Top 5 Rangers sleeper picks for 2024-25 Fantasy Hockey drafts
Whether you like filling a fantasy roster with players from your favorite team, or are just trying to find some late-round steals, there are several options from the New York Rangers that could pay dividends this upcoming season.
While they won’t be your top selection like Artemi Panarin or Igor Shesterkin, these five Rangers sleeper picks could boost your lineup in the later rounds.
Related: Why Rangers rising star should be ahead of Macklin Celebrini in Fantasy Hockey rankings
5 Rangers fantasy sleeper picks this season
Here are four forwards and one defenseman from the Rangers to keep an eye on when you’re drafting your fantasy hockey team this season.
5 – Brennan Othmann
While certainly a high-risk, high-reward pick, Brennan Othmann could make a splash in the NHL this season. Looking for a full-time spot on the Rangers roster, the 21-year-old forward could find himself playing third-line minutes at some point this season. There is also a world in which coach Peter Laviolette tries him out on the right side of the Rangers first line alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, perhaps as soon as in training camp.
Othmann is also a player who likes to play physically and with an edge. Keep in mind that in most standard fantasy hockey leagues, hits earn points. Add in Othmann’s offensive capabilities, and he becomes a very complete player in fantasy hockey.
He could start the season with Hartford in the American Hockey League, which makes Othmann the ultimate sleeper option.
4 – K’Andre Miller
It can be tricky when drafting defensemen for fantasy hockey leagues. Of course, top point scorers like Adam Fox will fly off the board, but who comes after that? K’Andre Miller might be a good choice later in your draft. He notched 30 points last season, but set an NHL career high with 43 just two seasons ago. He is primed to take another step in his development, and could put up very solid numbers in his fifth NHL season.
Miller is also a physical player, recording 147 hits last season. Playing on the second defensive pair, he will continue to log 20+ minutes per game, and may find himself quarterbacking the second power-play unit at times. Power-play points, as well as shots on goal, also are key for fantasy points. When rounding out the defensive group, Miller could be a sleeper pick without a doubt.
3 – Filip Chytil
This pick relies heavily on the health of Filip Chytil. After sustaining yet another head injury and playing only 10 regular-season games in 2023-24, Chytil finished with six assists. He made a heroic attempt to come back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but did not register a point in six games.
A fully healthy Chytil could be a great pick in later rounds of fantasy drafts. Just two seasons ago, he scored 22 goals and totaled 45 points, while registering a plus-15 in 74 games. All of these stats would be a great contribution t a fantasy line up. Banking on his health is certainly a risk, but if Chytil can log close to an 82-game season, he could provide excellent secondary scoring.
2 – Reilly Smith
The newest member of the Rangers could be a great mid-round pick in fantasy drafts this season. Reilly Smith is projected to start the season on the Rangers’ top line, and could be the missing piece to the puzzle alongside Kreider and Zibanejad. Coming off a 40-point season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Smith is looking to rebound with a contender like New York.
The former Stanley Cup champion and 60-point scorer has logged seven straight seasons on the positive end of the plus/minus category, and has been in the minus only twice throughout his 13-year career. He is a solid forward who has the potential to be a solid fantasy depth pick to the forward group.
1 – Alexis Lafreniere
The only Rangers player on this list that’s also included in NHL.com’s top 200 fantasy players, Alexis Lafreniere qualifies as a sleeper due to his ranking at 116. After setting NHL career highs with 28 goals and 57 points last season, Lafreniere’s game should continue to grow while playing on one of the League’s top lines with Panarin and Vincent Trocheck.
Despite this, he is still ranked below players like No. 1-overall pick Macklin Celebrini (113) and his teammate Will Smith (114), who have yet to play an NHL game, and will be suiting up for the San Jose Sharks, the worst team in the NHL last season. When talking about sleeper picks, Lafreniere has the potential to catapult any fantasy team this season. He is definitely someone worth taking with a mid-round selection.
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