Stefano Rubino lists six defensemen who must be rostered in banger leagues for their multi-category coverage.
Drafting the right defensemen in banger leagues is the key to winning. In a typical banger league that includes shots, hits, blocks and penalty minutes, grabbing a variety of players who can contribute in both offensive and defensive categories can strengthen your 'D' core.
Similar to standard leagues, there will be a fair share of defensemen who are reaches and others who fall below their draft values. Everyone wants the elite ADP players who will not only put up points, but peripherals, too. There is a broad range of players every season, from the emerging Rasmus Dahlin and the young core in Buffalo to Mikhail Sergachev's outstanding season in the aging but still-brilliant Tampa Bay offense. In the Big Apple, can K'Andre Miller live up to his new contract?
Entering the 2023-2024 season, defensemen will be a hot commodity due to a talent pool that will thin out very quickly, and it will cause many to panic and reach for whatever's left.
Here are six defensemen you should target in a banger league with shots, hits and blocks as the primary focus, and also taking penalty minutes and plus-minus into consideration.
Moritz Seider, Red Wings
2022-2023 Stats:
82 GP, 5 G-37 A-42 Pts, +14, 42 PIM, 140 Shots, 207 Hits, 190 Blocks
Entering his third season, Sieder has cemented himself as part of the Red Wings offense and become a menace on the physical side of the game. He's recorded over 150 hits, 150 blocks and 140 shots on goal in each of his first two seasons, and his game continues to grow.
Despite finishing with a lower point production in his sophomore year, the additions of Alex DeBrincat and J.T. Compher could see Seider set new highs. Combined with his physical play thanks to his big frame, we could potentially see him return to top-ten status.
Mikhail Sergachev, Lighting
2022-2023 stats:
79 GP, 10 G-54 A-64 Pts, +13, 53 PIM, 156 Shots, 128 Hits, 149 Blocks
This could be another big year for Sergachev, especially after coming off the end of last year's playoff run when we saw him take Victor Hedman's spot on as the quarterback on one of the league's deadliest power plays. We're finally seeing Sergachev's true potential.
On the physical side of puck, we have witnessed Sergachev register more than 120 hits and 125 blocks in each of the past two seasons. At 24 years old, with his new role quarterbacking the power play, we could see a significant year for Sergachev in fantasy.
Jacob Trouba, Rangers
2022-2023 stats:
82 GP, 8 G-22 A-30 Pts, +7, 62 PIM, 199 Shots, 218 Hits, 196 Blocks
Trouba is one of my safest picks this year in banger leagues. Last year, he finished top-20 in hits and fourth in blocks, and it's safe to assume he will have another solid year of production on the physical side of the game to go with his 30 points.
Trouba's proven to be a big hitter and natural leader, and even with the off-season changes the Rangers have gone through, Trouba is still a lock when it comes to his reliable physical game that can help you win every week.
Luke Schenn, Predators
2022-2023 stats:
70 GP, 4 G-18 A-22 Pts, +8, 84 PIM, 81 Shots, 318 Hits, 98 Blocks
What more can be said about Schenn? Coming off a season where he matched his career-high of 22 points, Schenn led the league 318 hits and and he was handed a three-year contract with Nashville. He's signed to do one thing: Hit things and be a menace on the ice.
At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, the new addition to Nashville's defensive corps provides grit and physicality to the Predators and fantasy teams. Averaging over 250 hits and over 85 blocks for the past three seasons, Schenn can easily keep your team in competition week-to-week with his physicality alone. Throw in the idea of a possible pairing with Roman Josi, and we could see offensive production and a solid plus-minus similar to a traditional bottom-line grinder. For Schenn, a safe bet of another 10 to 20-point season seems reasonable for the soon-to-be 34-year-old.
Radko Gudas, Ducks
2022-2023 stats:
72 GP, 2 G-15 A-17 Pts, +14, 79 PIM, 110 Shots, 312 Hits, 124 Blocks
The bearded menace strikes fear every time he's on the ice — back-to-back seasons of 300-plus hits, 100-plus blocks and 100-plus shots. His physical prowess will be a lovely addition to a young core in Anaheim, including his ability to kill penalties to bolster the defensive end.
There are many questions revolving around Anaheim's on-ice play that could impact Gudas and his stats. While we can expect Gudas to deliver on the physical side of the game with hits, blocks and plenty of time in the box, we could see fewer shots and a negative plus-minus after Anaheim allowed the most goals last season with 335. Other than that, Gudas is a solid pick for banger leagues and he's a name many fantasy mangers may skip due to the fact he plays on a team with lingering questions regarding their ability to be competitive.
Arber Xhekaj, Canadiens
2022-2023 stats:
51GP, 5 G-8 A-13 Pts, -9, 101 PIM, 75 Shots, 159 Hits, 46 Blocks
Arber Xhekaj is my go-to sleeper pick in banger leagues. His total statistics doesn’t seem the best, but when you factor in that he only played 51 games due to a season-ending injury, the 22-year-old has banger league-winning upside.
He totaled 159 hits and 101 penalty minutes in just 51 games; over an entire season, we could see at a total of over 250 hits and nearly 150 penalty minutes for the young Canadian defensemen. Montreal dealt with many injuries throughout their roster; with Xhekaj healthy, the young enforcer could see plenty of ice time and wreak all kinds of havoc. Xhekaj could go unnoticed until the end, or even after, the draft is finished. Add him to your defense and watch him win you those physical categories week by week.
Honorable Mentions
Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres
2022-2023 stats:
78 GP, 15 G-58 A-73 Pts, +12, 92 PIM, 204 Shots, 105 Hits, 132 Blocks
The breakout season for Dahlin was a happy one for managers who took a chance and rostered him last year. He set career highs in every stat on the offensive end and defensive ends of the ice. He posted 105 hits, a career-high 132 blocks and a solid amount of penalty minutes. His career year solidifies him as a top must-have defender for obvious reasons. Coupled with his offensive game, it's a win-win scenario for fantasy managers this year in banger leagues with Dahlin as their top defensemen.
Darnell Nurse, Oilers
2022-2023 stats:
82 GP, 12 G-31 A-43 Pts, +43, 64 PIM, 203 Shots, 146 Hits, 164 Blocks
Nurse had productive season with the Oilers, scoring a career-high 43 points and also setting a career high in blocked shots. Going into this season, we should hope for another productive year.
Though Tyson Barrie was traded Nashville last season, it was Evan Bouchard who took over on a deadly power play that operated at a league-high 32.4 percent last season with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman. That means Nurse's point production will be capped, but if we can see around 120 hits and 140 blocks from Nurse, that should satisfy most fantasy owners.