Fantasy hockey rankings 2024-25: Sleepers, breakouts and busts from proven NHL model
Written by CBS SPORTS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on October 2, 2024
The 2024-25 NHL season gets underway in North America on Tuesday, Oct. 8, and hockey fans everywhere are gearing up to play along with their favorite teams. One of the most highly-anticipated games to open up the season will be a rematch between the Boston Bruins and the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, who plan to raise their title banner on Tuesday. The Panthers knocked the Bruins out of the playoffs two years in a row, so the rivalry between these teams will be on full display.
This game will also feature superstars like David Pastrnak, who was a big points-getter in Fantasy hockey leagues last season. Does Pastrnak have big seasons ahead of them, or will he end up being a 2024-25 Fantasy hockey bust? Before making any 2024-25 Fantasy hockey picks, check out the Fantasy hockey rankings 2024-25 from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The model was created by Mike McClure, a predictive data engineer and professional daily Fantasy player with more than $2 million in career winnings. He’s used his prediction model to simulate the entire 2024-25 NHL schedule 10,000 times and identify the top Fantasy hockey sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
McClure’s model takes factors such as player history, schedule, injuries and matchups into account to create the most unbiased 2022-23 Fantasy hockey rankings possible. Now the model has zeroed in on the 2024-25 NHL season, ranked every player, and found the top sleepers, breakouts and busts. See every pick here.
Top 2024-25 Fantasy hockey picks
One of the 2024-25 Fantasy hockey busts SportsLine has identified: Penguins center Sidney Crosby. The three-time Stanley Cup champion was signed to a two-year contract extension on Sept. 16 and is still considered one of the most prolific players in the game. However, at 37-years-old, his production is declining and his Fantasy value has gone down with it.
Crosby was plagued by injuries coming out of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, although he has recently played all 82 games in back-to-back seasons. He ranked 18th in total fantasy points during the 2022-23 season (392.2) and 17th last season (406.6). Since Crosby is also playing on an aging team, which could be why the model has him ranked lower than his ADP suggests.
Another surprise: Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini is one of the top Fantasy hockey breakouts this season. San Jose selected the Hobey Baker winner with the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and he is expected to play a huge role in the Sharks’ massive rebuild.
Celebrini, 18, registered 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists) and a plus-25 in 38 games for Boston University last year. He added another eight points (four goals, four assists) in five games as a member of Canada’s U20 team at the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship. While Celebrini hasn’t played in a regular-season NHL game yet, his strong preseason play suggests he will be a huge asset for Fantasy hockey managers this season. See the full rankings right here.
How to find proven 2024-25 Fantasy hockey rankings
The model has also made a surprising call on Panthers forward Sam Reinhart after he was one of the league’s top goal-scorers a season ago. You can only see the latest Fantasy hockey rankings 2024-25 here.
So what’s the exact value of every NHL player in the 2024-25 Fantasy hockey rankings, and where does the first overall pick from the 2024 NHL Draft rank? Visit SportsLine now to get Fantasy hockey rankings, all from a DFS pro who has won more than $2 million in his career and has simulated the entire NHL season 10,000 times, and find out.
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