Fantasy Hockey Risers, Fallers and Deployment Shifts to Exploit Now

Recent role changes, hot streaks and injuries are reshaping fantasy value across the league. A few skaters are riding prime deployment into must-start status, while others are getting buried in usage that kills their upside. Let’s break down who’s winning and losing on the depth chart — and what fantasy managers should do about it right now.

What’s New & Why It Matters

The biggest deployment winner is Zeev Buium, who has stepped into a power-play quarterback role for the Vancouver Canucks. Running PP1 is one of the single most valuable assignments in fantasy, especially for a defenseman who can rack up primary assists and secondary points just by moving the puck to established finishers. This is a material shift in his rest-of-season ceiling.

Tage Thompson continues to drive offense for the Buffalo Sabres from a top-line role, converting heavy usage into a scoring surge. In Nashville, Filip Forsberg is on a heater as a top-six winger with strong power-play exposure, making him one of the more appealing trade targets in fantasy right now.

In net, Brandon Bussi has emerged as the current preferred starter for the Carolina Hurricanes, even with competition on the depth chart. That kind of run on a strong team can swing goalie categories in weekly formats. Meanwhile, Shane Wright is stuck in a third-line, defense-first role for the Seattle Kraken, which sharply caps his production in most fantasy formats.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

In points-only leagues, deployment is everything, and several of these situations are screaming buys.

Zeev Buium is the headliner. A defenseman running PP1 in Vancouver instantly becomes rosterable in almost all points formats. Even if he isn’t a high-volume shooter, just touching the puck before the Canucks’ finishers on the man advantage can translate into steady assists and power-play points. Treat him as a clear upgrade over any replaceable depth defender who’s stuck on a second unit or off the power play entirely.

Tage Thompson is doing exactly what you drafted him to do: scoring in bunches from a prime role on Buffalo’s top line. The combination of top-line, top power-play usage and current form means he’s a firm hold. If anything, his current streak pushes him into anchor your forward group territory for the rest of the season.

Filip Forsberg is on a multi-game point streak with impact performances, showing that his top-six and power-play role in Nashville is translating into high-end production again. In points-only, this is the type of player you try to acquire before your league fully prices in his rebound (or continuation) — use the NHL Trade Analyzer to gauge what a fair offer looks like in your specific league structure.

On the downside, Shane Wright’s third-line, defensive-tilt role simply doesn’t cut it in points-only leagues. Even if the real-life play is improving, the lack of top-six minutes or PP1 time makes it unlikely he can keep pace with other available forwards. He’s a cut in shallow and most standard points-only formats.

Categories / Bangers

In multi-cat setups, the same deployment notes apply, but category profiles tweak the recommendations.

Thompson is a premium asset in categories: heavy usage leads to strong shots volume, goals, and power-play points, and his size adds at least some peripheral contribution. Treat him as a locked-in start in all matchups and avoid selling unless you’re blown away.

Forsberg also brings a strong categories profile. A hot streak on top of top-unit usage makes him an appealing acquisition for teams chasing goals, PPP and shots. His current form might make him expensive, but managers needing scoring punch should still explore deals; power-play time plus a long track record of production give him a relatively high floor.

Buium is more of a finesse add in categories. His value leans heavily on assists and power-play points rather than hits and blocks. That said, PP1 time from the blue line is hard to find, making him especially attractive in deeper categories leagues or any setup that separately values PPP.

In net, Bussi is one of the most interesting names. As long as he’s holding the starting job in Carolina, he’s a strong streamer with potential to become a full-time starter on your fantasy roster. A run of wins and solid play on a good defensive team can carry you in wins, GAA and save percentage. Just be prepared for volatility if his leash tightens or the Hurricanes shift back to more of a timeshare.

Wright offers limited category juice from his current deployment. Without prime offensive minutes or heavy peripherals, he’s not doing enough in any one category to justify a spot outside of very deep leagues that reward faceoffs and defensive responsibility.

Dynasty / Keeper

Dynasty managers should zoom out from week-to-week swings, but these deployment shifts still matter.

Buium earning a PP1 quarterback role this early is a big green flag. Even if it’s partially driven by injuries or experimentation, it shows trust from Vancouver’s coaching staff. In dynasty, he should be treated as a rising asset — a young defenseman with a path to long-term top-unit work. If your league undervalues him as a short-term hot add rather than a long-term cornerstone, this is a window to buy.

Thompson and Forsberg are more established, but their current runs reaffirm their roles as core keeper pieces on contending teams. Thompson’s role as a top-line driver in Buffalo isn’t going anywhere, and Forsberg’s ability to string together big stretches of production keeps his long-term value intact. In keepers, they’re strong holds unless you’re moving them as part of a clear two-for-one upgrade.

Bussi is the trickiest dynasty call. Short-term, he’s valuable while he sits atop the Carolina depth chart. Long-term, you need to weigh whether this is a true arrival or a hot stretch in front of a strong system. In deeper keeper and dynasty formats, he’s worth a speculative hold, but be careful about overpaying in futures for a goalie whose role could shift quickly.

Wright remains a long-term bet in deep dynasty, but his current defensive role in Seattle underscores that his fantasy breakout timeline may be slower than some hoped. He’s a hold only in leagues where you can afford a patience slot; in shallow keepers, he’s droppable for win-now pieces.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Zeev Buium – Add (standard and deep): PP1 quarterback in Vancouver with immediate upside in assists and power-play points.
Tage Thompson – Hold / Trade target (all formats): Locked into a top-line scoring role in Buffalo and riding a strong offensive surge.
Filip Forsberg – Trade target (all formats): On a sustained scoring tear with top-six and power-play deployment in Nashville.
Brandon Bussi – Short-term stream / Watchlist (12+ teams): Currently holding the starting net in Carolina, giving him strong win and ratio potential while the run lasts.
Shane Wright – Drop / Avoid (shallow and standard): Buried in a third-line, defense-first role that doesn’t translate to fantasy production.
Brandon Bussi – Add in deep leagues: In deeper formats with limited goalie options, his current workload makes him worth a proactive add rather than a reactive stream.

Fantasy Takeaways

Zeev Buium’s move into Vancouver’s PP1 role makes him one of the top blue-line waiver adds across formats.
Tage Thompson should be treated as a firm hold and potential buy-high target while he anchors Buffalo’s top line.
Filip Forsberg’s hot streak plus prime deployment in Nashville make him a strong trade target before your league fully prices in his production.
Brandon Bussi is a priority streamer and possible longer-term add in leagues where goalie volume is scarce, as long as he keeps the Carolina starting job.
Shane Wright’s current third-line, defensive usage in Seattle limits his fantasy appeal to only the deepest formats.

Source: RotoWire. See the original for full details.