Every fantasy hockey champion needs an edge, and it often comes from unearthing late-round gems. These are the players flying under the radar: undervalued veterans, breakout candidates, and prospects poised to deliver more than their current ADP (Average Draft Position) suggests. All of the DailyFaceoff Fantasy analysts have highlighted their favourite names that might not be at the top of your league’s draft board but could pay off in a big way. By identifying the players who are being overlooked, you can stock your roster with hidden value and gain the kind of advantage that wins trophies.
MORE SLEEPER LISTS:
Beebs Bondy’s Sleepers
Dylan Berthiaume’s Sleepers
Matt Larkin’s Sleepers
Nick Szeman’s Sleepers
Pavel Dorofeyev | Vegas Golden Knights | LW/RW | 121.0
It’s rare for a player to score 35 goals and remain a sleeper the following year, but that seems to be the case with Dorofeyev this season. I was incredibly close to making Dorofeyev a “Must-Draft Player” this year with his ADP in the early 10th round, but I’m not entirely convinced that he’ll remain on PP1 with Mitch Marner coming over from Toronto. With 37.1 percent of his goals coming with the man-advantage last year, if Marner bumps him to PP2 for most of the season, it would have a negative impact.
With that said, he’s still a priority for me; I have him ranked 51 spots ahead of ADP. Dorofeyev could end up on the top line with Eichel and Marner, a position that could help offset some of the potential loss in PP production. In the second half of last season, Dorofeyev scored at a 43-goal, 273-shot per 82-game pace. It’s nearly impossible to find that level of shot volume and goal-scoring upside at that point in the draft. Only 21 players had 240+ shots last season, and only four of them are going after pick 100 this year: Carter Verhaeghe (113.5), Dorofeyev (121.0), Bo Horvat (133.0), and Sam Bennett (138.0).
Logan Cooley | Utah Mammoth | C | ADP: 166.0
On the DFO Fantasy Show Centres Preview episode, I highlighted Logan Cooley as my breakout centre for the 2025-26 season. His sophomore campaign started a bit sluggish, but he found his stride in the second half — finishing with 53 points (22G, 31A) in his final 56 games. Narrow the lens even further, and you see the upside: Cooley racked up 18 points (8G, 10A) over his final 16 games, which translates to a 41-goal, 51-assist pace.
Now, I’m not suggesting Cooley is about to crack the 90-point plateau, but those numbers showcase the type of ceiling he brings. Expect him to log close to 20 TOI/gm on the Mammoth’s top line alongside Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther, just as he did for a portion of last season.
Where Cooley could really unlock another level is on the power play. In 2024-25 he essentially split PP1 duties with Barrett Hayton, limiting him to around 20 power-play points. However, if he gains full access to that top unit this season, a jump to 30+ PPPs, similar to what Keller and Guenther achieved last year, is well within reach.
Cooley has all the ingredients of a year-3 breakout and could provide league-winning upside relative to where he’s being drafted.
Stuart Skinner | Edmonton Oilers | G | ADP: 173.0
I am completely baffled by Skinner’s ADP. Yes, he struggled in the postseason, but let’s not forget, he was tied for the playoff lead in shutouts and still finished as a top-20 goalie in wins during the regular season. It was a down year, no question, but in the two previous campaigns, he posted a 2.68 GAA, .909 SV%, and a 61.0 Quality Start%. We may look back at 2024-25 as the outlier in Skinner’s career. The best news for Skinner’s fantasy outlook? The Oilers made no changes in net this offseason. His only competition remains Calvin Pickard, which means Skinner has a clear path to 50-plus starts again. A return to 30-plus wins with a .910 SV% in 2025-26 is firmly on the table.
In fantasy hockey, goaltending is more of a team-dependent category, and there are few teams, if any, that are better than Edmonton. Sportsbooks project the Oilers for 107.0 points this season, tied with the Vegas Golden Knights for second-most in the NHL. If Skinner gets the volume we expect behind one of the league’s best rosters, there’s virtually no chance he finishes as poorly as his current ADP suggests.
Right now, he’s being drafted as the No. 27 fantasy goalie (Round 15). That’s a massive discount. If Skinner starts 50+ games in 2025-26, I’d bet heavily that he returns top-15 goalie value — if not better.
Adam Fantilli | Columbus Blue Jackets | C | ADP: 191.0
I already included Adam Fantilli as one of my five must-draft players this season, so it’s no surprise he also qualifies as a sleeper with his 16th-round ADP. From January 1 through the end of the 2024-25 season, Fantilli put up 39 points in 44 games. What makes that stretch so impressive is that 92.3% of his production came at even strength.
During that time, Fantilli ranked:
- 2nd in the NHL in even-strength goals (22)
- T-18th in even-strength points (36)
- 26th in shots on goal (101)
To put that into perspective: over a full 82-game pace, Fantilli would have produced 67 even-strength points. That total would have tied Kyle Connor and Mitch Marner for 7th in the NHL, behind only:
- David Pastrnak (83)
- Nathan MacKinnon (78)
- Nikita Kucherov (75)
- Leon Draisaitl (72)
- Brandon Hagel (71)
- Connor McDavid (69)
That level of 5v5 dominance is a clear signal that a breakout season is on the horizon. If Fantilli earns an extended run on Columbus’ top power-play unit this season, he’ll easily end up being one of the biggest steals this draft season.
A strong comparable is Brandon Hagel, who hit 90 points last year despite just 11 power-play points (plus seven shorthanded). If Fantilli’s power-play role expands, his ceiling could climb into that same range, making him a true league-winning pick in the late rounds.
Sam Rinzel | Chicago Blackhawks | D | ADP: 181.0
Rinzel turned heads in his nine-game debut with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, picking up five assists, 22 shots on goal, and 12 hits while logging an impressive 23:22 TOI per game. That performance followed a strong sophomore season at the University of Minnesota, where the 6-foot-4 blueliner tallied 10 goals and 22 assists (32 points) in 40 games.
With Seth Jones now in Florida and both Artyom Levshunov and Kevin Korchinski still requiring defensive development, Rinzel appears to be the most logical candidate to slot in on the top pair with Alex Vlasic and potentially quarterback Chicago’s top power-play unit, as he did at times in the spring. He already carries himself like a polished prospect, and the Blackhawks seem ready to hand him big minutes and opportunity from day one.
If last season’s sample is any indication, Rinzel has the tools to be a rare rookie defenseman who can deliver double-digit goals thanks to high-end shot volume. A realistic projection could be 10 goals and 30 assists, with usage and production that mirrors Brock Faber’s rookie campaign — one that landed Faber as a Calder Trophy finalist.
And speaking of the Calder, Rinzel is currently listed at +5000 to win the award. That long-shot value underscores just how intriguing his rookie season could be, for fantasy managers and bettors alike.
Will Smith | San Jose Sharks | C/RW | ADP: —
Smith’s rookie season started slowly, with just four points in his first 18 games and only 15 points through the first half. But things shifted in mid-January as his ice time and confidence grew. Smith saw a 4:22 TOI per game increase in the second half and responded with 30 points (12G, 18A) in his final 34 games.
Now firmly entrenched in the Sharks’ top six and on PP1, Smith is set up to build on that strong finish. For him to reach true breakout status, his shot volume will need to climb, and we started to see that happen late last year. Over the final two months, Smith averaged 2.43 shots per game (a 199-shot pace), showing he’s on the right trajectory.
With the Sharks’ roster expected to take a step forward in 2025-26, Smith should be a central piece of that growth. He profiles as a high-upside breakout candidate who is currently going undrafted. He’s exactly the kind of player you should be targeting in the final rounds of your fantasy draft.