Week 7: Fantasy top 50 defenseman rankings for '16-17

All season long, NHL.com's Brian Metzer will rank the top 50 fantasy defensemen for standard Yahoo leagues (goals, assists, plus/minus, penalty minutes, power-play points, shots on goal). 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 defense pairs, power-play usage, past performance and overall upside in standard leagues. Changes in value each week are based on recent performance and/or lineup trends.

No one likes losing a fantasy matchup, but we deal with it and move on to the next week.
MORE FANTASY COVERAGE:
TOP 100 FORWARDS
|
TOP 25 GOALIES
We've all spent time scouring the waiver wire in hopes of finding a player or two who could provide an instant boost in at least one category of weakness. If you need to win a matchup by any means necessary, you can turn to this strategy known as streaming.
With that in mind, let's look at some streaming options in each of the standard categories. These players aren't known as fantasy studs, but have been hot in one category or another and might be able to turn one of those close matchup in your favor.

Points

Jamie Oleksiak (1 percent owned in Yahoo leagues) of the Dallas Stars scored one goal in his first 83 NHL games, but has three in his past five. He's worth a gamble because of the way he's shooting the puck; Oleksiak had 66 shots in his first 83 games, but has 12 in his past five, including five in a 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.
Jonas Brodin (13 percent owned) of the Minnesota Wild can help with assists. He started slow, but has five assists in his past seven games. He also had a goal over that span and looks to be rounding into form. Brodin has 10 points on the season, including three on the power play and 32 SOG.

Plus/Minus

The Wild also provide a great plus/minus option in Jared Spurgeon (12 percent owned). He is a plus-5 in his past four games and is plus-9 for the season. Jack Johnson (3 percent owned) of the Columbus Blue Jackets is also worth considering. He may not be contributing in all categories like he did earlier in his career, but is a plus-4 over his past three games. He also has 11 SOG in his past five.

Penalty Minutes

Calgary Flames defensemen Dennis Wideman (11 percent owned) and Deryk Engelland (6 percent owned) have combined for 20 PIMs over their past three games. Owners might lean towards Wideman because of his offensive upside (five points this season), but he had four PIMs in his last eight games prior to a 10-minute misconduct Sunday. Engelland is more likely to bolster the category, picking up at least two PIMs in each of his past three games and eight over that span.

Shots on Goal

Oscar Klefbom (27 percent owned) of the Edmonton Oilers had three points in his first 17 games, but is heating up with five in his past seven. He also has 60 SOG this season and has been particularly busy lately with 17 in his past five games. Former Oilers and current Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz (3 percent owned) is also a solid source of SOG. He has 10 in his past three games, including back-to-back four-SOG games.

Power-play Points

Nick Leddy (43 percent owned) of the New York Islanders hasn't played up to offensive expectations this season but still has 10 points in 20 games. Three of them have come on the power play in his past seven games. He has always been productive with the extra man and had 19 PPP last season. Leddy is the kind of streaming option that might find a permanent spot on your roster if he returns to his usual form. It's also worth noting that Brodin could help in this category; he has three PPP in his past four games.
---

Trending Up

Kevin Shattenkirk is leading St. Louis Blues defensemen in scoring with 15 points, but Colton Parayko (70 percent owned) has 12, tying him with Alex Pietrangelo for second. The talented sophomore has a four-game scoring streak (five assists). He might not have a goal this season, but his 64 SOG rank second on the team to only Vladimir Tarasenko (83). He is carrying an even plus/minus, but has posted an impressive plus-5 in his past five games and has PPP in three straight. It took him a little while to get going this season, but has reached must-own territory.

Trending Down

It might be time to start worrying about John Klingberg of the Dallas Stars. The 24-year-old was a healthy scratch for the second time in five games Tuesday after scoring 21 goals and 98 points in 141 points over the past two seasons. This season, Klingberg has two goals and 11 points in 22 games, but has two points in his past eight games. Although the first healthy scratch last Monday came after he missed a team meeting, things are definitely trending down for Klingberg, especially with prospect Julius Honka recently being called up from Texas of the American Hockey League and Esa Lindell playing well.

Worth Noting

• Marco Scandella (less than 1 percent owned) of the Wild was activated from injured reserve and has played four games since returning. The two-time 20-point scorer has one assist, six SOG, four penalty minutes and a plus-1 rating in that span.
  - John Moore (2 percent owned) of the New Jersey Devils has quietly scored four goals and 10 points in 22 games this season, with six of those points coming in his past nine games. He has 13 SOG in his past seven games and had seven hits against the Penguins on Nov. 26.
  - Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson didn't play during the third period on Tuesday and was seen with his left hand wrapped following the game, according to reports. The Coyotes play Thursday and his status is worth monitoring. Tony DeAngelo (6 percent owned) cracked the top 50 defenseman rankings this week and would gain value if Ekman-Larsson misses any time.
  - Washington Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen (59 percent owned) was injured during a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and didn't skate Monday. His status for Thursday against the Islanders is in question.

Top 50 Fantasy Defensemen

These rankings were last updated Nov. 30
1. Brent Burns, SJS (SAME)
2. Shea Weber, MTL (SAME)
3. Erik Karlsson, OTT (SAME)
4. Victor Hedman, TBL (+4)
5. P.K. Subban, NSH (SAME)
6. Zach Werenski, CBJ (+3)
7. Kris Letang, PIT (-3)
8. Kevin Shattenkirk, STL (+2)
9. Dustin Byfuglien, WPG (-3)
10. Ryan Suter, MIN (+1)
11. Duncan Keith, CHI (-4)
12. Roman Josi, NSH (SAME)
13. Drew Doughty, LAK (SAME)
14. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, ARI (DTD)
15. Shayne Gostisbehere, PHI (+1)
16. Ryan McDonagh, NYR (-1)
17. Mark Giordano, CGY (+5)
18. Brent Seabrook, CHI (+3)
19. Keith Yandle, FLA (SAME)
20. Alex Pietrangelo, STL (+5)
21. John Carlson, WSH (-1)
22. Alec Martinez, LAK (+1)
23. Sami Vatanen, ANA (+1)
24. Colton Parayko, STL (+4)
25. Rasmus Ristolainen, BUF (+1)
26. Dougie Hamilton, CGY (+1)
27. John Klingberg, DAL (-9)
28. Aaron Ekblad, FLA (+1)
29. Cam Fowler, ANA (+2)
30. Justin Faulk, CAR (-13)
31. Andrei Markov, MTL (+4)
32. Mike Green, DET (+1)
33. Torey Krug, BOS (+5)
34. Marc-Edouard Vlasic, SJS (-4)
35. Jake Muzzin, LAK (+4)
36. Damon Severson, NJD (SAME)
37. Tyson Barrie, COL (SAME)
38. Seth Jones, CBJ (-4)
39. Mark Streit, PHI (+1)
40. Erik Johnson, COL (+3)
41. Morgan Rielly, TOR (SAME)
42. Trevor Daley, PIT (+4)
43. Hampus Lindholm, ANA (-11)
44. Brian Campbell, CHI (-2)
45. TJ Brodie, CGY (+2)
46. Matt Niskanen, WSH (DTD)
47. Nick Leddy, NYI (+2)
48. Zdeno Chara, BOS (DTD)
49. Oscar Klefbom, EDM (NEW)
50. Anthony DeAngelo, ARI (NEW)
Dropped out: Noah Hanifin (CAR)
Key injuries: Ryan Ellis (NSH), Anton Stralman (TBL), Tyler Myers (WPG), Dennis Seidenberg (NYI), Nathan Beaulieu (MTL), Alexander Edler (VAN)
READ: Last week's Top 50 defenseman rankings