Fantasy managers often get carried away with loading up on forwards during the early rounds of drafts, but getting a defenseman or two who can anchor your squad from the blue line is highly recommended. An elite fantasy defender is a great way to create a well-balanced and successful roster. Landing a defender capable of producing points like an upper-end forward or selecting a few with multi-category coverage is extraordinarily beneficial.
Tier 1 - Point-Per-Game Potential
Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Roman Josi, Evan Bouchard
Makar is the best of the best. He topped all rearguards with 1.17 points per game last season and has a league-leading 286 points (74 goals, 212 assists) in 258 contests since the 2020-21 campaign. Makar is also a great source of shots and blocks. Hughes is coming off a career year offensively, but he won't contribute much in other categories. Fortunately, he ranks second among defenders in scoring since 2020-21 with 277 points (35 goals, 242 assists) across 292 outings to keep his fantasy value high. Makar and Hughes are also the top two producers on the power play since 2020-21, with 125 and 122 points, respectively. Josi's 72 goals since 2020-21 only trails Makar for the most among blueliners. He led all defenders with 23 tallies and 268 shots last campaign. Bouchard exploded offensively in 2023-24 while racking up hits, blocks and shots. All four defensemen also feature prominently on their team's top power-play unit. Bouchard is probably the riskiest play among these four, considering he doesn't have the long-term success of Makar, Hughes, and Josi but there is little reason to expect him to regress this year.
Tier 2 - Elite Options to Build Around
Adam Fox, Rasmus Dahlin, Victor Hedman, Noah Dobson, Josh Morrissey
All the blueliners in this group also possess point-per-game upside, but the defenders ahead of them have more firepower. Fox was a point-per-game producer for the first time in his career last season but achieved the feat in 72 appearances, which bumped him down a tier. Dahlin and Dobson are integral point producers for the Sabres and Islanders, respectively, providing excellent coverage across all categories. Hedman bounced back in a big way last campaign and will take on additional responsibilities following Tampa Bay's decision to part ways with Mikhail Sergachev. Over the past two seasons, Morrissey is tied for fourth among defenders with 145 points (26 goals, 119 assists) in 159 outings and has quietly inserted himself into the elite defender discussion.
Tier 3 - High-end Considerations
Charlie McAvoy, Miro Heiskanen, MacKenzie Weegar, Devon Toews, Morgan Rielly, Zach Werenski, Mike Matheson, Erik Karlsson, John Carlson, Kris Letang, Drew Doughty, Noah Hanifin, Justin Faulk, Shayne Gostisbehere, Mikhail Sergachev, Brandon Montour, Brock Faber, Moritz Seider
This defensive group can be 50-60 point generators in 2024-25. They will all play significant minutes, including a substantial amount of time on the power play – though with Letang and Karlsson being teammates, there are only so much No. 1 power-play minutes to go around for that pair. This is also a group that can also supply tremendous value in other categories, including shots, blocks, and hits. Weegar, Hanifin, and Sergachev have the potential to be breakout performers in the upcoming campaign, while Faber could find another level following a superb 47-point effort in his rookie year. Seider would benefit from a return to the top power-play unit, but topping 40 points while amassing 200-plus hits and 200-plus blocks maintains his high spot in the pecking order.
Tier 4 - Bounce Back Candidates
Dougie Hamilton, Shea Theodore, Alex Pietrangelo, Vince Dunn, Aaron Ekblad, Thomas Chabot
After being limited to 20 appearances last season because of a torn pectoral muscle, Hamilton should return to being an impact blueliner in 2024-25. He has the skill set to be a Tier 2 fantasy defender by the end of the year. Theodore could be a Tier 3 option if he can stay healthier. Despite suiting up in only 102 contests over the past two campaigns, he has compiled 13 goals and 83 points. Pietrangelo could get back on track offensively in 2024-25 after skating in just 64 contests last campaign. For his part, Dunn sat out 19 of 21 games to conclude 2023-24, but he still secured 46 points in 59 appearances after amassing 64 points in 81 outings the season before. Ekblad and Chabot have battled multiple injuries in recent years, but they possess plenty of all-around upside if they stay in the lineup. It's hard to imagine all six of these guys can stay healthy all year long given their injury concerns, so consider this a high-risk, high-reward six-pack.
Tier 5 - Solid Depth Options
Jakob Chychrun, Brent Burns, Seth Jones, Brady Skjei, Travis Sanheim, Rasmus Andersson, Mattias Ekholm, Sean Durzi, Gustav Forsling
Chychrun played a full 82-game schedule for the first time in his career and delivered solid numbers across the board. Burns isn't the multi-category monster he was once, but he can still provide plenty of fantasy value. Despite trending the wrong way in recent seasons, Andersson remains a viable option. Sanheim, Ekhlom, Durzi, and Skjei are coming off career years, so don't be surprised if they regress slightly toward the mean. Forsling is a good source of shots, hits, and blocks, but hovering around the 40-point mark for three consecutive seasons and barely getting any power-play time prevents him from climbing higher.
Tier 6 - Under the Radar Gems
Thomas Harley, Jake Sanderson, Lane Hutson, Luke Hughes, Adam Boqvist, Scott Perunovich, Darren Raddysh
Harley, Sanderson, and Hughes could find another gear following impressive showings in 2023-24. However, there is more buzz around them going into the 2024-25 campaign than the other blueliners in this group. Hutson performed well during his two-game introduction to the NHL last season. His odds of sticking with the Canadiens out of training camp increased after Jordan Harris was traded to Columbus. Boqvist is worth monitoring because he could take advantage of Florida's need for a power-play quarterback. Perunovich and Raddysh are primed for bigger roles in 2024-25 and could offer decent category coverage – though Perunovich is facing a crowded blue line in St. Louis that added multiple pieces this offseason.
Tier 7 - Rounding Out the Roster
Jacob Trouba, Neal Pionk, Darnell Nurse, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Filip Hronek, K'Andre Miller, Samuel Girard, Bowen Byram, Owen Power, Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, Ryan McDonagh, Ivan Provorov, Jaccob Slavin, Hampus Lindholm, Erik Gustafsson, Jake Walman
Trouba, Pionk, Nurse, Miller, Power, Provorov, and Slavin are 30-point producers with solid category coverage. Ekman-Larsson, McDonagh, Girard, Lindholm, and Gustafsson will benefit from playing on talented offensive rosters. If he can stay healthy, Byram has a great deal of upside as an all-around option. Mintyukov and Zellweger have considerably more fantasy value in keeper leagues given they are both just 20 years of age, but could be solid contributors for stretches during the season. Walman could get plenty of minutes with the Sharks in 2024-25, including action on the power play. He has 21 goals in 126 games over the last two seasons and should also rack up blocks and shots.
