Fantasy Hockey: 20 Players That Are Undervalued, Overrated

With the puck dropping on the NHL season tonight we are going to preview the upcoming fantasy hockey season through a series of pieces dedicated to helping you make the most common sense picks in your drafts this week.

Today we give our list of the ten most underrated and overrated players available in drafts.

Underrated

1. Filip Forsberg, C, Nashville Predators: Forsberg is a strong skater who is skilled and can finish around the net. A top six forward who has the potential to score 30 goals and 70 points. Some owners love him, some despise him. I am in the latter catagory.

2. Kyle Okposo, F, Buffalo Sabres: Okposo has battled injuries throughout his career but when healthy, he has the skill set necessary to be an elite goal scorer and quality fantasy option.

3. Alexander Wennberg, C, Columbus Blue Jackets: Wennberg is starting to come into his own and is poised for a break out season for a Blue Jackets team that has high expectations.

4. Pavel Buchnevich, RW, New York Rangers: Buchnevich will play a top six role for the rebuilding Rangers. He showed signs of being a finisher last season and with more minutes, Buchnevich could score 25-30 goals.

5. Zach Hyman, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs: Hyman will go undrafted in most leagues but if you are looking for a value free agent who can score 20 plus goals and contribute in other categories, Hyman is the guy.

6. Valeri Nichushkin, RW, Dallas Stars: The Stars have cornered the market on talented Russians with size who can score and finish. Nichushkin has good size and hands. He will score a lot of garbage goals around the crease. A worthy pick.

7. Shea Theodore, D, Vegas Golden Knights: Theodore is a small but skilled defensemen who can quarterback the power play and score. If he is available in your league, you should give him a look. Theodore is a puck moving defense who will score 80-100 fantasy points this season.

8. Anthony Beauvillier, C/LW, New York Islanders: Beauvillier will get top six minutes now that John Tavares is gone. Beauvillier has the size and skill to be an elite center and winger. A worthy pick in rounds eight through ten.

9. Nick Schmaltz, C/LW, Chicago Blackhawks: Schmaltz played a top six role for the Blackhawks last season and expect him to get more shifts on a Blackhawks team that quasi rebuilding.

10. Jakob Vrana, LW/RW, Washington Capitals: Vrana played a big role in the Caps Stanley Cup run and he is now expected to take on a greater role on the Capitals third line. Vrana has the skill set to develop into a 20-25 goal scorer.

Overrated

1. Carey Price, G, Montreal Canadiens: Don’t over draft Price. He will disappoint you. The Canadiens will once again lean on him way too much and he will fail to meet fantasy expectations.

2. Jonathan Toews, C/LW, Chicago Blackhawks: Toews is nowhere near the player he once was. At this point, he is nothing more than a bench piece that you can use if the match up is right in DFS or to fill a roster spot on a lite schedule night.

3. James Neal, LW, Calgary Flames: Neal has scored 20 or more goals in ten straight seasons but one has to think that father time will eventually catch up to him. I am a hypocrite. I drafted him in my league.

4. Duncan Keith, D, Chicago Blackhawks: Keith’s decline in terms of fantasy production began last season and he no longer has any real value because he doesn’t quarterback the Blackhawks number one power play.

5. Zach Parise, RW, Minnesota Wild: If you think Parise is returning to the form he displayed in 2012, 2013 and 2014, you would be wrong. He is a bench piece in standard leagues and a match up play in DFS.

6. Paul Stastny, C, Vegas Golden Knights: Stastny is paid like a number one center but he doesn’t produce like one. He only accumulated 53 points last season.

7. Joe Thornton, C, San Jose Sharks: Thornton is a shell of the player he once was. He is not productive anymore and if you draft him, you are basing it on reputation and nothing else.

8. Zdeno Chara, D, Boston Bruins: If you are in a 12 team league, take Chara. If you are not, stay away. Torey Krug and Charlie McAvoy are the defenseman to own on the Bruins.

9. Milan Lucic, RW, Edmonton Oilers: Lucic hasn’t produced in four years so why bother drafting him. Give him a chance to prove himself and grab him off the wire down the road.

10. Ilya Kovalchuk, LW, Los Angeles Kings: Kovalchuk is back but he’s 35 and hasn’t played in the NHL in four years. There is a lot of upside here but some bust potential as well.

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