Macklin Celebrini’s Deployment Boom: Fantasy Winners, Losers and Moves to Make

Macklin Celebrini’s second NHL season has jumped from promising to legitimately elite, with production that puts him in the same scoring stratosphere as established stars. His role with the San Jose Sharks has crystalized into true centerpiece usage, and that reshapes the value of everyone around him. Let’s break down who’s winning and losing from this deployment—and what fantasy managers should do right now.

What’s New & Why It Matters

Macklin Celebrini has moved from exciting prospect to focal point of the Sharks’ offense. With his scoring clip sitting among the league leaders and whispers of Art Ross contention, the coaching staff is clearly treating him like a franchise driver: prime even-strength minutes, heavy involvement in offensive-zone situations, and a featured role on the top power-play unit.

His speed and shot threat are forcing defenses to collapse on him, which opens seams for linemates—most notably fellow young forward Will Smith. Their growing chemistry has produced a steady stream of goals and chances, and that partnership now shapes how we should value San Jose’s forwards as a group.

For fantasy, this is all about trust and sustainability. Celebrini’s underlying tools—skating, shot, and play-driving—support his surface stats, suggesting this isn’t a fluky heater. As long as he holds top-line and PP1 usage, he’s not just a breakout; he’s a building block you can legitimately anchor a roster around.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

In points-only formats, Celebrini is firmly in must-roster territory everywhere. Output that hangs with names like Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid, combined with top deployment, puts him in the conversation as a potential league-winner. If there was any hesitation about sustainability, the way he’s consistently driving offense at 5-on-5 and on the power play should remove that doubt.

For managers who don’t have Celebrini, this is your window to treat him as a centerpiece trade target in keeper or deep points leagues. His age and current role give him long-term insulation; even if San Jose’s offense dips on certain nights, his combination of volume and skill keeps his floor high.

Smith is the other key name here. His fantasy value is directly tied to how long he rides shotgun next to Celebrini. As long as he’s attached to that top-line deployment, he offers sneaky assist upside and exposure to top-tier scoring without having to carry play-driving responsibilities himself. In deeper points-only leagues, that makes him a viable stash or speculative add.

Categories / Bangers

In multi-cat formats, Celebrini’s primary value still comes from scoring categories—goals, assists, shots, and power-play production. His speed and shot volume should translate into strong SOG totals, and if your league counts power-play points, his locked-in PP1 usage gives him another clear edge. He isn’t highlighted as a heavy hitter or banger, so don’t expect him to carry you in hits or PIM.

The real categories play is stacking around him selectively. If you roster Celebrini, you can build out with more peripheral-heavy depth and lean on him for premium scoring. Streaming Sharks skaters in good matchups can be a way to chase plus-minus spikes, extra shots, and secondary scoring—especially when they face weaker defensive teams. When San Jose gets a soft stretch in the schedule, short-term streams around the top six become more attractive because of the halo effect from Celebrini’s line.

Dynasty / Keeper

Dynasty managers should view Celebrini as a foundational asset. A player this young, already producing at an elite scoring pace and earning top deployment, is exactly the kind of long-term bet you want to overpay for rather than sell. His trajectory suggests multiple peak years ahead; moving off him now would require an overwhelming return.

Smith, meanwhile, is a classic upside swing. His current value comes from his synergy with Celebrini, but his long-term appeal goes beyond just riding shotgun. The fact that he can keep pace and produce alongside a high-end talent is a great sign for his development curve. In deeper dynasty formats, he’s the type of player you stick on a bench or farm slot and let the situation mature.

More broadly, the Sharks’ emerging young core changes how we think about their offense in long-term formats. Instead of a dead zone for fantasy production, San Jose now looks like an environment where elite scoring lines and a potent top power play can exist. Staying ahead of that curve by locking in shares of their core now could pay off over multiple seasons.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Macklin Celebrini – Add / Trade target (all formats): True top-line, PP1 deployment with elite scoring pace; treat him like a cornerstone, not a streamer.
Will Smith – Watchlist / Deep-league add: Growing chemistry with Celebrini and consistent top-six usage give him breakout potential, especially in dynasty.
Top-six Sharks winger – Short-term stream (categories): Anyone rotating into Celebrini’s line becomes an immediate short-term stream when San Jose hits a soft part of the schedule.
PP1 Sharks defenseman – Watchlist: The defender running the top unit benefits directly from Celebrini’s playmaking and shot volume, with rising power-play point upside.
Secondary Sharks center – Deep-league stream: In deeper leagues, San Jose’s second-line pivot has sneaky value when the team’s offense is rolling behind Celebrini’s matchup pressure.
San Jose Sharks skaters – Schedule-based stream: When the Sharks draw weaker opponents, streaming their top-six forwards can capitalize on the offense Celebrini is driving.

Fantasy Takeaways

Celebrini is no longer a speculative young scorer—he’s a set-and-forget fantasy stud whose usage and production justify aggressive buy-high offers, especially in keeper and dynasty leagues.
Smith’s value is tethered to his time next to Celebrini; keep him on your watchlist in shallower formats and stash him in deeper or dynasty setups as that partnership evolves.
The Sharks’ top power-play unit is now a legitimate fantasy asset; whenever you see a skater locked into prime PP1 time with Celebrini, bump them up your priority list.
San Jose is no longer a blanket avoid for streaming—target their skaters during friendly matchups, using Celebrini’s presence to hunt short bursts of scoring and power-play production.
Use tools like the NHL Trade Analyzer to gauge what it takes to acquire Celebrini in your league without overpaying beyond his new elite tier.

Source: NHL.com. See the original for full details.