1. Cole Hutson | D | Washington Capitals
2025–26: 14 GP | 3 G | 7 A | 10 PTS
With ten points in fourteen games, Hutson was producing at a near point per game pace as a rookie blueliner. His shot volume and zone entry numbers suggest the underlying game supports the counting stats, not just puck luck. If he keeps this workload through eighty four games, a 68 point projection looks conservative rather than aggressive projections. This is the name to add before the price goes up.
Projection Tier: 60–69 Points
Floor: 55 Points
Expected: 68 Points
Ceiling: 75 Points
Fantasy Risk Rating: Moderate
Opportunity: 5/5
Trend: Breakout
2. MacKenzie Weegar | D | Utah Mammoth
2025–26: 79 GP | 4 G | 24 A | 26 PTS
A career built on 40 to 50 point seasons doesn’t disappear because of one flat year. He’s out of the offensive black hole that is Calgary and with better puck luck and a more settled, talented roster in front of him, a bounce back into the mid forties is the safe bet, not the hopeful one. Low risk sleepers rarely come with this much track record attached.
Projection Tier: 40–49 Points
Floor: 38 Points
Expected: 45 Points
Ceiling: 50 Points
Fantasy Risk Rating: Low
Opportunity: 5/5
Trend: Bounce back
3. Olen Zellweger | D | Buffalo Sabres
2025–26: 76 GP | 7 G | 15 A | 22 PTS
Zellweger has quietly built the profile of a modern offensive defenceman: mobile, comfortable jumping into the rush, and increasingly trusted on the power play. Twenty two points came without a full time top unit role, which is exactly why this is a sleeper and not a known commodity. Give him a full season of expanded minutes and the power play time bump alone should push him toward the high thirties. The Sabres need offence from the back end, and the opportunity is there for him to seize it outright this season.
Projection Tier: 50–59 Points
Floor: 45 Points
Expected: 55 Points
Ceiling: 62 Points
Fantasy Risk Rating: Moderate
Opportunity: 5/5
Trend: Breakout
4. Zeev Buium | D | Vancouver Canucks
2025–26: 76 GP | 6 G | 20 A | 26 PTS
Buium arrived in Vancouver as the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade, and that kind of investment comes with immediate opportunity. Twenty six points in his first full NHL season is a strong foundation for a defenseman who was one of the most productive offensive blueliners in recent college hockey history. The tools that made him the 12th overall pick in 2024 are translating, and a full season entrenched in Vancouver’s top four should open the door to career high offensive numbers.
Projection Tier: 30–39 Points
Floor: 29 Points
Expected: 36 Points
Ceiling: 42 Points
Fantasy Risk Rating: Moderate
Opportunity: 5/5
Trend: Trending Up
5. Brock Faber | D | Minnesota Wild
2025–26: 80 GP | 15 G | 36 A | 51 PTS
Fifty one points and full season durability should have Faber owned everywhere, yet he still flies under the radar next to the league’s marquee offensive defenseman in Quinn Hughes. That’s the sleeper case in a nutshell: elite production without the hype. Faber plays heavy minutes in every situation, chips in goals at a career best rate, and remains one of the safest floor plus ceiling combinations at the position. A jump into the sixty point range isn’t a stretch, it’s the logical next step for a player already trending upward on talent and opportunity alike.
Projection Tier: 60–69 Points
Floor: 52 Points
Expected: 60 Points
Ceiling: 66 Points
Fantasy Risk Rating: Low
Opportunity: 5/5
Trend: Trending Up
6. Noah Dobson | D | Montreal Canadiens
2025–26: 80 GP | 12 G | 35 A | 47 PTS
Dobson’s move to Montreal came with questions about fit, and forty seven points with full season reliability answered them. He remains a top pairing, power play one fixture with a shot that keeps him relevant in every offensive category. Stability is the appeal here: Dobson isn’t a breakout candidate chasing a new role, he’s a proven producer locked into a featured spot on a stellar. For managers who want a defenseman they can pencil into the lineup without second guessing, this is as close to a sure thing as the sleeper tier gets.
Projection Tier: 50–59 Points
Floor: 47 Points
Expected: 54 Points
Ceiling: 60 Points
Fantasy Risk Rating: Low
Opportunity: 5/5
Trend: Stable
Stats and projections compiled from 2025–26 season data. Fantasy tiers reflect expected full season pace based on current usage and role.
— The Add List +