTL (DTD)
90. Kevin Fiala, LW/RW, NSH (+4)
91. Bo Horvat, C, VAN (IR)
92. Ondrej Palat, LW, TBL (+5)
93. Brandon Saad, LW, CHI (-10)
94. Josh Anderson, RW, CBJ (NEW)
95. Patrick Marleau, C/LW, TOR (-6)
96. Chris Kreider, LW, NYR (NEW)
97. Matt Duchene, C/RW, OTT (-7)
98. Gabriel Landeskog, LW, COL (+1)
99. Pierre-Luc Dubois, C/LW, CBJ (NEW)
100. Alex DeBrincat, LW/RW, CHI (SAME)
Dropped out: Derick Brassard, C, OTT; Patrick Maroon, LW, EDM; Nico Hischier, C, NJD; Sven Baertschi, LW, VAN
Justmissed: Bryan Little, C, WPG; Pavel Buchnevich, LW/RW, NYR; Jordan Eberle, C/RW, NYI; Nick Schmaltz, C/LW, CHI; Alex Galchenyuk, C/LW, MTL; Alexander Steen, C/LW/RW, STL; Adam Henrique, C, ANA; Mathieu Perreault, C/LW, WPG; Craig Smith, RW, NSH; Micheal Ferland, LW/RW, CGY; Charlie Coyle, C/RW, MIN; Tyler Johnson, C, TBL; Mats Zuccarello, RW, NYR; Max Domi, LW, ARI; Alex Kerfoot, C/RW, COL
Keyinjuries: Ryan Getzlaf, C, ANA; Mika Zibanejad, C, NYR (dropped out); Jeff Carter, C, LAK; Evgenii Dadonov, RW, FLA; Ryan Kesler, C, ANA; Kyle Palmieri, RW, NJD; Jakob Silfverberg, LW/RW, ANA (DTD); Andre Burakovsky, LW/RW, WSH; Zach Parise, LW, MIN
READ: Last week's Top 100 forward rankings**