5 Great Late-Round Fantasy Hockey Draft Picks: Defense

Sport: NHL

If you don’t grab a high-end defenseman or two in the early rounds, chances are that you’ll have a tough time filling out the defensive spots on your fantasy hockey roster to your liking. There are always late-round steals and players that you may be able to find and stick with on the waiver wire. But if you’re looking for great late-round picks on defense, you’ve come to the right place.

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5 Late-Round Fantasy Hockey Draft Picks: Defensemen
Jake Walman, Edmonton Oilers

Jake Walman and Mattias Ekholm are going to swap roles in the lineup soon enough. The money given to both on their next contract will be a start, but Walman is set for a full-time top-4 role on the Edmonton Oilers this season. The Oilers can score and have better forward depth this season, possibly leading to even more offense. Any time Walman is on the ice and can give the puck to Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, it’s a win for him and fantasy owners who sleep on him. Walman will be the second-best offensive threat from the back-end in Edmonton. While in his prime and on the San Jose Sharks for 2/3 of last season, he managed seven goals, 40 points, 145 blocked shots, 57 hits, all in 65 games. He will get PP2 time as well.

Thomas Chabot, Ottawa Senators

You mainly know what you are getting with Thomas Chabot at this point. He is a consistent 40+ point player when relatively healthy for a full season, and he logs plenty of key minutes. Jake Sanderson has a bit of a larger role, but Chabot is still a number two on a playoff team. He finished last season with nine goals, 45 points, over 23 minutes of ice time per game, 145 blocks, and 58 hits. What’s more attractive about targeting him in late rounds is how Chabot closed out last season with five goals and 18 points in 25 games after the All-Star break and 10 points in eight games in April. The Ottawa Senators need him to play at the same level he closed out the season at, and he should.

Cam Fowler, St. Louis Blues

Cam Fowler had faded into the background and wasn’t talked about much anymore on the Anaheim Ducks due to their situation. That all changed after he was traded to the St. Louis Blues, where he played amazingly. He had just four assists in 17 games for the Ducks last season and then put up nine goals and 36 points in the final 51 games with the Blues, instantly becoming a very fantasy-relevant defenseman. I don’t see why he can’t put up similar numbers (probably a bit lower) on the Blues again this season, as his role will be the same.

Noah Hanifin, Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights have lost Alex Pietrangelo for the season, so other defensemen will have to step up. I’m locking onto Noah Hanifin to do this. His ice time will improve and he’s shown his ability to produce a good amount of offense. Now that Mitch Marner is also in the mix up front, more offense should come in Vegas. Hanifin put up 10 goals and 39 points last season, but has scored 10+ goals four times in his career and 47+ points multiple times as well. He will block shots and play a bit physically.

Tony DeAngelo, New York Islanders

The New York Islanders have an interesting situation on defense this season. With Noah Dobson gone and Matthew Schaefer an 18-year-old rookie, there is a hole in the top-4 and on the power play. This is a spot where Tony DeAngelo has played before and should do so again. He is projected to be on the top power-play and on the first or second pairing with Alexander Romanov. The offense looks to be a bit better for the Islanders, but the power play should score either way. He will get chances and is a great pick in late rounds that is the rare power-play defenseman.

Also, make sure to check out 5 Great Late-Round Fantasy Hockey Draft Picks: Forwards

You can always find value late in fantasy hockey drafts, especially if the ADP is lower and people are overlooking potential value.

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