DFS: Wednesday's Defenseman Value Rankings
Shawn Coates / USA TODAY Sports
Here are theScore's defenseman value rankings for Wednesday, October 21:
| # | Name | Opponent | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dion Phaneuf (TOR) | at BUF | Low |
| 2 | Mark Streit (PHI) | at BOS | Low |
| 3 | Erik Johnson (COL) | vs CAR | Low |
| 4 | Mike Green (DET) | at EDM | Low |
| 5 | Rasmus Ristolainen (BUF) | at TOR | Low |
| 6 | Francois Beauchemin (COL) | vs CAR | Low |
| 7 | Niklas Kronwall (DET) | at EDM | Low |
| 8 | Michael Del Zotto (PHI) | at BOS | Low |
| 9 | Justin Faulk (CAR) | at COL | Low |
Phaneuf's offensive game has shone under Mike Babcock, with four assists in five games. He's also a consistent shot-blocker with a favorable matchup against the Chad Johnson-led Sabres.
| # | Name | Opponent | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Morgan Rielly (TOR) | at BUF | Medium |
| 11 | Cody Franson (BUF) | vs TOR | Medium |
| 12 | Torey Krug (BOS) | vs PHI | Medium |
| 13 | Zdeno Chara (BOS) | vs PHI | Medium |
Rielly has a good chance to do some damage against the Sabres, especially with Jake Gardiner out of the lineup. Franson could also get some payback against his former team. Krug and Chara are Boston's No. 1 and No. 2 defenseman, but there are better and cheaper options out there.
| # | Name | Opponent | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Danny DeKeyser (DET) | at EDM | High |
| 15 | Nick Holden (COL) | vs CAR | High |
| 16 | Oscar Klefbom (EDM) | vs DET | High |
| 17 | Justin Schultz (EDM) | vs DET | High |
| 18 | Noah Hanifin (CAR) | at COL | High |
| 19 | Ryan Murphy (CAR) | at COL | High |
| 20 | Matt Hunwick (TOR) | at BUF | High |
Even some of the bottom-tier defenseman have some enticing matchups, specifically DeKeyser and Holden. It's their second pair minutes that give them the high risk tag. It should be high scoring night in the NHL.