Fantasy: Defensemen Composite Rankings

Over the next few days, we will be looking at the overall composite rankings for every position on the ice, using the rankings from Yahoo (Y!), ESPN, and Pete Jensen of NHL.com.

The big debate facing fantasy owners is which defenseman should be the first off the board in the draft: Erik Karlsson or P.K. Subban. If these composite rankings are any indication, you can't really go wrong with either, and both should be considered second-round picks at worst.

With that out of the way, let's look at the rest of the field.

Related: Forward Composite Rankings.

While many of the top-40 fantasy defenseman are likely to line up on their respective club's first power-play unit, a better indicator of potential fantasy value is what they can achieve in 5-on-5 situations. As such, if we look at a player's points and shot attempts per 60 minutes at even strength, unexpected names jump out as potential high-end fantasy players.

For example, Victor Hedman led all defensemen by averaging 1.55 points per 60 minutes last season. Hampus Lindholm - who didn't even crack the top 40 below - ranked fourth (1.22), while Dustin Byfuglien (1.21), Matt Niskanen (1.21), Mark Giordano (1.16), Jacob Trouba (1.12), and Brent Seabrook (1.11) also cracked the top 10.

In terms of shot attempts per 60 minutes played, Alexander Edler ranked second behind Karlsson with 15.08, with Jake Muzzin (not listed below) coming in third at 14.7. Giordano (13.6), Byfuglien (13.4), and Trouba (12.4) also cracked the top 10, a further indication that their respective values may be higher than the rankings below may indicate. 

Torey Krug was viewed as a rather sheltered player last season, used primarily in offensive situations and on the man advantage. However, he ranked fifth in shot attempts per 60 with 13.5, meaning he could break out even further if he continues to earn the trust of Boston's coaching staff.

Other players to watch are Christian Ehrhoff (set to benefit from moving from Buffalo to Pittsburgh) and Alex Goligoski (the main man on an upstart Stars' blue line), while question marks surround Brent Burns (moving back to defense after a stint up front), Mike Green (undetermined role under new head coach Barry Trotz) and Dion Phaneuf (who may see a reduction in ice time as Toronto's younger defensemen continue to develop).

Here's a look at the full top 40:

Up next: Goalies.

[Stats courtesy of Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com]