Melker Karlsson

Karlsson was a solid bottom-six contributor for the Sharks in 2018-19, notching eight goals and 19 points in 71 games, but those numbers are nowhere near what's required to be considered a viable option at forward in most season-long fantasy leagues. The 6-foot Swede will continue to be an important member of San Jose's penalty-killing unit and an occasional contributor on offense this season, but he should go undrafted in the majority of fantasy formats.

The Melk Man has been delivering at a slow but steady clip, with fantasy owners receiving 34 goals and 31 assists from the Finn over his first three NHL seasons. On the downside, this species of Shark is rather docile even when provoked (only 31 PIM in 185 career games), and the lack of strength has been problematic for Karlsson, who dealt with ankle and unspecified lower-body injuries last season. Still, the Sharks barely had time to lament an early exit from the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs before the team renewed Karlsson's contract for two years and $6 million. This shows that Team Teal is hedging on the versatile forward's upside, and virtual GM's should consider following suit.

Yet another Sharks forward who alternates between the wing and center positions, Karlsson produced a modest 19 points while averaging 13:31 of ice time across 65 NHL contests last season before showing much of the same in the playoffs (eight in 24 games). The 26-year-old Swede actually took a slight step back from his rookie season (24 points in 53 games), so he’ll be looking to correct that trend – again in a depth role – heading into 2015-16. If he gets a shot with the big boys on a scoring line at some point, he’ll certainly be worth a shot in daily formats, but until Karlsson shows some sort of sustained production, those in season-long leagues will probably want to watch from a distance.

The Sharks signed Karlsson out of Sweden last offseason, and he burst onto the scene last year as a 24-year-old rookie, enjoying goood health and a regular role -- sometimes even a premier role -- after being called up from AHL Worcester in the first half of December. He's more of a complementary scorer than a potential star, but Karlsson should be in line to enjoy a full season with the Sharks, and he could very well spend some of that time skating top-six minutes with power-play time. There's value to be had in deeper leagues here, but in more standard formats, there are higher-upside youngsters to pursue.