And Letang has proven in the past that he doesn't even need to play a full season to finish among the elite fantasy assets. Two seasons ago, he finished third among defensemen in scoring (NHL career-high 67 points) and 14th overall in Yahoo even though he missed 11 games. Letang is similar to his teammate, center Evgeni Malkin, in that he'd have as high a fantasy ceiling as anyone at his position if injuries were off the table.
Speaking of injuries, Karlsson (foot surgery)
hopes to start skating within 2-3 weeks
but could
miss the start of the regular season
. The top fantasy defenseman when healthy, Karlsson has a Yahoo average draft position (18.4) that is second among defensemen behind Burns (6.7), and slightly ahead of Hedman (20.5) and Dustin Byfuglien (25.2) of the Winnipeg Jets. Letang's ADP should be on the rise from its current figure (39.0; sixth among 'D'), and he could feasibly pass Roman Josi (35.0; fifth) of the Nashville Predators soon.
Letang has a long list of injuries and health concerns in recent years compared to Karlsson, but looks to be the bigger fantasy bargain based on ADP. The Penguins are coming off back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, Letang has had plenty of rest in his recovery, and is a first power-play fixture with forwards Sidney Crosby, Malkin and Phil Kessel. It also helps that Letang's frequent defense pair, Brian Dumoulin, signed a six-year contract to remain with the Penguins on July 24.
Karlsson and Josi face uncertainty in their defense pairs; Marc Methot was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft and then traded to the Dallas Stars on June 26, and Josi won't have Ryan Ellis (knee surgery; could miss several months). The Senators and Predators, two teams the Penguins defeated in their run to another championship last season, do not have scoring depth that compares to the Penguins, either.
To land Karlsson in fantasy, you'll have to reach much higher than you would for Letang. Even though the injury risk surrounding Letang as a fourth-round pick is concerning, it may be even more risky to reach for Karlsson two rounds earlier. Other than Burns, Hedman and Byfuglien, who are healthy and elite category coverage assets, Letang is now the next best option at the position.
The health of Letang also impacts the value of Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz, whose first power-play usage would diminish if the former stays healthy for even close to a full season. That said, Schultz (ADP: 84.8; 19th among 'D') has a 35-40-point floor and would be well worth a middle-round pick if Letang misses time again.
