Fantasy Hockey 2024-25: Targeting Multi-Category Players Late in the Draft
With more and more fantasy leagues opting to include hits, assigning the correct worth to a player can become difficult. Top-round shoe-ins and players poised to flirt with 100 points, like Jack Hughes (C, LW) and Artemi Panarin (LW), suddenly become less appealing when each is projected to get only 12 and 21 hits this season, respectively. Even so, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone willing to pass up on their talents in the early rounds of a draft. Premier multi-category studs like Brady Tkachuk (LW) and Matthew Tkachuk (LW, RW) don’t last long so it’s essential to make the most of the later rounds when their understudies go unnoticed.
Below is a list of players that average over one hit per game in addition to more than two shots per game, all being drafted, on average, in the eighth round or later.
Owen Tippett – PHI – LW/RW – ADP: 84.1
Tippett is quickly establishing himself as one of the premier power forwards in the NHL, making him a multi-category powerhouse in most fantasy formats. Last season, Tippett’s pre-season ADP was 167.5 and has catapulted nearly 100 spots lower after a breakout 2023-24 campaign. After struggling to stay in the lineup his first three seasons, Tippett made his presence felt last season, tallying 53 points (28G / 25A), 289 shots, and 148 hits in 78 games. Tippett is poised to be an integral part of an improving Flyers’ offence and should add to his already impressive totals.
Juraj Slafkovsky – MTL – LW – ADP: 117.7
The 2022 first-overall pick had a dynamic finish to the 2023-24 campaign, scoring an impressive 42 points (18G / 24A) in his final 50 games. The 20-year-old Slovak forward had 152 shots and 152 hits in 82 games last season while forming tremendous chemistry on a line with Nick Suzuki (C) and Cole Caufield (LW, RW). Slafkovsky will likely continue to play on the top line and top powerplay unit on an exciting Canadiens club and could use the 2024-25 season to cement himself as one of the best power forwards in the NHL.
Blake Coleman – CGY – C/RW – ADP: 138.3
Coleman set career highs in every major offensive category last season, scoring 54 points (30G / 24A) in 78 games while collecting 191 shots and 128 hits. Most of Coleman’s success last season was amassed during a 42-game stretch where he tallied an impressive 38 points (22G / 16A). It’s unlikely that Coleman matches these totals in his age-33 season, and his lack of powerplay deployment limits his upside, but he remains a consistent contributor across multi-category fantasy leagues.
Darnell Nurse – EDM – D – ADP: 153.4
Nurse’s attractiveness in fantasy leagues has steadily plummeted over the last several seasons with the emergence of teammate Evan Bouchard (D), effectively axing his powerplay deployment. Still, Nurse remains a viable option in fantasy formats that include hits. Despite his lack of usage on the Oilers’ top powerplay unit, Nurse has become the picture of consistency, registering over 30 points, 170 shots, and 130 hits in each of his last five full seasons. Nurse may be drafted in the latter half of fantasy leagues, but don’t let that and Bouchard’s gaudy offensive capabilities deter you from a very effective supporting piece to your fantasy team.
Justin Faulk – STL – D – ADP: 165.7
With Torey Krug (D) expected to miss the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign, Faulk makes for a great sleeper draft pick in most fantasy formats this season. Faulk will likely quarterback the top powerplay unit in St. Louis this season and, although the Blues don’t have the offensive punch they once did, they still have a plethora of options on a very talented top powerplay unit. In addition to an all-but-certain uptick in offensive production from last season when he scored 30 points (2G / 28A), Faulk should continue to be a reliable source of shots and hits from the blue line. Over the past four seasons, Faulk has averaged a steady 2.2 SOG and 1.7 hits per game.
Boone Jenner – CBJ – C/LW – ADP: 173.1
If not for a constant string of injuries over the past several seasons, Jenner would likely be a much higher draft pick in most fantasy formats. The 31-year-old has come into his own over the last three seasons, tallying 124 points (71G / 53A), 529 shots, and 328 hits over 185 games, respectable totals for any power forward. That said, Jenner has been unable to be a consistent fixture in the Blue Jackets lineup due to injury woes. He has been limited to fewer than 60 games in three of his last four seasons and has not played more than 70 games since the 2018-19 campaign. When healthy, Jenner will almost always produce for your fantasy team in one way or another and, regardless of injury concerns, makes for a great pick this late in the draft.