There are so many players who go late in drafts that have the potential to put up tons of fantasy points. A handful of first-line players also tend to be passed by, but exposure to the best players on their teams and lots of ice time should raise their value. Since they tend to be overlooked, this is the place to get information on which players you should target late in your fantasy hockey drafts.
Tyler Toffoli- 165.1 ADP
Tyler Toffoli is the frontrunner for the top-line right wing spot on the Calgary Flames this season. That means he will be playing with Elias Lindholm and Jonathan Huberdeau (“Tyler Toffoli gets top-line trigger chance for Flames”, Calgary Sun, 9/27/22). Lindholm finished second in the Selke Trophy voting, scored 42 goals, and was a point-per-game player. Huberdeau finished second in the NHL in points with 115 and led all players with 85 assists, six more than the next closest player.
Having elite linemates like this for an entire season will not only rub off on Toffoli and make him better, it will boost all of his stat categories and make him a very underrated fantasy player. He is generally drafted far too late at an average of 165.1 and could realistically put up a point per game himself this season. Goals are harder to come by, so with Huberdeau feeding him the puck, Toffoli will be able to put pucks in the back of the net and provide a more rare value to your fantasy team.
As he should get top power-play minutes and more minutes shorthanded, it provides more chances to score and be on the ice. This will, in turn, allow Toffoli to add to other stats as well.
Boone Jenner- 165.4 ADP
The Columbus Blue Jackets are still without a real number one centre. They are hoping Cole Sillinger or Kent Johnson can turn into that soon. But for this season, Boone Jenner will once again slot in on the first line. He should have a big boost in fantasy considering the team added the biggest free agent in their history this offseason, Johnny Gaudreau.
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Jenner will be playing in between Gaudreau, who recorded 115 points last season, and Patrik Laine, who is a stellar talent. Just like Toffoli on the Flames this season, Jenner will be a top-line player surrounded by elite talent, play on the top power-play unit and kill penalties. The Blue Jackets will be more offensive this season, and Jenner will be able to get in on a lot of that. He led all forwards on the team in ice time last season and scored at a proficient rate with 23 goals and 44 points in 59 games. This was also without the help of Laine for a number of games and without Gaudreau completely.
Artturi Lehkonen- 165.5 ADP
Artturi Lehkonen is projected to play on the top line alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. This is yet another example of a skilled player who will gain a massive boost from playing with elite linemates. Lehkonen was a key piece in the Colorado Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup last season, scoring eight goals and 14 points in 20 games.
He was a mid-season addition from the Montreal Canadiens, and the Avalanche were more than pleased to keep the skilled winger around. As of right now, he is slated to play on the top line and the top power play, but Valeri Nichushkin will have something to say about it. Having that inter-team competition will be great for the players, as well, since no member of that team is fine with just winning the Cup once.
Mikael Granlund- 168.4 ADP
The Nashville Predators are often viewed as a defensive team and are often overlooked when it comes to their offence. Last season should have changed the script seeing as they finished 12th in the NHL in goals. They had a number of players have career years, so it’s understandable to expect regression. Regardless, there are many stellar players who can put up a lot of points.
Granlund has great chemistry with his linemates, Matt Duchene and Filip Forsberg. He will once again be centering those two after they combined for 85 goals and 170 points. Granlund had an underrated season between the two, putting up 53 assists and 64 points. He is a great playmaker, and so long as he is flanked by 40-goal scorers, the points will come. He consistently leads the forwards in ice time and plays on both special teams. The knocks against him is the lack of shots and goals. He has put up over 20 goals twice in his career and used to shoot more when he was a member of the Minnesota Wild. If he can rediscover some of that game, he’ll be even more valuable. But if he doesn’t, Granlund will still give your fantasy team plenty of points.
Seth Jarvis- 168.8 ADP
Seth Jarvis is a potentially sneaky pick considering he is just entering his second season in the NHL. Other managers may not pay too much attention to such a young player with a lack of coverage due to him playing in a small market like Carolina. Last season, he put up 17 goals and 40 points in 68 games as a rookie, playing under 14 minutes a night and played very well.
With more confidence in the young winger, he will have a larger role and get to play with elite players like Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov from the very start of the season. Considering Max Pacioretty is expected to be on the injured reserve, there is more time for Jarvis to lock down that top-line spot and hold it for the entire season.
The late rounds of your fantasy hockey drafts are just as important as the start. You never know which late-round pick will come out of nowhere and help carry the team to a win. Be sure to be just as locked in all the way through the draft and construct the best possible team.
ADPs courtesy of Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey.
