2018-19 Fantasy Hockey: Top 100 players ranking starts with Connor McDavid

Connor McDavid looks set to join some legendary company and is already in a class of his own at age 21.

By Jason Chen

Aug 8, 2018 at 2:06 pm ET • 4 min read

By netting 41 goals and 108 points in 2017-18, Connor McDavid won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top point producer for the second consecutive season. There's no debate -- Edmonton deploys the best scorer in the league. He hasn't taken any shortcuts, either, potting an astonishing 85 percent of his goals at even strength for a much higher rate than his superstar peers.

If McDavid claims the Art Ross hardware in a third straight campaign, he will be the first to do so in nearly 20 years. Only five players in NHL history have won three straight scoring titles: Gordie Howe (1951-54), Phil Esposito (1971-1974), Guy Lafleur (1976-78), Wayne Gretzky (1981-87) and Jaromir Jagr (1998-01).

McDavid is in a class of his own, but the next tier down is quite interesting. Thanks to the NHL's growing talent pool and associated salary-cap boom, several teams now deploy at least two elite forwards who go off the board in the first couple of rounds. Of course, the most intriguing duo can be found in Toronto, where Auston Matthews and John Tavares may become the first teammates since 2012 to score 40 goals apiece.

Last year, Mathew Barzal, Clayton Keller, Kyle Connor and Brock Boeser took the league by storm, showcasing immense offensive talent as rookies. We should expect more dazzle from the next wave of young forwards, including Casey Mittelstadt, Elias Pettersson, Martin Necas, Eeli Tolvanen, and 2018 draftees Andrei Svechnikov and Filip Zadina. The early-season Calder Trophy favorite is Mittelstadt, who's already penciled in as the Sabres' No. 2 center and will receive plenty of ice time without the pressure of having to win right away.

The surge of scoring talent has usurped some of the top spots previously occupied by Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns. Both defensemen regressed offensively, while the emergence of Victor Hedman, John Klingberg and P.K. Subban as Norris Trophy-caliber players closed the gap. It remains a talented group, but there's no standout player who warrants a lock with the first pick. The blue line hasn't experienced a talent boom of the same magnitude as the forwards, although that could change this year with the arrival of 18-year-old phenom Rasmus Dahlin in Buffalo.

In goal, a new hierarchy is being established with Connor Hellebuyck and Andrei Vasilevskiy spearheading the change. They're young, talented and playing on winning teams, which can't be said for Carey Price, who held the top spot for a few seasons. Stanley Cup champion Braden Holtby and Vezina Trophy winner Pekka Rinne round out the top four, but following close behind is a solid middle class that includes Frederik Andersen, Sergei Bobrovsky, Tuukka Rask and Marc-Andre Fleury.

Here's your midsummer list of the top 100 Fantasy hockey players for the 2018-19 season based on CBS scoring:

1. Connor McDavid, C, Oilers

2. Nikita Kucherov, RW, Lightning

3. Sidney Crosby, C, Penguins

4. John Tavares, C, Maple Leafs

5. Evgeni Malkin, C, Penguins

6. Alex Ovechkin, LW, Capitals

7. Auston Matthews, C, Maple Leafs

8. Steven Stamkos, C, Lightning

9. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Avalanche

10. Tyler Seguin, C, Stars

11. Jamie Benn, LW, Stars