Week 5: Fantasy top 25 goalie rankings for 2017-18

Each week during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with an overview of the fantasy goaltender landscape. With production trends, injury news and top 25 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 100 forwards
|
Top 50 defensemen

TRENDING UP

Corey Crawford, CHI: Although Crawford is owned in nearly all fantasy leagues, those in need of forward or defensive help may want to shop him while his value is this high. The Chicago Blackhawks goalie was named the NHL's first star of the week after back-to-back shutouts against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 1 and Minnesota Wild on Nov. 4. Crawford has allowed two goals or fewer in six of his past seven starts and has a 1.77 goals-against average and .945 save percentage this season. With all due respect to Jonathan Quick's bounce-back season and Andrei Vasilevskiy's breakout, Crawford has been the most valuable goaltender in the League given Chicago's offensive struggles. Backup Anton Forsberg (4 percent owned) hasn't helped his case for playing time, going 0-1-2 with a 4.26 GAA and .895 SV%.
Charlie Lindgren, MTL (24 percent owned): With Carey Price out because of a lower-body injury, Lindgren will make his third straight start for the Montreal Canadiens against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Lindgren made 38 saves in a 2-0 shutout against the Blackhawks on Sunday and then had 29 saves in a 3-2 win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. Price (3.77 GAA, .877 SV%) is day to day and expected to resume skating this week, but the Canadiens likely won't rush him back with how well Lindgren has played. Lindgren is a viable streaming option for at least the next week.
Ryan Miller, ANA (28 percent owned): The 37-year-old is the second-oldest goalie in the League behind Roberto Luongo of the Florida Panthers (38). He is likely to be called upon more if Anaheim Ducks starter John Gibson, who went into concussion protocol and left their 4-3 overtime loss against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, is out for any extended period of time. Miller stopped nine of 10 shots faced against the Kings and will start against the Vancouver Canucks, his former team, on Thursday. Miller is 1-0-2 with a 2.13 GAA and .946 SV%.

TRENDING DOWN

Craig Anderson, OTT (81 percent owned): The Ottawa Senators have struggled defensively, and it has shown in Craig Anderson's fantasy profile. He's allowed 12 goals in his past three games, and at least three goals in six of his past seven games. Anderson usually has a high SV%, routinely finishing in the League's top five in shots faced, but his .896 SV% this season is his lowest since 2005-06 with the Chicago Blackhawks (.886). The 3.13 GAA is his highest in seven full seasons with the Senators. The addition of center Matt Duchene could help Anderson's goal support, but it's troubling to see Ottawa ranked second-worst in Shot Attempts ratio (minus-108).
Mike Smith, CGY (88 percent owned): The Calgary Flames have the second-fewest goals per game (2.40) this season, and Smith has allowed a combined nine goals over his past two starts. He allowed four goals on 30 shots faced in a 5-4 shootout win against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday before allowing five goals on 21 shots faced in a 5-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. The Flames goalie isn't in danger of losing his job; backup Eddie Lack has a 4.17 GAA and .853 SV% in two games (one start). But Smith is tied for the second-most games played (14) behind Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen (15), a heavy workload that could wear on the 35-year-old over the course of a long season.
Robin Lehner, BUF (56 percent owned): Prior to making 24 saves in a 3-1 win against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, Lehner allowed nine goals over his previous three games, including four goals to the last-place Arizona Coyotes. Lehner has been inconsistent to start the season, and the Buffalo Sabres have five wins in 15 games. This is a contract year for Lehner, but his save percentage (.902 in 11 games) has fallen off compared to last season (.920 in 59 games). Buffalo's power play has regressed significantly, top defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is out with an upper-body injury and the Sabres are tied for the most shorthanded goals allowed (six). For all these reasons, Lehner has become droppable in shallow leagues.

TOP 25 GOALIE RANKINGS

Standard Yahoo categories include wins, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts for goaltenders. ... Value has been quantified based on factors including but not limited to past production, team goaltender situations, anticipated start volume, projected goal support (or lack thereof), injury history, age, sleeper, bounce-back or breakout potential, potential regression, contract status and overall upside for this season. Players with day-to-day injury concerns (DTD) are noted.
1. Corey Crawford, CHI (+2)
2. Jonathan Quick, LAK (SAME)
3. Sergei Bobrovsky, CBJ (-2)
4. Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL (SAME)
5. Jake Allen, STL (SAME)
6. Pekka Rinne, NSH (+1)
7. Braden Holtby, WSH (-1)
8. Martin Jones, SJS (+1)
9. Matt Murray, PIT (-1)
10. John Gibson, ANA (DTD)
11. Cam Talbot, EDM (+2)
12. Devan Dubnyk, MIN (+3)
13. Tuukka Rask, BOS (-1)
14. Frederik Andersen, TOR (+3)
15. Ben Bishop, DAL (+1)
16. Connor Hellebuyck, WPG (+2)
17. Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (+2)
18. Mike Smith, CGY (-4)
19. Cory Schneider, NJD (+2)
20. Jimmy Howard, DET (+3)
21. Charlie Lindgren, MTL (NEW)
22. Jaroslav Halak, NYI (-2)
23. Ryan Miller, ANA (NEW)
24. Craig Anderson, OTT (-2)
25. Semyon Varlamov, COL (-1)
Dropped out: Jacob Markstrom, VAN
Key injuries: Carey Price (MTL - dropped out); Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK); Malcolm Subban (VGK); Oscar Dansk (VGK)
READ: Last week's Top 25 goalie rankings