Mock drafts are already in full swing, training camps will be opening soon, and before you know it, the 2025-26 NHL fantasy season will be upon us. This isn't an order for drafting, but it can still serve as a tool to find value and player types to address roster needs. 

2025-26 NHL Fantasy Guide: Top Forward Tiers and Draft Strategies

Tier 1 NHL Forwards: McDavid, Draisaitl, MacKinnon, Kucherov

 Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov  

Fantasy managers selecting in the top four of drafts have four outstanding options. A strong case can be made for any one of them going first overall because of the offensive potency they bring to the table. McDavid (385), Kucherov (378), MacKinnon (367) and Draisaitl (340) are the leading scorers over the last three seasons, and they are the top four contributors on the power play during that span. All four of them are comfortable bets to surpass the 100-point plateau while racking up shots on goal.  

 Tier 2 - Elite Building Blocks for Your 2025-26 Fantasy NHL Draft

 David Pastrnak, Kirill Kaprizov, Mikko Rantanen, Auston Matthews, Kyle Connor 

There are some question marks here. Can Pastrnak stay dominant with the Bruins trending downward? Can Kaprizov and Matthews stay healthy? Can Rantanen retain his offensive value with fewer minutes in Dallas? Can Connor push higher after a career year in 2024-25? While Pastrnak may seem like the safest bet to answer his query positively, the other members of this category possess tremendous upside, particularly when it comes to goal scoring, and could all be in the conversation for 100 points if everything breaks their way.  

Tier 3 - High-End Fantasy Options: Crosby, Eichel, Hughes, Marner

 Sidney Crosby, Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, Mitch Marner, Sam Reinhart, William Nylander, Artemi Panarin 

The offensive upside is a bit lower here than the previous assortment, but it isn't by that much. Still, all the players in this grouping have 90-point upside. Eichel achieved that mark in 2024-25 after injuries held him back in previous seasons, and Hughes has the potential to return to that pace, and possibly exceed it, if he avoids extended absences. In a contract year, Marner topped 100 points for the first time at the NHL level last campaign. However, joining Vegas in the offseason could bring his totals down a peg. Crosby, 38, has topped 90 points in three straight seasons and could hold off Father Time for at least one more year. Reinhart and Panarin came back down to earth last season after personal best performances in 2023-24, but there is still plenty to like about their chances to be better this campaign. Nylander had the second-most goals (45) in the league last year and could flirt with 100 points if he receives an increased role in 2025-26.  

Tier 4 - Value Picks Beyond the Upper Echelon in Fantasy Hockey

Mark Scheifele, Nick Suzuki, Martin Necas, Brayden Point, Tim Stutzle, Jason Robertson, Aleksander Barkov, Jake Guentzel, Matt Boldy, Clayton Keller, Robert Thomas, Elias Pettersson  

There are some great winger options here between Guentzel, Boldy, Necas, Keller and Robertson, though you'll probably notice that plenty of productive centers are available in this section. The majority of fantasy managers know that depth down the middle is easy to find on draft day, and this tier highlights that notion. Stutzle has solid category coverage, but he needs to gain back the trust of poolies after failing to reach the 80-point mark in two consecutive campaigns. Scheifele, Barkov, Point and Thomas shouldn't have any issues reaching that threshold. Pettersson is a solid rebound candidate after being hindered by injuries in 2024-25, and his category coverage could make him a steal on draft day.  

Tier 5 - Solid Producers for NHL Fantasy Success

Filip Forsberg, Jesper Bratt, Brandon Hagel, Tage Thompson, Sebastian Aho, John Tavares, Adrian Kempe, J.T. Miller, Lucas Raymond, Brady Tkachuk, Dylan Larkin 

Despite dropping to 55 points last season, Tkachuk's fantasy value will remain high in leagues that value his penalty minutes, shots and hits. He remains the best blend of offensive contributions along with those statistics, and his point production stands a good chance of improving in 2025-26. Forsberg, Bratt and Kempe offer a good blend of hits, points and shots, though Bratt had an off-year when it came to getting pucks on net in 2024-25. Raymond will be a good source of points, especially with the man advantage. He tied for the third-most power-play points (37) last season. Thompson, Aho, Larkin, Miller and Tavares are reliable offensive producers who will likely register high shot totals.  

Tier 6 - Unlocking Potential of Emerging NHL Stars

Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, Logan Cooley, Matthew Knies, Dylan Guenther, Matvei Michkov, Dylan Holloway, Kirill Marchenko, Adam Fantilli, Quinton Byfield, Leo Carlsson  

First overall picks Bedard (2023) and Celebrini (2024) have impressed early in their NHL careers, but they are barely scratching the surface of what they are capable of accomplishing. While the supporting cast around both players remains an issue, it won't be long before they are knocking on the door of 80-point efforts. Cooley, Knies, Michkov and Guenther displayed immense potential in 2024-25, and they will likely continue to trend upward this campaign. Fantilli, Byfield and Carlsson are also solid bets to improve. Marchenko and Holloway should be valuable contributors, even if they take slight steps backward following breakout showings in the 2024-25 season.  

Tier 7 - Outstanding Depth to Boost Your Fantasy Roster

Nico Hischier, Alex Ovechkin, Nikolaj Ehlers, Wyatt Johnston, Travis Konecny, Seth Jarvis, Cole Caufield, Roope Hintz, Jordan Kyrou, Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, Mark Stone 

There is still plenty of offensive upside here, as the majority of the group should be near or over the 70-point plateau in the 2025-26 campaign. Ovechkin will be 40 years of age and won't have the motivation of catching Wayne Gretzky this time around, which could hurt his fantasy value, but he will probably still be productive. Ehlers could receive a boost with the likelihood that he lands an increased role during his first season with the Hurricanes.   

Tier 8 - Strategic Adds for Rounding Out Your NHL Fantasy Team 

Tomas Hertl, Nazem Kadri, Drake Batherson, Valeri Nichushkin, JJ Peterka, Gabriel Landeskog, Kevin Fiala, Carter Verhaeghe, Zach Hyman, Bryan Rust, Sean Monahan, Matt Duchene, Joel Eriksson Ek, Morgan Geekie, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Alex Tuch, Gabriel Vilardi, Mathew Barzal, Mika Zibanejad, Steven Stamkos, Anze Kopitar  

Fantasy managers could land a diamond in the rough in this spot, but most should be 60-plus-point performers. After being traded to the Mammoth in the offseason, Peterka could have more upside if he continues to gain steam. Landeskog is an interesting high-risk, high-reward option following a challenging recovery from a knee injury that saw him return to action from a three-season absence in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Eriksson Ek, Zibanejad, Stamkos, Nichushkin and Barzal have plenty of bounce-back appeal in the 2025-26 campaign.  

Tier 9 - Banger League Bruisers for Maximizing Hits and Penalty Minutes  

Tom Wilson, Sam Bennett, Kiefer Sherwood, Will Cuylle, Timo Meier, Evander Kane, Andrei Svechnikov, Vincent Trocheck, Mathieu Olivier 

They will chip in offensively during the 2025-26 campaign, but the crux of their fantasy appeal is racking up hits and minutes in the sin bin. Wilson broke out offensively in the regular season, and Bennett was a standout performer during the playoffs en route to a Conn Smythe Trophy, but drops in production should be expected from prospective fantasy managers. Meier, Svechnikov, Trocheck, Kane and Cuylle have the talent to improve offensively in 2025-26, which would make them more valuable in multi-category formats. Sherwood led the league with a record-setting 462 hits last season, while Olivier was the top heavyweight with 15 majors.  

Tier 10 - Rookies to Watch for Breakout Potential in 2025-26 NHL Fantasy 

Ivan Demidov, Michael Misa, Jimmy Snuggerud, Ryan Leonard, Gabe Perreault, Isaac Howard, Ville Koivunen, Maxim Shabanov  

Demidov. Misa, Snuggerud and Howard could be impactful performers in standard fantasy leagues if they secure top-six roles in the 2025-26 season. Koivunen might be in the conversation for a spot on one of the Penguins' top two lines. Leonard, Perreault and Shabanov may play slightly lower in the lineup, which could hurt their fantasy appeal outside of keeper leagues.