Fantasy Hockey Tiers: Evangelista, Wennberg and Celebrini Headline 2025-26 Risers
The 2025-26 season is giving us some clear early signals about emerging fantasy value. A few forwards are stepping into prime roles, piling up assists and power-play production, and forcing their way into mixed-league relevance. Instead of focusing on raw numbers, we’ll group these names into tiers by role and format, so you can decide who to add, who to trade for, and who to stash for later.
What’s New & Why It Matters
The big development is opportunity. Luke Evangelista has climbed into a top-six role with the Nashville Predators and is driving their offense with playmaking and power-play work. That kind of deployment is exactly what turns a fringe name into a real asset in points-only and deeper formats.
On the West Coast, Alexander Wennberg is one of the few stabilizing offensive pieces for the San Jose Sharks. He’s locked into a top-six center role and first-unit power play, and he’s converting that into a scoring surge with meaningful man-advantage production. When a player on a weaker team still controls prime usage, it often means sneaky fantasy value because the volume flows through them.
Another key storyline in San Jose is Macklin Celebrini. Slotted as a top-six forward with power-play exposure and already among the team’s leaders in points, he’s a long-term building block in dynasty and a name to monitor in redraft if his role keeps expanding. Meanwhile, established superstars like Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid are once again in the mix for major NHL awards, reinforcing their status as the safest elite fantasy anchors and prime trade targets if your league allows bold moves.
Fantasy Implications
Points-Only
In points-only formats, you care first about who touches the puck in scoring situations. Evangelista checks that box: he’s leading Nashville in helpers and is heavily involved on the top power play. That profile screams "high-assist winger" with a solid floor. If your roster is light on playmaking, he’s exactly the kind of midseason add that can quietly swing your assist category or overall point totals.
Wennberg’s value in points-only stems from concentration of opportunity. On a San Jose squad that doesn’t have many established scorers, the puck runs through him on the first unit and in offensive-zone situations. As long as he keeps that role, he’s a viable middle-tier scoring center, especially in deeper leagues where simply being on PP1 is half the battle.
Celebrini is more of a ceiling play for points formats. His top-six, PP1 role and strong point pace for San Jose suggest he could push into must-roster territory if he sustains or improves. For now, he’s a priority watchlist name in standard leagues and already rosterable in deeper points-only setups. At the top of the food chain, Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid remain the gold standard for raw point production; if you can use the NHL Trade Analyzer to structure a fair deal for either, you’re adding league-winning upside.
Categories / Bangers
In multi-cat leagues, the calculus shifts slightly. Evangelista’s primary appeal is still assists and power-play points, but his top-six deployment should also bring a healthy shot volume and plus-minus that won’t hurt you on a competitive Nashville team. He’s less of a banger and more of a finesse contributor, so he fits best if you’re already strong in hits and blocks and need scoring polish.
Wennberg is a more rounded categories option. His current scoring streak and power-play usage give you goals, assists, and PPP, with the potential for decent shots and faceoff wins in formats that count them. On a rebuilding Sharks team, he may not help much in plus-minus, but managers punting that category or streaming for PPP and assists can still profit.
Celebrini’s categories value will track his offensive breakout. As a young top-six forward, he should provide shots and points, with any peripheral stats a bonus. In bangers-heavy leagues, he’s more of a luxury stash than a core piece right now, but his trajectory suggests he could evolve into a multi-cat contributor as his game matures.
Dynasty / Keeper
Dynasty is where these names really separate. Evangelista looks like a long-term top-six fixture for Nashville, with the skill set to be a perennial 60-plus point threat if things break right. Locking in a young winger who already drives assists and power-play production is exactly how you future-proof a contending roster.
Wennberg is more of a win-now depth piece in dynasty. His age and profile make him less exciting as a long-term cornerstone, but as long as he’s glued to PP1 and a scoring line, he’s a useful middle-tier center to bridge gaps while your prospects develop. Don’t overpay for him in long-horizon formats, but take advantage of his current role.
Celebrini is the crown jewel for dynasty managers. Top-six usage, PP1 time, and high point totals this early in his career signal a potential franchise fantasy asset. If you’re rebuilding, he’s exactly the type of player you consolidate aging depth for. If you’re contending, he’s a high-upside hold you should be extremely reluctant to move unless the return is a proven elite like MacKinnon or McDavid.
Who to Add / Stream / Watch
- Luke Evangelista – Add (standard/deep): Top-six and PP1 usage in Nashville with strong assist and power-play production make him a priority add in points-focused leagues.
- Alexander Wennberg – Add/Short-term stream: Riding a scoring streak on San Jose’s top line and first power play, he’s a strong categories and PPP streamer with hold potential.
- Macklin Celebrini – Watchlist/Add (deep & dynasty): Already a top-six, PP1 option for San Jose with impressive point totals, he’s a must-stash in dynasty and a watchlist name in shallower leagues.
- Nathan MacKinnon – Trade target: An elite, award-caliber producer who should be aggressively targeted in trades if you can structure a fair offer.
- Connor McDavid – Trade target: Still the safest superstar in fantasy; if a manager is even slightly frustrated, explore a blockbuster using the NHL Trade Analyzer for balance.
Fantasy Takeaways
- Evangelista’s combination of top-six minutes and PP1 usage in Nashville makes him a strong add in points-only and deeper mixed leagues.
- Wennberg’s current scoring run and central role on San Jose’s power play give him short-term and possibly rest-of-season value in categories formats.
- Celebrini is a premium dynasty asset already producing in a top-six, PP1 role and should be stashed wherever possible.
- Use MacKinnon’s award-level play as justification to pay up in trades if your roster needs a true elite anchor.
- McDavid remains a league-winning centerpiece; always check if a frustrated manager is open to a blockbuster and use tools like the NHL Trade Analyzer to structure it.
Source: NHL.com. See the original for full details.