Fantasy: Forward 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.

It should come as no surprise that Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins is the consensus top forward, and should be considered the number one pick in any fantasy hockey draft. Full stop.

Teammate Evgeni Malkin, however, should not be overlooked; in 60 games played, he averaged 1.2 points per game, a pace that put him on track for 98 points, good for second overall in the NHL.

Steven Stamkos and John Tavares are also set to rebound from injury shortened seasons, and are elite-level players that possess the ability to carry any fantasy squad. Both players missed significant time, but ranked top-5 among all forwards in terms of points per game, and Stamkos was on pace to score 55 goals, which would have won him the Maurice Richard Trophy.

Two Ducks - Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf - finished top-5 in NHL scoring last season and should recreate their magic, while Claude Giroux remains a solid bet to top 80 points once again. In terms of other first-round pick options, the jury may be out in terms of how Alex Ovechkin will fare under new head coach Barry Trotz; his overall game (including plus/minus) should improve, but fantasy owners may see a reduction in overall production.

Astute fantasy owners may value the likes of Taylor Hall, Henrik Zetterberg, Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski, and Phil Kessel higher than the average rankings may suggest, while players such as Chris Kunitz and Nathan MacKinnon could struggle to meet expectations.

Two players to keep a close eye on are Tyler Seguin and Patrick Kane. The young Stars center is having his tires pumped as a possible Art Ross candidate, while Kane could top the 90-point mark for the first time in his career.

Here's a look at the rest of the top 80 fantasy forwards.

Up next in the series: defensemen.