Next up in our 2023 Fantasy Hockey Sleepers series is the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers have a strong roster, led by franchise talents Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. All fantasy managers know to select these two, but they also have some sleepers worth considering, too. Let’s go over three of them now.
Edmonton Oilers Sleepers for 2023-24 Fantasy Hockey
Connor Brown
Connor Brown is a clear sleeper heading into the 2023-24 season. The 28-year-old essentially lost a season in 2022-23. Due to a torn ACL, he only appeared in four games with the Washington Capitals, posting zero points. It was a brutal way for his season to end, but now he is ready to turn the page as an Oiler in 2023-24. He has the potential to have a big year with the club.
A huge reason why Brown should be in for a strong season is that he is reuniting with McDavid. The two had amazing chemistry as teammates with the Erie Otters, and it surely has the potential to translate over to the NHL. When healthy, Brown is an effective middle-six forward, but do not be surprised if his production skyrockets playing with McDavid this season. As a result, consider snagging him in your fantasy draft.
Ryan McLeod
Ryan McLeod is another Oilers sleeper who warrants consideration in your fantasy drafts. The 23-year-old center took a big step forward in 2022-23, posting new career highs in goals (11) and points (23) in 57 games. This helped him earn a two-year, $4.2 million contract earlier this offseason. A bigger contract means bigger responsibility, and this should lead to McLeod only improving in 2023-24.
There is no question that McLeod is blossoming into a strong defensive forward. However, it is also apparent that he has the potential to take another step forward offensively. This past season was quite promising from the young center, but don’t be surprised if his production improves even more in 2023-24. Due to this, don’t be afraid to take a chance on McLeod during the later stages of your fantasy drafts.
Philip Broberg
Philip Broberg has a plethora of potential. The Oilers selected him with the eighth overall pick of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft for this very reason. However, the 22-year-old has yet to emerge as a top-four defenseman at this point in his young career. Yet, when noting that he should receive consistent playing time in 2023-24, this should finally be the year that he takes a major step forward.
Broberg should be a mainstay on the Oilers’ bottom pairing this season. With that, he should get some reps on both their power play and their penalty kill. Due to all of this, Broberg is a young defenseman worth taking a swing at in your fantasy drafts. The potential and skill is there. It is just a matter of him translating it to the NHL level.
Alas, it is apparent that the Oilers have some wonderful sleepers worth adding to your fantasy teams. If Brown, McLeod, and Broberg all have big seasons, it could be the push that the Oilers need to go on a real run during the playoffs.
Make sure to check out all of the sleepers and breakouts of the 2023 fantasy hockey season!