<p>We’ve reached the midway point of the 2024-25 Fantasy Hockey Season, and this week, I will look back at the first half and identify some of the best and worst draft picks so far.</p>



<p>Today, we will start with the best draft day value picks at each position:</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>FIRST TEAM</strong></h2>



<p><strong>C – Sean Monahan (Columbus Blue Jackets)</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>ADP: Undrafted</li>



<li>Current Rank: 24</li>
</ul>



<p>Monahan showed glimpses of his former self during the 2023-24 season when he was with the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets. He scored at a 31-goal, 27-assist past in 34 games with the Jets, and it earned him a five-year, $5.0M AAV deal in Columbus this summer. No one could have predicted what Monahan has done through the first half of this season. He’s at a point per game with 40 points (14G / 26A) in 40 games and is playing 19:37 TOI/gm, which matches his career high set 10 years ago. The most impressive part of Monahan’s first half, is he has just eight power-play points. His 28 points (9G / 19A) at 5v5 is tied with Connor McDavid for fourth in the NHL, trailing only Jack Eichel (30), Kirill Kaprizov (30) and Leon Draisaitl (29).</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="192"></div>



<p><strong>LW – Brandon Hagel (Tampa Bay Lightning)</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>ADP: 104.5</li>



<li>Current Rank: 31</li>
</ul>



<p>Hagel put together strong seasons in 2023 and 2024, ranking t-56th in the NHL in goals (56) and 57th in points (139) in those two seasons combined. He scored at a 28-goal, 42-assist (70 points) pace, but increased usage in 2024-25 has taken his game to new heights. The 26-year-old is playing nearly two full minutes more than last season, averaging 21:13 TOI/gm, which ranks eighth among all forwards. Hagel has scored 17 goals with 25 assists (42 points) in 37 games. If he keeps this up, he’ll finish with 35+ goals and 50+ assists. That’s pretty good production out of a ninth-round pick.</p>



<p><strong>RW – Kirill Marchenko (Columbus Blue Jackets)</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>ADP: Undrafted</li>



<li>Current Rank: 14</li>
</ul>



<p>Marchenko was an interesting breakout candidate coming into the season. His shot volume was on-pace with players like Clayton Keller, Connor Bedard and Kevin Fiala in 2023-24; he just needed to see more ice time. Well, in 2024-25, he’s seen his ice-time climb from 16:26 to 18:41 TOI/gm, and now he’s on pace for 244 SOG. The 24-year-old is well on his way to a 30-plus goal and 50-plus assist season. He wasn’t drafted, and now he’s the No.4 ranked RW in Yahoo Standard Leagues, behind only Mikko Rantanen, Nikita Kucherov, and Mitch Marner.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="212"></div>



<p><strong>D – Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets)</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>ADP: 115.0</li>



<li>Current Rank: 3</li>
</ul>



<p>Werenski was one of my favourite value targets this preseason, and he’s been a league-winning pick so far. A bet on Werenski was mostly on him staying healthy, which didn’t feel risky in the 10th round. When healthy, Werenski has been one of the best goal-scoring defensemen in the NHL, averaging 15.2 goals per 82 games in his first eight seasons. Werenski has been a force this year. His ice time has gone up from 24:27 to a league-high 26:28. The increased usage has taken his already impressive shot volume to absurd levels. He’s on-pace for 328 shots, which would be the fourth-most by a defenseman since 2010-11. Werenski is on pace for 92 points, which would tie Quinn Hughes’ Norris Trophy-winning total from a season ago.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="134"></div>



<p><strong>G – Filip Gustavsson (Minnesota Wild)</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>ADP: 145.4</li>



<li>Current Rank: 23</li>
</ul>



<p>Insulated by one of the NHL’s best defensive teams, Gustavsson has put together an extremely impressive first half. He is tied for second in the NHL in SV% (.926), tied for third in GSAx/60 (0.77), and tied for fourth in wins (18) and GAA (2.20). Selected as the No.25 goalie off the board, Gustavsson is the No.2 ranked netminder and a top-25 player through Minnesota’s first 40 games. He burned owners last year, but he’s looked like a league-winner this season.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>SECOND TEAM</strong></h2>



<p><strong>C – Mark Scheifele (Winnipeg Jets)</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>ADP: 127.6</li>



<li>Current Rank: 18</li>
</ul>



<p>Scheifele has been a consistent fantasy producer for years. He finished at or over a point per game for six straight seasons from 2017 to 2022 before falling just short in each of the last two seasons. Even though he scored at a 34-goal, 37-assists (71 points) per 82-game pace in those seasons, Scheifele still dropped into the 11th round of fantasy drafts this fall. The veteran pivot was the No.26 centre off the board but currently ranks as the No.6 centre in Yahoo Standard Leagues. Scheifele has scored 23 goals with 23 assists (46 points) through 41 games, putting him on pace for 46 goals and 46 assists (92 points). That would set a new career-best in goals and points for the 31-year-old.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="217"></div>



<p><strong>LW – Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets)</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>ADP: 40.5</li>



<li>Current Rank: 9</li>
</ul>



<p>Connor broke out in 2022 but was a relative fantasy disappointment in the two following seasons, ranking t-40 in goals (65) and t-51 in points (141). That led to him dropping to the fourth round in Fantasy this fall. With his SH% perking back up, Connor has scored 22 goals with 30 assists (52 points) in 41 games, putting him on pace to beat his breakout year by 11 points. He’s a top-10 fantasy player right now, ranking ahead of Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, and Jack Hughes.</p>



<p><strong>RW – Martin Necas (Carolina Hurricanes)</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>ADP: 123.7</li>



<li>Current Rank: 25</li>
</ul>



<p>Necas has cooled off considerably since opening the season with 44 points (14G / 30A) in his first 30 games. Despite tallying just three points (1G / 2A) in his last 10 games, Necas remains tied for 12th in the league in points and the top-25 in Fantasy. He rewarded owners who selected him in the 10th/11th round, but hopefully, you struck while the iron was hot and sold high before the bottom fell out.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="4" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="174"></div>



<p><strong>D – Jakob Chychrun (Washington Capitals)</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>ADP: 142.2</li>



<li>Current Rank: 69</li>
</ul>



<p>There were a few defensemen to choose from for the second team, but Chychrun is just one of three blueliners with double-digit goals so far this season, joining Werenskin and Cale Makar. His 28 points are good for 11th. Overall, he was the 38th defenseman off the board but ranks ninth at the midway point. It’s not a bad ROI on a player you could have drafted in the 12th round or even added off the waiver wire at some point.</p>



<p><strong>G – Lukas Dostal (Anaheim Ducks)</strong></p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>ADP: 173.2</li>



<li>Current Rank: 94</li>
</ul>



<p>With John Gibson absent for the early part of the season, Dostal got his chance to showcase he’s ready to shoulder the load in Anaheim. He flourished in his opportunity, going 4-2-2 with a 1.99 GAA and .945 SV% in eight starts in October. Since then, he’s cooled off a bit, going 6-9-1 with a 3.11 GAA and .894 SV% in his last 16 outings. Still, his overall body of work through the first half is outstanding for a 15th-round goalie. Dostal is currently second in the NHL in GSAx/60 (+0.79), t-12th in SV% (.913), 23rd in GAA (2.73) and t-26th in wins (10). He ranks as the No.11 fantasy netminder after being drafted in only 4 percent of leagues.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="5" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="213"></div>
