Top 200 Fantasy Hockey Rankings: How to Use the 2025-26 Board

NHL.com’s top 200 fantasy rankings for 2025-26 give us a clear snapshot of where the market stands on superstars, rookies, and injured stars. Your edge comes from understanding why players land where they do, and how that should shape your trades, keep/hold decisions, and long-term planning. Let’s break down the biggest movers and how to apply this list to your league.

What’s New & Why It Matters

The headline is that Nathan MacKinnon sits at or near the very top of the overall board. His combination of elite even-strength scoring, locked-in PP1 role, and stable situation in Colorado cements him as a justifiable 1.01 in many formats and a prime trade target if a manager in your league is even slightly uneasy.

Connor McDavid remains in that same ultra-elite tier. The rankings treat MacKinnon and McDavid as essentially interchangeable franchise anchors: both drive top power plays, both are among the safest bets for league-winning production, and both should be treated as near-untouchable in most trade talks unless you’re getting multiple top-20 assets back.

The list also bakes in significant rookie upside. Macklin Celebrini is highlighted as a top rookie with PP1 potential in San Jose, while Connor Bedard (mentioned in the takeaways) is framed as a long-term cornerstone rather than just a short-term spike. In dynasty and deep keeper formats, the rankings are effectively telling you to pay up for these names before they fully break out.

Injuries play a major role as well. Auston Matthews is flagged as a hold despite health concerns, reinforcing that his ceiling is too high to panic-sell. On the flip side, Aleksander Barkov is treated as a near-zero asset for this season due to a likely season-long absence, which should push him off draft boards and into IR-only or stash territory at best.

On defense, Cale Makar is clearly positioned as the premier blueliner, and in goal, Andrei Vasilevskiy is still viewed as a top workhorse option. The takeaway: the very top of each position is relatively stable, but the context around rookies and injuries is where you can gain the biggest edge.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

In points-only leagues, the rankings effectively create a clear first tier of forwards: MacKinnon, McDavid, and Matthews. All three are locked into massive usage and PP1 roles, and the recommendation is to treat them as foundational pieces rather than trade chips. If you’re moving one, it should be for a package that clearly increases your total points projection, not just a 2-for-1 that looks good on paper.

Makar’s placement as the top defenseman underscores how scarce true point-producing blueliners are. In points-only, he’s not just a defenseman; he’s a pseudo-elite forward who happens to fill a D slot. That positional leverage makes him worth overpaying for if your league starts multiple defensemen.

Rookies are where your risk tolerance matters. Celebrini and Bedard are both framed as high-upside scorers, but the rankings imply that Celebrini’s PP1 potential in San Jose could arrive quickly. In points-only, that makes him a viable aggressive target in deeper formats, while in shallower leagues you can afford to wait and see if he actually lands and sticks on PP1.

Categories / Bangers

In multi-cat leagues, the elite forwards retain their premium status, but the calculus shifts slightly. Matthews’ injury flag is important, but the guidance is to hold because when he’s on the ice he contributes heavily across key scoring categories. Selling low on a multi-cat monster is almost always a losing move.

Barkov, however, is a different story. With an expectation that he’s likely out for the season, his ranking signals that you should avoid using meaningful capital on him in redraft categories leagues. If your format has IR spots, he’s a stash only if the opportunity cost is minimal; otherwise, you’re better off investing in healthy contributors.

For defense and goalies, Makar and Andrei Vasilevskiy stand out because they contribute in multiple counting stats. Makar’s offensive output plus strong shot volume and power-play production make him a category-winner from the blue line. Vasilevskiy’s role as Tampa Bay’s clear starter means volume plus quality, which is critical in leagues that count wins and save percentage.

Dynasty / Keeper

Dynasty managers should read these rankings differently. The rookies and young stars are where the long-term value lives. Celebrini is explicitly called out as an add in dynasty thanks to his top-rookie status and PP1 upside. If he’s somehow available, he should be a priority claim or trade target, even if his short-term production is uneven.

Bedard, mentioned as a watchlist name, is another player where patience is key. The rankings frame him as a promising long-term piece, so any early struggles shouldn’t scare you off. In fact, a slow start could be your best chance to acquire him at a discount.

For established superstars like MacKinnon, McDavid, and Makar, the dynasty takeaway is simple: these are franchise pillars. You don’t move them unless you’re executing a full-scale rebuild and getting multiple blue-chip assets in return. Use tools like the NHL Trade Analyzer to sanity-check any blockbuster offers involving these names.

Injury cases are trickier. Matthews remains a hold in dynasty because his long-term outlook is still elite. Barkov, on the other hand, becomes a speculative buy-low only if your window is 2–3 years out and the acquisition cost reflects a lost season.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Nathan MacKinnon – Trade target (all formats): If there’s any hint of availability, overpay within reason; his elite, stable role in Colorado justifies it.
Connor McDavid – Hold / trade for only at a discount (all formats): Treat him as a cornerstone; only acquire if the price doesn’t gut your depth.
Macklin Celebrini – Add (dynasty, deep redraft): Top rookie with realistic PP1 potential in San Jose, worth aggressive moves in long-term formats.
Cale Makar – Trade target (points-only, categories): The premier offensive defenseman; positional scarcity makes him worth paying up for.
Andrei Vasilevskiy – Hold (all formats): Locked-in starter on a strong Tampa Bay team; volume and quality keep him in the top goalie tier.
Auston Matthews – Hold (categories, points-only): Injury risk is real, but his ceiling is too high to justify selling low.
Aleksander Barkov – Avoid / IR-only stash (redraft): Likely out for the season, so don’t invest meaningful capital outside of deep-league IR stashes.

Fantasy Takeaways

MacKinnon’s placement at the top of the rankings confirms him as a justifiable 1.01 and a premium trade target in every format.
McDavid, Makar, and Vasilevskiy remain tier-of-their-own anchors at their positions; only move them in clear overpay scenarios.
Celebrini and Bedard should be prioritized in dynasty: Celebrini as an immediate upside swing, Bedard as a long-term cornerstone.
Matthews is a hold despite injury concerns; his multi-category dominance outweighs the short-term risk.
Barkov’s likely season-long absence makes him an avoid in most redraft leagues, useful only as a low-cost IR stash.

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