Week 6: Fantasy top 25 goalie rankings for 2016-17

All season long, NHL.com's David Satriano will rank the top 25 goalies for standard Yahoo leagues (wins, goals-against average, save percentage, shutouts). Players with long-term injuries have been removed from this list.
These rankings are based on expectations for the rest of the season. Value is quantified by projected starts, peripheral category coverage, time-share situations, team defenses, past performance and overall upside in standard leagues. It is important to note that our rankings reflect sheer fantasy value, not necessarily the most talented goalies in order.

Andrei Vasilevskiy was thought of as a sleeper goalie by many heading into this season. And despite how well he's played, he's only owned in 53 percent of Yahoo leagues.
MORE FANTASY RANKINGS:
FORWARDS
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The Tampa Bay Lightning goalie started for the second time in three games on Wednesday, making 29 saves in a 4-2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers. He's started four of the past eight games and eight overall, compared to 13 for Bishop. That's nearly a 2:1 ratio in favor of Bishop, but it's been closer to a 50-50 split in recent weeks.
There's no question that Vasilevskiy has put up the better numbers (6-1-1, 1.50 GAA, .951 SV%, two SO) compared to the struggling Bishop (7-6-0, 2.80 GAA, .908 SV%), and he likely will see increased starts as a result. Bishop has started at least 60 games in each of the past three seasons, but won't get there this season. He is due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2017, and may be traded prior to that, but even if he's not, Bishop isn't playing at the same level as he was last season when he was a Vezina Trophy finalist for the second time in three seasons. He's also a proven injury risk.
Vasilevskiy is pretty readily available, but that should change soon based on his performances.

TRENDING UP

As my colleague
Ben Zweiman pointed out on Monday
, Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes is one of the best goalies out there. He has won five games in a row, allowing five goals in that stretch. That includes a 22-save shutout against the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 15, his 24th shutout in 565 NHL starts. Since starting the season 1-3-1, Ward is 6-1-2 and has had at least a .926 save percentage in nine of his past 11 games.
Ward is only owned in 45 percent of leagues and was already out-starting backup Eddie Lack 14-4 before Lack was placed on injured reserve Monday with a concussion. Michael Leighton, recalled from Charlotte of the American Hockey League on Monday, will be the backup, but Ward is expected to shoulder the load.
Ward was named the NHLs second star of the week on Monday. His career GAA is 2.68 and his SV% is .910, but the Hurricanes are playing well in front of him, so he is worth picking up if you have an injury or need a goalie for the time being.

TRENDING DOWN

John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks has not looked good in two of his past three starts and three of his past four appearances. Gibson allowed three goals on 29 shots in a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday and four goals on 18 shots in a 5-0 loss to the Nashville Predators on Nov. 12. Gibson and backup Jonathan Bernier (11 percent owned) have each started four of the past eight games for the Ducks, so Gibson isn't the clear No. 1 anymore.
Gibson is 6-6-0 with a 2.59 GAA and .908 SV% in 14 starts and Bernier is 6-3-1 with a 2.02 GAA and .935 SV% in eight starts, including making 33 saves in regulation and overtime in a 3-2, 14-round shootout loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday. Bernier has also allowed two goals or fewer in seven of his eight appearances, inflating his value and deflating Gibson's.

WORTH NOTING

• The Ottawa Senators assigned Andrew Hammond to Binghamton of the AHL after he cleared waivers on Monday. Hammond was 0-1-0 with a 4.50 GAA and a .793 SV% in two starts with Ottawa. Mike Condon (12 percent owned) is 3-2-1 with a 1.76 GAA and a .943 SV% and will continue to serve as the backup to Craig Anderson.
  - Peter Budaj has started 17 of the past 18 games for the Los Angeles Kings, including making 22 saves in a 4-2 win against the New York Islanders on Wednesday. Budaj is 11-6-1 with a 2.10 GAA and a .916 SV% and is available in 38 percent of Leagues. Jeff Zatkoff (5 percent owned) was brought in to back up Jonathan Quick (who hasn't played since Oct. 12 because of an injury) but has failed to impress in his starts, going 0-3-0 with a 3.39 GAA and .875 SV%.
  - Antti Niemi (44 percent owned) has started two of the past five games for the Dallas Stars, allowing two goals in each. Although he's only started two of the past 10, he's been much better than Kari Lehtonen (39 percent owned), who's been pulled in two of them. Niemi is 9-4-2 with a 3.17 GAA and a .903 SV%; Lehtonen is 4-6-3 with a 3.38 GAA and a .884 SV%, including allowing four goals in a 5-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Wednesday.

TOP 25 FANTASY GOALIES

These rankings were last updated Nov. 24.
1. Carey Price, MTL, (SAME)
2. Tuukka Rask, BOS, (SAME)
3. Devan Dubnyk, MIN (+1)
4. Braden Holtby, WSH (-1)
5. Matt Murray, PIT (+4)
6. Pekka Rinne, NSH (+4)
7. Cory Schneider, NJD (-2)
8. Martin Jones, SJS (SAME)
9. Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (-3)
10. Sergei Bobrovsky, CBJ (+2)
11. Corey Crawford, CHI (-4)
12. Jake Allen, STL (+1)
13. Roberto Luongo, FLA (-2)
14. Jimmy Howard, DET (+5)
15. Ben Bishop, TBL (-1)
16. Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL (+9)
17. Cam Ward, CAR (NEW)
18. Cam Talbot, EDM (+3)
19. Craig Anderson, OTT (-2)
20. Marc-Andre Fleury, PIT (-5)
21. Chad Johnson, CGY (NEW)
22. John Gibson, ANA, (-6)
23. Peter Budaj, LAK (SAME)
24. Jaroslav Halak, NYI (SAME)
25. Jonathan Bernier, ANA (NEW)
Dropped out: Semyon Varlamov (COL), Petr Mrazek (DET), Frederik Andersen (TOR)
Just missed: Steve Mason (PHI), Mrazek, Varlamov, Andersen, Connor Hellebuyck (WPG)
Key injuries: Jonathan Quick (LAK), Michal Neuvirth (PHI)
READ: Last week's Top 25 goalie rankings