Another NHL season is about to begin, with selections tipping off in the North American opener at 4:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, and fantasy hockey managers around the world are vying to find the league's best two-way defenseman to recruit. Avalanche blueliner and 2020 Calder Trophy winner Cale Makar will be off the board early in fantasy hockey drafts after having another outstanding season for Colorado, posting 90 points (21 goals, 69 assists) and a plus- 15 scored despite only playing 77 games due to injuries. The only defenseman in the league who can match Makar's stats in fantasy hockey is Canucks d-man Quinn Hughes, who has an impressive 92 points (17 goals, 75 assists) and an incredible upside in a full 82-game season out of 38 scored.
Both Makar and Hughes are in the middle of their prime and managers around the world would be lucky to include either of them in their fantasy hockey strategy. Should you select any of these early in your fantasy hockey draft? Before making any fantasy hockey picks for 2024-25, Check out the 2024-25 fantasy hockey rankings from the trusted computer model at SportsLine.
The model was created by Mike McClure, a predictive data engineer and professional daily fantasy player with career earnings of more than $2 million. He used his prediction model to simulate the entire 2024-25 NHL schedule 10,000 times and identify the top sleepers, breakouts and busts in fantasy hockey. Head over to SportsLine now to see them.
McClure's model considers factors such as player history, schedule, injuries and matchups to create the most unbiased 2022-23 fantasy hockey rankings possible. Now the model has focused on the 2024-25 NHL season, evaluating each player and identifying the top sleepers, breakouts and busts. Check out each selection here.
Top 2024-25 Fantasy Hockey Picks
SportsLine has identified one of the 2024-25 fantasy hockey sleepers: Bruins forward Brad Marchand. The 36-year-old captain had a modest 2023-24 season by his own standards, posting 67 points (29 goals, 38 assists) and a plus-two in 82 games. However, the model predicts that it will experience an upswing this season.
Marchand revealed that he tore a tendon in his elbow all of last season and underwent surgery to repair it this offseason. He is still expected to be a top winger and could potentially play alongside new Bruins signing Elias Lindholm and reconnect with power forward David Pastrnak. Marchand's ADP is well over 50, but the model estimates he's entering fantasy hockey drafts much earlier.
Another surprise: Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini is one of the best fantasy hockey breakouts this season. San Jose selected the Hobey Baker winner with the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft, and he is expected to play a big role in the Sharks' massive rebuild.
The 18-year-old Celebrini posted 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists) and a plus-25 in 38 games for Boston University last year. He scored in five games as a member of Canada's U20 team at the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships another eight points (four goals, four assists). While Celebrini has yet to play in an NHL game in the regular season, his strong preseason performance suggests he will be a major asset to fantasy hockey managers this season. The complete ranking can be found here.
How to Find Proven 2024-25 Fantasy Hockey Rankings
The model also made a surprise call to Panthers forward Sam Reinhart after he was one of the league's top scorers a season ago. Here you can only see the latest 2024-25 fantasy hockey rankings.
So what is the exact value of each NHL player in the 2024-25 fantasy hockey rankings and where is the first overall pick from the 2024 NHL draft rankings? Visit SportsLine now to get fantasy hockey rankings, all from a DFS pro who has won more than $2 million in his career and simulated the entire NHL season 10,000 timesand find out.
