When it comes to fantasy hockey, the disparity between the best and all of the rest is undoubtedly the greatest among defensemen were a small class of elite options has absolutely dominated over the years. Locking up one of those star options could represent a tremendous boost to your fantasy lineup and in the end it could also make the difference between winning a championship and falling just short of that goal. Here is a look at the top five NHL fantasy defensemen heading in to the 2016-17 season.
Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
Karlsson is in a class of his own when it comes to elite fantasy defensemen. The 26-year-old is the only defensemen that finished among the top-10 in NHL scoring a year ago when he tied Joe Thornton for the fourth-most points in the league with 82. The ability to plug a player with Karlsson’s potential at defense should provide any lineup with a significant boost. Karlsson has topped 70 points three times in his career and it won’t be a surprise when he does it again this season. He’s so valuable in fantasy in particular as defensemen are not counted upon for points the way that he produces. That makes him one of the most valuable assets at the top of draft boards. According to Fantasy Pros, his average draft position is currently eighth, right behind guys like Vladimir Tarasenko, Connor McDavid and Braden Holtby.
Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks
Burns is coming off a career-high 75 points in 2015-16, marking the first time he topped the 60-point mark in a season. It is reasonable to expect some regression from the veteran rearguard this season but not enough to bump him down this list. Burns had 27 goals, 353 shots and 30 powerplay points last season, which made him the second-best option at the position behind only Karlsson. Burns should thrive again this coming year thanks in large part to San Jose’s outstanding powerplay so he is clearly deserving of the second spot on this list. The Sharks are hopeful to sign him to a long-term contract this season but the fantasy heads wouldn’t mind if he played out his contract year. As we all know, players who are in the final year of their contract tend to exceed expectations, so we’ll for more of the same from Burns.
Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins
Letang has the potential to be in the same category as Karlsson if he can stay healthy for a full-82 games. However, the fact that he hasn’t played a full-82 games since 2010-11is a likely indicator that won’t happen this season. Letang’s 71 games played last season were his most since 2010-11, and he delivered with 16 goals and 67 points. Pittsburgh is absolutely loaded up front so Letang could thrive again if he can stay healthy this NHL season.
P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators
It will be very interesting to see how Subban responds to a change of scenery this season after being traded from Montreal to Nashville. The former Norris trophy winner had just six goals and 51 points in 68 games last season, but he averaged nearly a point per game in 2012-13 and the feeling is that he could find that form again if his full potential is unleashed by the Predators this season. Subban was held back by the restraints of the system he played in with the Canadiens, so look for him to challenge for a career-high point total this season in Nashville. He’s looked far more relaxed in the offseason in Nashville than he ever did in Montreal. He’ll be surrounded by a far better cast on the blue line, which could open things up for him to be an even bigger threat in terms of offense for NHL fantasy.
Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg Jets
Byfuglien’s production across the board will guarantee he remains among the fantasy elite once again this coming season. Byfuglien had 19 goals and 53 points with Winnipeg a year ago but it was his peripheral totals that put him over the top. Big Buff finished with 119 penalty minutes and 17 powerplay points to put himself among the game’s fantasy elite at the position and he should be a top-five fantasy defenseman once again this coming season.
