Welcome to the Busts section of our fantasy hockey draft guide, where we arm you with the fantasy hockey draft strategy to sidestep costly overreaches. In this high-stakes game, every pick counts, and knowing which fantasy hockey busts to avoid can be the difference between a championship run and an early exit.

For the purposes of this section, here is what we mean by a "bust":

A player who can be drafted after his Average Draft Position (ADP) at his position.

This framework is never about condemning elite skaters or goaltenders to obsolescence; trust me, it's not. It is a sharp focus on avoiding the hype in mock drafts and passing on overvalued fantasy hockey players whose anticipated production won't be worth the roster spot you waste on them.

Yes, these players may still light the lamp or fill out the stat sheet, but relative to the draft capital you invest, they will fail to provide bang for your buck. Keep in mind: You are never going to win your league on draft night, but one wrong reach will ruin your season before the puck is even dropped.

With that in mind, here are our recommended fantasy hockey ADP fades to slide down your draft board and protect your roster's upside.

Fantasy Hockey Goalie Busts

Sergei Bobrovsky

Team: Toronto Maple Leafs | Position: G

Yahoo!: G14 | Ours: G24

Let’s just trigger an entire fan base right from the start when discussing Sergei Bobrovsky's fantasy value. The Maple Leafs went out and signed Bobrovsky to a three-year, $21M deal. The 37-year-old is well past his prime, and he’s joining a team that made no real effort to improve its defensive blue line. The future Hall of Famer also has Anthony Stolarz as a backup, so if he slips, the team won’t hesitate to turn this into a timeshare. Grabbing him as the 14th goalie off the board carries a ton of risk. Don’t put yourself in that position when there is no shortage of goalies who are either better or playing on much better teams.

Jake Oettinger

Team: Dallas Stars | Position: G

Yahoo!: G3 | Ours: G9

Let’s take a look at another goalie who is going way too early in drafts. Jake Oettinger had a disappointing 2025-26 campaign, and while he is a prime candidate to bounce back, taking him as the third goalie off the board means you’re taking him towards the end of the second round. This steep price severely impacts realistic Jake Oettinger fantasy projections. Why pass up a skater who could potentially rack up 100 points? He’s on a good team and will win games, but paying up for that is foolish. There’s too much risk in taking him at his current ADP, so let someone else deal with the potential headache that could follow.

 

 

 

Fantasy Hockey Winger Busts

Cole Caufield

Team: Montreal Canadiens | Position: RW

Yahoo!: RW5 | Ours: RW7

I want to be so wrong about Cole Caufield this year. The Habs forward set a career high with 51 goals, and while we know he can fill the net, there are concerns heading into this season. His shooting percentage (Sh%) last season was 19.8%, a full five points higher than his career average. At five-on-five, his goals above expected (xGF) were 14.9, leading the entire league. It’s going to be a massive challenge for him to repeat those numbers, putting him firmly in the conversation as one of this year's top fantasy hockey busts. You’re asking him to have another historic year, and while I think he can do it, I’m not willing to take him in the middle of the second round and pass up other quality players who aren’t as goal-dependent. If he proves me wrong, I’ll be the first person outside the Bell Centre with a clown nose, admitting I was wrong.

Fantasy Hockey Defenseman Busts

Lane Hutson

Team: Montreal Canadiens | Position: D

Yahoo!: D5 | Ours: D14

I am sick to my core about having to convince everyone to fade Lane Hutson. The kid is a dynamic skater who can rack up points, but there’s one problem: he doesn’t do much for fantasy beyond assists. He averaged fewer than two shots per game in the regular season and doesn’t log many hits. He did score 12 goals, but that was entirely thanks to his 9.7 Sh%. Again, he’s a fantastic young kid, and his potential is limitless, but in Lane Hutson fantasy hockey outlooks, we need players to check multiple boxes, and he just doesn’t do that yet. Unless he’s dropping to the end of the third round or early fourth, I won’t be touching him.
 

 

 

Fantasy Hockey Center Busts

Mark Scheifele

Team: Winnipeg Jets | Position: C

Yahoo!: C13 | Ours: C23

Dark days are coming in Winnipeg, and the Mark Scheifele fantasy 2026 outlook is no exception. He put up a career-high 101 points in 2025, but asking him to repeat that this season seems impossible. The center is 33 years old and coming off a year in which his Sh% at five-on-five was 24%, tops in the league. He averaged fewer than three shot attempts at even strength, so there’s just not enough volume for him to get back to the floor he set a year ago. Taking him as your top center is a risk, and there’s no need to reach at the position when you can wait a couple of rounds and get someone who will exceed expectations. Scheifele has a tough path to hit value at his current ADP, cementing his status among our top fantasy hockey busts.