Week 3: Fantasy top 100 forward rankings for 2017-18

Each week during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with an overview of the fantasy forward landscape. With production trends, injury news and top 100 rankings based on performance and upside in standard Yahoo leagues, fantasy owners should use this information as a basis for roster decision-making.

MORE FANTASY RANKINGS:
Top 50 defensemen
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Top 25 goaltenders

TRENDING UP

Steven Stamkos, C, TBL-- The NHL's most productive point pair has been Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov on the Tampa Bay Lightning's top line (13 team goals with each getting a point). Stamkos has shaken off his injury history by scoring a League-leading 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) with eight power-play points and 30 shots on goal in nine games. He's on a nine-game point streak to begin the season and enters the NHL.com's top five forward rankings this week, joining Kucherov, who has 10 goals in nine games. The third member of their line, Vladislav Namestnikov (C/LW, 73 percent owned), has become a must-own player regardless of format.
Jaden Schwartz , LW, STL -- Whether Schwartz has been on a line with center Brayden Schenn or right wing Vladimir Tarasenko, he has been one of the League's best point producers (13 in nine games, third in NHL). Twelve of Schwartz's points have come at even strength, and more power-play points could easily be on the way considering he plays on the first unit with Tarasenko, Schenn, center Paul Stastny and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. Schwartz is a sell-high candidate for the right price while ranked No. 15 overall in Yahoo, but is a three-time 55-point scorer who's usually productive when healthy.

Brock Boeser, RW, VAN (20 percent owned) -- It's been an impressive response for Boeser after being scratched in each of the Vancouver Canucks' first two games; he has at least one point in five of his six games, totaling six points (two goals, four assists), 16 SOG and two PPP mostly alongside Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi. Boeser cracks the top 100 forwards this week (he's Vancouver's highest-ranked player) and is closing in on the only two rookies ahead of him, Jakub Vrana (LW/RW, 33 percent) of the Washington Capitals and Clayton Keller (C/LW/RW, 39 percent owned) of the Arizona Coyotes.

TRENDING DOWN

Mitch Marner, C/RW, TOR -- A slow start in your second NHL season is common, but Marner's demotion to the Toronto Maple Leafs' bottom-six forward group for a full week has many of his fantasy owners frustrated. Marner, who had two assists against the Los Angeles Kings on Monday, but was still in a depth role, has six points (one goal, five assists) and is minus-8 with 18 SOG over his first nine games, and his play through his first five games led Toronto coach Mike Babcock moving him off his usual line with James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak. He got a look alongside Patrick Marleau and Nazam Kadri against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, and should eventually re-join the top six. Until then, fantasy owners should try to buy low on his long-term upside.
Jordan Eberle, C/RW, NYI -- Two-thirds of the New York Islanders' top line had a breakout game against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, but Eberle is still without a goal on 21 SOG through eight games. Eberle has four assists and one power-play point, but fantasy owners were hoping that his change of scenery alongside John Tavares and Anders Lee would lead to renewed fantasy upside, not a continuation of his struggles with the Edmonton Oilers last season. Those who own Eberle should hold out hope for at least another week or two, especially with how well Lee (LW, 46 percent owned) has been playing on the same line (five goals in past six games).
Jakob Silfverberg, RW, ANA -- The Anaheim Ducks have played much of the season without forwards Ryan Getzlaf and Patrick Eaves, and have also been without Ryan Kesler and two of their top defensemen (Sami Vatanen, Hampus Lindholm) for its entirety. Silfverberg was expected to take the next step with more power-play time (3:18 per game this season), but he has been held without a goal on 23 SOG over Anaheim's first seven games. He has a chance to turn things around once the Ducks get healthy, but has become droppable in standard leagues in favor of any emerging forward among NHL.com's top 100.

TOP 100 FORWARD RANKINGS

Standard Yahoo categories include goals, assists, plus/minus, PIMs, PPP and SOG for skaters. ... Value has been quantified based on factors including but not limited to past production, line combinations, power-play usage, injury history, age, sleeper, bounce-back or breakout potential, anticipated regression, contract status, Yahoo ADP and overall upside for the rest of the season. ... Any players with day-to-day injury concerns (DTD) are noted. NEW - INJ. indicates a player who has returned from injury and rejoined the rankings.
1. Connor McDavid, C, EDM (SAME)
2. Sidney Crosby, C, PIT (SAME)
3. Auston Matthews, C, TOR (SAME)
4. Nikita Kucherov, RW, TBL (SAME)
5. Steven Stamkos, C, TBL (+9)
6. Alex Ovechkin, LW, WSH (-1)
7. Patrick Kane, RW, CHI (-1)
8. Jamie Benn, C/LW, DAL (-1)
9. Tyler Seguin, C/RW, DAL (+1)
10. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, STL (-2)
11. Brad Marchand, LW, BOS (SAME)
12. Evgeni Malkin, C, PIT (-3)
13. Patrik Laine, RW, WPG (-1)
14. Nicklas Backstrom, C, WSH (-1)
15. Jack Eichel, C, BUF (SAME)
16. Mark Scheifele, C, WPG (SAME)
17. Phil Kessel, RW, PIT (SAME)
18. Wayne Simmonds, RW, PHI (SAME)
19. William Nylander, C/RW, TOR (+5)
20. Leon Draisaitl, C/RW, EDM (NEW - INJ.)
21. Evgeny Kuznetsov, C, WSH (-1)
22. Artemi Panarin, C/LW, CBJ (-2)
23. Johnny Gaudreau, LW, CGY (-2)
24. Blake Wheeler, RW, WPG (-2)
25. Filip Forsberg, LW, NSH (+1)
26. David Pastrnak, RW, BOS (+1)
27. Anze Kopitar, C, LAK (+3)
28. John Tavares, C, NYI (-5)
29. Claude Giroux, C/LW, PHI (SAME)
30. Brandon Saad, LW, CHI (-5)
31. Joe Pavelski, C/RW, SJS (SAME)
32. Evander Kane, LW, BUF (+1)
33. Sean Monahan, C, CGY (+1)
34. Patrice Bergeron, C, BOS (NEW - INJ.)
35. Ryan Getzlaf, C, ANA (NEW - INJ.)
36. Mitchell Marner, C/RW, TOR (-8)
37. Jonathan Toews, C, CHI (+3)
38. Jake Guentzel, C/LW, PIT (+1)
39. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, WPG (+4)
40. Mike Hoffman, LW/RW, OTT (-2)
41. Brayden Schenn, C/LW, STL (SAME)
42. Jakub Voracek, RW, PHI (SAME)
43. Rickard Rakell, C/LW, ANA (-8)
44. James Neal, LW/RW, VGK (SAME)
45. Alexander Radulov, RW, DAL (-9)
46. Ryan Johansen, C, NSH (-9)
47. James van Riemsdyk, LW, TOR (-1)
48. Jeff Skinner, LW, CAR (SAME)
49. Jaden Schwartz, LW, STL (+14)
50. Taylor Hall, LW, NJD (SAME)
51. T.J. Oshie, RW, WSH (-6)
52. Mark Stone, RW, OTT (+1)
53. Nazem Kadri, C, TOR (+5)
54. Max Pacioretty, LW, MTL (-22)
55. Aleksander Barkov, C, FLA (-3)
56. Jonathan Huberdeau, LW, FLA (-2)
57. Vladislav Namestnikov, C/LW, TBL (+12)
58. Mikael Granlund, C/RW, MIN (NEW - INJ.)
59. Cam Atkinson, RW, CBJ (-12)
60. Anthony Mantha, LW/RW, DET (+6)
61. Corey Perry, RW, ANA (-12)
62. Tyler Toffoli, C/RW, LAK (-5)
63. Logan Couture, C, SJS (+12)
64. Mika Zibanejad, C, NYR (-5)
65. Brayden Point, C/RW, TBL (+12)
66. Jonathan Drouin, C/LW/RW, MTL (-15)
67. Sebastian Aho, LW/RW, CAR (-12)
68. Alex Wennberg, C, CBJ (-12)
69. Viktor Arvidsson, LW/RW, NSH (-8)
70. Nick Foligno, C/LW/RW, CBJ (+1)
71. Patrick Marleau, C/LW, TOR (-9)
72. Eric Staal, C, MIN (-8)
73. Kyle Turris, C, OTT (-8)
74. Richard Panik, LW/RW, CHI (+5)
75. Matthew Tkachuk, LW, CGY (-8)
76. Henrik Zetterberg, C/LW, DET (-8)
77. Nathan MacKinnon, C, COL (-7)
78. Max Domi, LW, ARI (+2)
79. Nick Schmaltz, C/LW, CHI (-5)
80. Jakub Vrana, LW/RW, WSH (-4)
81. Matt Duchene, C/RW, COL (SAME)
82. Dylan Larkin, C/RW, DET (SAME)
83. Anders Lee, LW, NYI (+3)
84. Dustin Brown, LW/RW, LAK (+15)
85. Jason Spezza, C/RW, DAL (-13)
86. Ryan O'Reilly, C, BUF (+1)
87. Clayton Keller, C/LW, ARI (+8)
88. Derick Brassard, C, OTT (+12)
89. Patric Hornqvist, RW, PIT (-11)
90. Sean Couturier, C, PHI (-6)
91. Evgenii Dadonov, RW, FLA (SAME)
92. Patrick Maroon, LW, EDM (SAME)
93. Jordan Eberle, C/RW, NYI (-20)
94. Brock Boeser, RW, VAN (NEW)
95. Mikko Rantanen, LW/RW, COL (NEW)
96. Bryan Rust, RW, PIT (SAME)
97. Jason Pominville, RW, BUF (NEW)
98. Mats Zuccarello, RW, NYR (-13)
99. Bryan Little, C, WPG (-6)
100. Anders Bjork, LW, BOS (NEW)

Just missed: Nico Hischier, C, NJD; Ryan Hartman, LW, CHI; Reilly Smith, RW, VGK; Ondrej Palat, LW, TBL; Alexander Steen, C/LW, STL; Vincent Trocheck, C, FLA; J.T. Miller, LW/RW, NYR; Paul Stastny, C, STL; Tomas Tatar, LW/RW, DET; Gabriel Landeskog, LW, COL; Zach Hyman, C/LW, TOR; Alex Killorn, LW, TBL; Joe Thornton, C, SJS; Kailer Yamamoto, RW, EDM; Kyle Connor, LW, WPG
Dropped out: Jakob Silfverberg, RW, ANA; Marcus Johansson, LW, NJD; Milan Lucic, LW, EDM; Conor Sheary, LW/RW, PIT; Vadim Shipachyov, C/LW, VGK
Key injuries: Jeff Carter, C, LAK - dropped out; Nino Niederreiter, LW/RW, MIN; Kyle Palmieri, RW, NJD - dropped out; Andre Burakovsky, LW/RW, WSH - dropped out; David Krejci, C, BOS; Zach Parise, LW, MIN; Patrick Eaves, RW, ANA; Charlie Coyle, C/RW, MIN; Boone Jenner, C/LW, CBJ; Bobby Ryan, RW, OTT; Ryan Kesler, C, ANA; Jaromir Jagr, LW/RW, CGY
READ: Last week's Top 100 forward rankings