# 2026–27 Fantasy Hockey Sleepers: 15 Late-Round Values by Format

Fifteen late-round forwards, defensemen and goalies priced by role, draft discount, scoring format, downside and the exact signal that changes the pick.

Published: 2026-09-11T13:15:00+00:00
Last substantive update: 2026-09-28T22:20:36.206904+00:00
Information verified: 2026-09-28T19:01:00+00:00
Language: en
Author: Dav Czar
Reviewed by: Dav Czar

## Key takeaways

- Apply the four format grades only after confirming the pool's actual scoring and roster settings.
- Treat selection ranges and roster thresholds as prices; walk away when the market removes the discount.
- Prefer official role, injury and transaction confirmation and label unresolved camp outcomes as speculative.
- Use the floor, base, ceiling, risk and change trigger together instead of reacting to one projection or game.

**A sleeper is a player whose likely role and format fit are worth more than the current acquisition price—not merely a young name or a bold projection.**

The 15 targets below span forwards, defensemen and goalies because late-round value is roster-dependent. They are deliberately priced as ranges. If the room reaches two rounds early, the discount is gone; if camp removes the role, the recommendation is gone too.

**Data checked:** September 28, 2026 at 3:01 p.m. ET. Team assignments and historical totals were cross-checked with NHL records; availability and draft prices were checked against dated sources below. Roles, workload shares and output ranges are editorial scenarios, not confirmed opening assignments or verified forecasts. An absent injury report is not medical clearance.

This is a redraft-first decision board, not a prediction contest. The floor, base and ceiling are planning bands rather than promises. Market price comes from the September 8 NHL.com board and 12-team mock draft, the September 10 Daily Faceoff consensus and ADP, and Hashtag Hockey’s September 5 Yahoo/ESPN blend. Kodo Hockey supplies a second independent projection check, then PoolForge adjusts for role, scarcity and scoring fit. A good selection can fail; every row therefore names the downside and the event that should change the recommendation.

## Read the four format lenses before using a rank

- **P — points-only:** goals, assists and power-play production receive most of the weight. - **B — multi-category/bangers:** shots, hits and blocks can protect a player when scoring cools. - **G — goalie-enabled:** goalie workload, wins and ratios change roster construction and the opportunity cost of a skater. - **C — salary-cap efficiency:** expected production is judged against cap cost and replacement value, not reputation.

## PoolForge scoring-settings callout

**PoolForge's default scoring gives goalies zero fantasy value until goalie scoring is enabled.** The default skater weights are one point per goal, 0.5 per assist and 0.1 for plus/minus, while wins, shutouts, goals against, save percentage and saves begin at zero. Do not draft from the G lens unless your commissioner has deliberately enabled and reviewed goalie scoring. Confirm all settings in the [scoring guide](/en/blog/hockey-pool-scoring-rules-examples/) before applying any board.

The compact grades run from A+ to D and are format-specific, not talent grades. “Floor / base / ceiling” describes a reasonable range if the stated role holds. Confidence measures the evidence behind the role, not confidence that the ceiling will occur.

## How the sleeper price was built

Start with NHL.com rank and the two public ADP snapshots, then compare the past two regular seasons, official transactions, expected deployment and the categories that survive a scoring slump. The base case assumes health and the listed role, while the ceiling never assumes both perfect shooting and perfect attendance. Goalie values use start ranges rather than a single win guess. Pick numbers are authoritative; round equivalents assume a 12-team room.

## T−1 market audit

Daily Faceoff rebuilt its consensus at 6:40 p.m. ET on September 10, after T−24. At T−1 it ranks Rossi 248th (ADP 246.2), Hofer 131st (126.7), Roslovic 245th (246.7), Chinakhov 164th (203.5), Zacha 179th (198.5) and McMann 177th (206.6). Do not chase Hofer before pick 125; use the stated windows for Chinakhov, Zacha and McMann; keep Rossi and Roslovic late-only.

Hashtag remains the outlier: its September 5 blend puts Roslovic at 130.3 versus NHL.com’s rank 213 and Daily Faceoff’s 245. Pass early. Official NHL records override stale team labels: Evangelista moved to New Jersey on September 1, and Silovs is a Penguin.

The September 8 NHL.com mock is a useful room check, not consensus ADP. Broberg went 122nd, Hofer 124th, Marchment 175th, Zacha 186th and Chinakhov 192nd; Rossi was not selected among 192 players. It supports waiting on Rossi and extending Zacha’s window; do not pay that price for Broberg or Hofer without role confirmation. Since the T−72 review, official rosters have listed Foerster for Philadelphia and Broberg and Hofer for St. Louis. At the T−1 check, the official NHL and club pages reviewed since T−24 contained no new injury, transaction or lineup confirmation for these 15 targets. On-ice work begins September 17; St. Louis had not assigned groups. The listings do not upgrade role or health.

## Fifteen late-round values

Rows are sorted by actionable draft window, not raw projected points. The role statement distinguishes confirmed offseason facts from camp outcomes that remain speculative.

## What changed on September 28

Historical totals rechecked. Removed quoted projection totals and pre-camp wording; role-dependent prices remain conditional. ADP blends can contain stale team labels: use NHL records for team assignments.

| Player | Selection range or roster threshold | Format grades | Floor / base / ceiling | Role evidence | Confidence | Primary risk | Recommendation-changing event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Marco Rossi, F, VAN | After pick 190; round 16+ | P B+ · B C+ · G B · C B | 45 / 54 / 65 points | He had 60 points in 2024–25, then 35 in 50 games last season. Role unconfirmed. | Medium | Centre-only depth, PP2 usage or another interrupted season can erase the discount. | Upgrade toward pick 175 only with confirmed top-six and PP1 work; move past 210 if either disappears. |
| Pavel Zacha, F, BOS | Picks 150–190; rounds 13–16 | P B+ · B B- · G B · C B+ | 50 / 60 / 70 points | He scored 65 points last season. Role unconfirmed. | Medium-high | His 22.9% shooting rate led last season’s 30-goal scorers and is unlikely to repeat. NHL.com’s mock left him to pick 186. | Use the front of the range only with confirmed top-line and PP1 work; slide past 190 if both disappear. |
| Egor Chinakhov, F, PIT | Picks 170–195; rounds 15–17 | P B · B C+ · G B · C B- | 35 / 50 / 62 points | He had 36 points in 43 games after the Pittsburgh trade. Role unconfirmed. | Low-medium | Health and PP2 deployment can turn the optimistic projection into the low case. | Use pick 170 only after two healthy preseason games in a top-six/PP1 role; otherwise wait until 195 or leave him for waivers. |
| Mason Marchment, F, SJS | Picks 165–195; rounds 14–17 | P B · B B+ · G B · C C+ | 42 / 50 / 60 points | He produced 47 and 45 points in the past two seasons. Role unconfirmed. | Medium | San Jose can spread power-play minutes and reduce premium-linemate exposure. | Use the front of the range only if he is top six and PP1; downgrade if he loses both that and net-front work. |
| Joel Hofer, G, STL | Picks 125–165; rounds 11–14; G2 | P D · B D · G B+ · C A- | 38 / 45 / 52 starts | He earned 24 wins, a .910 save percentage and six shutouts in 43 starts. Role unconfirmed. | Medium-high | A true timeshare can cap volume, while the current market can erase the bargain before Round 11. | Do not chase before pick 125; keep the G2 grade only if camp usage supports at least 40 starts, otherwise pair him with another tandem goalie. |
| Philip Broberg, D, STL | Picks 155–180; rounds 13–15 | P B · B B · G B · C C | 34 / 45 / 54 points | He had 34 points while averaging 23:21 last season. Role unconfirmed. | Medium | A secondary power-play assignment behind another Blues defenseman limits the scoring ceiling. | Upgrade if he quarterbacks PP1 for three consecutive preseason games; stream rather than draft if fixed on PP2. |
| Luke Evangelista, F, NJD | Picks 180–215; round 15+ or reserve | P B+ · B C+ · G B · C A- | 44 / 55 / 64 points | He had 56 points last season. Role unconfirmed. | Low-medium | The same depth can leave him on line three and the second unit. | Treat every role claim as speculative until New Jersey confirms camp lines; add only with top-six or PP1 evidence. |
| Tyson Foerster, F, PHI | After pick 185; round 16+ | P B · B B · G B · C A- | 20 / 26 / 33 goals | He scored 25 goals in 2024–25 and 13 in 29 games around last season’s four-month arm absence. Role unconfirmed. | Low-medium | Health and a middle-six/PP2 assignment can both limit the rebound. | Require unrestricted camp participation and a plausible PP1 path before drafting; otherwise watch the first week. |
| Anthony Mantha, F, NJD | Picks 185–215; final two rounds | P B · B B- · G B · C B | 18 / 24 / 31 goals | He arrives after career highs of 33 goals and 64 points. Role unconfirmed. | Medium | Last season’s spike, health history and crowded wing depth can make an early pick expensive. | Require top-six or PP1 practice reps at T−24 hours; release immediately after two games below 14 minutes. |
| Zayne Parekh, D, CGY | Picks 205–235; final-round bench D | P B- · B C · G B · C A | 22 / 35 / 47 points | He had nine points in 37 NHL games last season. Role unconfirmed. | Low | Competition with Simon Nemec can leave a young defenseman sheltered, scratched or away from PP1. | Draft only with an NHL roster spot and repeated special-teams work; otherwise preserve the watch-list spot. |
| Alex Newhook, F, MTL | After pick 230 or waiver | P C+ · B C+ · G B · C A | 30 / 40 / 50 points | He rebounded to 25 points in 42 games after 26 in 82. Role unconfirmed. | Low | Montreal’s young depth can confine him to line three and PP2. | Add only when a top-six vacancy lasts more than one game; do not chase a lone multi-point night. |
| Jack Roslovic, F, TOR | After pick 210; pass near blended ADP 130 | P C+ · B C · G B · C B+ | 34 / 44 / 54 points | He had 21 goals and 36 points last season. Role unconfirmed. | Low | Hashtag’s 130.3 blended ADP is about 80 picks earlier than NHL.com and more than 100 ahead of Daily Faceoff. | The recommendation survives only after pick 210 or with confirmed top-six/PP1 deployment at the final camp gate. |
| Matvei Gridin, F, CGY | After pick 230; deep reserve only | P C+ · B C · G B · C A | 28 / 42 / 52 points | He recorded 20 points in 37 NHL games. Role unconfirmed. | Low | Roster security and NHL-ready minutes remain uncertain before camp. | Keep him only if Calgary confirms an NHL roster spot plus top-nine usage; otherwise use a minor-league watch list. |
| Bobby McMann, F, SEA | Picks 175–205; rounds 15–17 in bangers | P B- · B B+ · G B · C B- | 20 / 27 / 34 goals | He scored 29 goals and 46 points last season, including 10 goals in 18 Seattle games. Role unconfirmed. | Medium | A reduced offensive role with little PP time can leave only replaceable peripherals, and a $5.75M cap hit is not cheap. | Draft in hit-counting pools after pick 175; in points-only formats wait for confirmed top-six deployment. |
| Arturs Silovs, G, PIT | After pick 215; last round; G3 | P D · B D · G C+ · C A | 30 / 40 / 48 starts | He made 38 starts with 19 wins but an .888 save percentage last season. Role unconfirmed. | Low-medium | Ratio damage and a performance-driven tandem can outweigh the cheap volume. | Keep only if Pittsburgh identifies him as at least the 1B with a 35-plus-start path; otherwise stream confirmed starts rather than hold. |

## Where to take the risk

Use one or two upside bets after the roster has stable shots, power-play exposure and position coverage. In shallow leagues, prefer roles that can be cut quickly. In deep or salary-cap pools, tolerate more uncertainty when the acquisition cost and replacement landscape make the upside asymmetric.

## A repeatable selection protocol

- Write your scoring weights, active slots, bench size, transaction cadence and goalie requirements beside the board. - Compare the recommendation with the live room price. A player is not a sleeper, breakout or waiver win after the discount disappears. - At every refresh gate, check official health and transactions first, then line, power-play and goalie usage. Treat practice reports as evidence of probability, not certainty. - Choose the player who improves the roster's weakest scarce category without creating an unmanageable risk cluster. - Record the change trigger. Acting on a prewritten threshold is more reliable than reacting to one goal, one save percentage or one viral highlight.

Projection disagreement is information. When independent boards differ by several rounds, identify the hidden assumption—games played, PP1 access, tandem share or category mix—and decide whether your pool rewards it. The purpose of these tables is to make that assumption visible before the pick.

## What to verify next

Use the [pool-format guide](/en/blog/hockey-pool-formats-guide-2026-27/) to choose the right lens, then compare players with the [PoolForge player explorer](/en/stats/players/) . The explorer is descriptive; the recommendation remains conditional on the cited timestamp and your scoring contract.

## Frequently asked questions

### Are these rankings for points-only or category leagues?

Both. Every player has separate points-only, multi-category, goalie-enabled and salary-cap grades so the same rank is never presented as universal.

### What should change a recommendation?

Use the final-column trigger: an official injury, roster decision, power-play change, line reassignment, goalie start-share change or a market price outside the stated range.

### How current is the player information?

Data checked: September 28, 2026 at 3:01 p.m. ET. Team assignments and historical totals were cross-checked with NHL records; availability and draft prices were checked against dated sources below. Roles, workload shares and output ranges are editorial scenarios, not confirmed opening assignments or verified forecasts. An absent injury report is not medical clearance.

## Sources

- [Official NHL player statistics](https://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters) — NHL.com
- [Fantasy hockey top 250 player rankings for 2026-27](https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/fantasy/nhl-fantasy-hockey-top-250-200-rankings-drafts-players-big-board-281505474) — NHL.com Fantasy
- [Fantasy hockey mock draft 1.0 for 2026-27](https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-fantasy-hockey-mock-draft-results-for-2026-27-season) — NHL.com Fantasy
- [Fantasy hockey sleeper picks for 2026-27](https://www.nhl.com/news/fantasy-hockey-sleeper-candidates-for-2026-27-season) — NHL.com Fantasy
- [Fantasy hockey point projections for 2026-27](https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-points-projections-fantasy-hockey-2026-27) — NHL.com Fantasy
- [Fantasy hockey goalie win projections for 2026-27](https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/fantasy/2026-2027-fantasy-hockey-goalie-win-projections) — NHL.com Fantasy
- [2026-27 fantasy hockey top 250 consensus and public ADP](https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2026-27-fantasy-hockey-rankings-top-250-consensus) — Daily Faceoff
- [Yahoo and ESPN fantasy hockey ADP blend](https://hashtaghockey.com/fantasy-hockey-adp) — Hashtag Hockey
- [2026-27 fantasy hockey category projections](https://hockey.kodoanalytics.com/projections) — Kodo Hockey
- [Current NHL line combinations and power-play units](https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams) — Daily Faceoff
- [Official 2026-27 NHL trade tracker](https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/trade-coverage/2026-27-nhl-trades) — NHL.com
- [Official 2026 Philadelphia Flyers training camp roster and schedule](https://www.nhl.com/flyers/news/flyers-announce-2026-training-camp-roster-and-schedule) — Philadelphia Flyers
- [Official 2026-27 St. Louis Blues training camp roster and schedule](https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/2026-27-blues-training-camp-schedule-roster) — St. Louis Blues
- [PoolForge scoring settings guide](https://poolforge.io/en/blog/hockey-pool-scoring-rules-examples/) — PoolForge
- [Hellebuyck training-camp suspension — September 17](https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/topic/jets-news/jets-still-seeking-right-resolution-in-hellebuyck-situation) — Winnipeg Jets
- [Wild camp and Gustavsson recovery — September 17](https://www.nhl.com/wild/news/wild-training-camp-preview-091726) — Minnesota Wild
- [Luukkonen injury update — September 26](https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news/buffalo-sabres-preseason-luukkonen-upl-grzelcyk-colten-ellis) — Buffalo Sabres
- [McAvoy suspension and season availability — September 10](https://www.nhl.com/bruins/news/topic/game-day-coverage/charlie-mcavoy-reveals-mindset-for-season-have-to-learn-from-these-things) — Boston Bruins
- [Fowler at Canadiens training camp — September 17](https://www.nhl.com/fr/canadiens/video/camp-d-entrainement-fowler-6405206202112) — Montréal Canadiens