With the 2023-24 NHL season almost here, fantasy hockey is starting to pick up. Fantasy managers are gearing up for their drafts and will soon need to pick their players. Your first pick is an extremely important decision. As a result, in this piece, let’s go over two of the NHL’s top players after Connor McDavid – Leon Draisaitl and Nathan MacKinnon.
Draisaitl vs. MacKinnon in 2023 Fantasy Hockey
The Case for Draisaitl
If Draisaitl is still on the board in your fantasy draft, he naturally warrants real consideration. He is coming off a truly remarkable season, posting 52 goals and 128 points in 80 games. He also led the entire league in points back in 2020, so it is apparent that he is a real game-changer. Due to this, he is always a threat to win the scoring title and a must-have for your fantasy hockey roster.
Another element that helps Draisaitl’s value is that he plays with McDavid. McDavid, the NHL’s best player, naturally helps Draisaitl rack up more points. This is especially so on the power play, as these two franchise talents simply dominate. As a result, Draisaitl is an obvious player to watch for your fantasy.
Besides being an offensively dominant player, Draisaitl is also quite effectively defensively. This element of his game makes him a truly complete player, and that only helps his value in fantasy hockey.
The Case for MacKinnon
Although Draisaitl is excellent, MacKinnon is an absolute beast himself. The 2013 first-overall pick was marvelous in 2022-23, posting 42 goals, 111 points, and a plus-29 rating in 71 games. Had he played in 80 games like Draisaitl and maintained his pace of production, he would have had 47 goals and 125 points. Needless to say, these two are always neck and neck when it comes to production. This should carry over into the new season.
Similar to Draisaitl, MacKinnon has also been noted for his elite defensive play. This element of his game also makes MacKinnon one of the best all-around forwards in the sport. He kills penalties, aggressively forechecks, and is great at takeaways. Thus, this only helps improve MacKinnon’s fantasy hockey value.
MacKinnon has the potential to hit at least 120 points this season, just like Draisaitl. The big challenge for him will be to stay healthy for the full season. If he does, he will be in the hunt for both the Hart Memorial Trophy and Art Ross Trophy
Both Players Are Must-Haves in Fantasy Hockey
At the end of the day, if you end up with either Draisaitl or MacKinnon on your fantasy hockey team, you have hit the jackpot. Both of these two are consistently among the NHL’s best point producers, and that is going to continue over to the new season. Draisaitl will continue to create true magic with McDavid, while MacKinnon will drive the Colorado Avalanche’s offense with Mikko Rantanen.
Draisaitl vs. MacKinnon will continue to be an ongoing discussion for the remainder of their careers. Yet, when it comes to choosing one of them for your fantasy hockey team, it truly comes down to preference. Let’s see how these two perform in 2023-24 from here.
Looking for more great fantasy hockey analysis? Check out our 2023 Fantasy Hockey Draft Kit for team previews, rankings, and all the sleepers you can shake a stick at.