Prospect rankings are never static. Every month brings new information, whether it’s a breakout performance, a trade, a signing, a change in organizational depth, or simply another prospect making a stronger case to move ahead. That’s what makes following prospects so much fun in dynasty leagues. Dobber’s latest Top 200 Fantasy Prospect Forwards gives us another opportunity to see whose stock is moving as we head toward the 2026-27 season, particularly compared with where players ranked earlier this summer. It’s important to remember that not every drop represents a prospect actually losing value, as the addition of the 2026 draft class naturally pushed many established prospects down the list, while movement near the top can be much more meaningful than a 20-position swing near the bottom. With that context in mind, let’s look at five of the most interesting risers and five of the most notable fallers, and, more importantly, what those movements might mean for dynasty managers.

Biggest Risers

1. Amadeus Lombardi, C – New Jersey Devils

June: 172 → September: 132 | +40 spots

Lombardi is the biggest established-prospect riser on the list, jumping 40 spots from 172nd in June to 132nd in September, but I'm going to push back on the enthusiasm here. His pNHLe sits at just 53, and he is now entering his third AHL season. At some point, the development curve matters. If Lombardi were ultimately going to emerge as a high-end NHL scorer, you would typically expect to have seen more evidence of that breakthrough by now. He still has an intriguing offensive toolkit built around speed, creativity and puck skill, and the move from Detroit to New Jersey gives him a fresh organizational opportunity, but I'm not convinced the ranking rise represents a meaningful change in his long-term fantasy outlook.

Instead, I increasingly see Lombardi becoming a tweener, a player who is clearly too talented to dismiss but whose NHL role and fantasy ceiling remain questionable. He may earn NHL opportunities and could become a useful complementary player, but that is very different from developing into a meaningful dynasty asset. Rather than chasing this 40-spot rise, I'd actually be increasingly cautious. The longer a skilled prospect spends in the AHL without forcing his way into a significant NHL role, the more the question shifts from "when is the breakout coming?" to "is this simply what he is?" He's still worth monitoring in deeper leagues, but I wouldn't be buying based on this movement up the rankings.

2. Dominic James, C/LW – Tampa Bay Lightning

June: 174 → September: 187, but August: 208 → September: 187 | +21 this month

James is a slightly different type of riser. His longer-term ranking doesn’t look impressive because of all the players inserted into the list, but he made one of the largest moves in the latest update, climbing from 208th to 187th. More importantly, James has already done the thing most prospects in this range are still trying to accomplish: prove that he can play in the NHL. Tampa Bay signed him after Chicago allowed his rights to expire, and the NHL games he has already logged are reassuring. His Evolving-Hockey profile also shows excellent defensive results, giving him a foundation that should help him stay in an NHL lineup while leaving some room for his offensive game to develop.

That’s particularly interesting in dynasty because James doesn’t need to become a star to outperform his acquisition cost. The defensive game may be what gets him onto an NHL roster and keeps him there, but if the offense continues to grow, there could be more fantasy value here than his current ranking suggests. Tampa Bay has historically done a good job finding players who can fill specific roles around its established core, and James is already much closer to NHL relevance than most prospects ranked around him. The offensive ceiling may ultimately prevent him from becoming a major fantasy asset, particularly in points-only formats, but the NHL experience and strong underlying defensive profile give me more confidence in his floor. He’s exactly the kind of player who could quietly move another 50 spots if opportunity and offensive production begin to follow.

3. William Horcoff, C – Pittsburgh Penguins

June: 76 → September: 90, but July: 95 → September: 90 | +5 this month

Horcoff is an interesting case because the influx of new prospects has pushed him down relative to June, but his recent trajectory is moving in the opposite direction, climbing five spots from 95th to 90th. Pittsburgh selected him 24th overall in 2025, and at 6-5 and roughly 200 pounds, Horcoff brings a combination of size, net-front ability and two-way play that gives him multiple avenues toward an NHL role. He also had a very good season at Michigan, producing at nearly a point-per-game pace. The counterpoint was an underwhelming under 20 World Junior Championship, where he managed just two points in five games for an American team that was hoping to get considerably more out of him offensively.

If you believe his pNHLe of 65, there is plenty to be excited about. A player with that projection, first-round pedigree and Horcoff’s physical tools certainly has an intriguing fantasy ceiling. I’m just not convinced the offensive upside is as substantial as the overall package might suggest, and there are enough questions for me that I’d actually use this recent rise as an opportunity to sell. Big centers with strong draft pedigree and respectable production tend to retain plenty of prospect value because it’s easy to envision everything coming together. If another dynasty manager is willing to pay based on that upside, I’d rather capitalize on the uncertainty now than assume the offense eventually catches up to the rest of Horcoff’s profile.

4. Ville Koivunen, PIT

June: 28 → September: 23 | +5 spots

Five spots doesn’t look dramatic compared with some of the names deeper down the rankings, but movement from 28th to 23rd is meaningful because Koivunen is already among the higher-ranked fantasy prospects. I’m sure part of the appeal for Dobber here is his proximity to becoming a full-time NHL player, and there is certainly value in that certainty. He produced 41 points in just 34 AHL games last season, and Pittsburgh reinforced its commitment to him this summer with an eight-year, $32 million contract. But proximity shouldn’t be confused with upside. Koivunen had only seven points in 39 NHL games, and his Evolving-Hockey profile was much more encouraging defensively than offensively. The defensive metrics were excellent, which should help him establish and maintain an NHL role, but there was little indication from the NHL results that significant offensive production is imminent.

That’s why I’m less enthusiastic about Koivunen as a top-25 dynasty prospect. I think his most likely outcome is that of a good complementary NHL player rather than someone with significant fantasy upside. There’s value in a player who is likely to stick, particularly when the organization has made this kind of commitment to him, but dynasty managers should be careful not to overvalue NHL certainty at the expense of ceiling. At 23rd overall, his name may carry enough prospect value that this becomes an opportunity to explore the market. If another manager is willing to give you a true blue-chip prospect with substantially greater upside, and that player fits your competitive timeline, I’d strongly consider making that exchange.

5. Vitali Pinchuk, C – Nashville Predators

June: 74 → July: 88 → September: 85 | +3 this month

Pinchuk is an interesting riser because there is real production behind the movement. The 24-year-old broke out for 31 goals and 66 points in 65 KHL games last season after steadily improving over the previous several years. At 6-3 and over 200 pounds, he brings a power-forward profile to go along with that offense, and after signing with Nashville, he should get an opportunity to show how much of that production translates to the NHL. His age limits some of the upside, but the combination of size, scoring and NHL proximity makes him an intriguing player to watch and helps justify his recent rise.

Biggest Fallers

1. Maxim Shabanov, MIN

June: 71 → September: 100 | -29 spots

Shabanov is probably the most interesting faller because this isn’t a teenage prospect whose development suddenly went sideways. He’s already 25, played 44 NHL games for the Islanders last season and produced 18 points after arriving from the KHL. He then left New York and signed with Minnesota this summer. His Dobber ranking has consequently fallen from 71st in June to 100th now, including a 14-spot plunge in the latest update. Unfortunately, I’m not sure the underlying numbers give us much reason to push back against the drop. Shabanov’s Evolving-Hockey metrics were pretty ugly last season, and his actual scoring considerably exceeded what his underlying offensive results suggested he deserved. In other words, even the modest production we saw may have overstated how well he actually played.

Perhaps the move from Long Island to Minnesota provides a better environment or opportunity and helps him find another level, but I’m not particularly optimistic. At 25, Shabanov is much closer to a finished product than most players on a prospect list, so there isn’t the same developmental runway to excuse poor underlying results while waiting for a breakout. He now needs to show that he can turn NHL opportunity into sustainable production. I wouldn’t sell him solely because Dobber dropped him 29 spots, particularly if the market has already cratered, but I also wouldn’t view the decline as an obvious buying opportunity. The combination of his age, weak underlying metrics and potentially unsustainable scoring makes this a player I’m comfortable being cautious about until he gives us a reason to believe otherwise.

2. Andrew Basha, LW/RW – Calgary Flames

June: 127 → September: 162 | -35 spots

Basha has quietly experienced one of the more significant slides among recognizable prospects, falling from 127th in June to 162nd. Calgary selected him 41st overall in 2024, and his appeal has always been his versatility, speed and playmaking ability. Injuries have certainly disrupted his development, including an ankle injury, and his 2025-26 season was split between the WHL and AHL. But at some point, we also have to acknowledge what the numbers are telling us, and his pNHLe has now fallen to just 34. That’s a pretty concerning projection for a player whose fantasy value was always going to depend on the offensive side of his game continuing to develop.

Basha is still only 20, so there is certainly time for him to reverse course, but I’m not viewing this 35-spot decline as a buying opportunity. The combination of stalled development and a declining offensive projection makes me increasingly concerned about his fantasy ceiling. If someone in your league still values Basha based on his draft pedigree and what we thought he might become a year or two ago, I’d use that opportunity to sell. There’s always a chance he rebounds, but at this point I’d rather move the asset while there is still some prospect-name value attached to him.

3. Malcolm Spence, LW – New York

June: 107 → September: 137 | -30 spots

Spence has dropped 30 spots since June, from 107th to 137th. Some of that is undoubtedly structural, with newly drafted players entering ahead of him, so I wouldn’t interpret the decline as a complete collapse in his value. Still, there are reasons to be concerned beyond the ranking itself. According to Hockey Prospecting, Spence is now down to just a six percent chance of becoming a star, which puts a pretty significant damper on the fantasy ceiling. He’s always had elements of his game that could translate well to the NHL, but increasingly the question is whether those attributes will translate into enough offense to matter for fantasy.

Spence may ultimately become a better real-life NHL player than fantasy asset, and that’s an important distinction for dynasty managers. At this stage, I’m not necessarily dropping him in deeper formats, but I also wouldn’t be particularly patient simply because of his prospect pedigree. The deeper he falls, the more important it becomes to ask whether that roster spot could be used on a prospect with a better chance of becoming an impact fantasy player.

4. Quentin Musty, LW – San Jose Sharks

June: 43 → September: 54 | -11 spots

Musty’s slide from 43rd to 54th is concerning. His combination of size, skill and junior production has made him a recognizable dynasty name for years, but his pNHLe has now trended down to 60, and I’m becoming increasingly pessimistic about the fantasy upside. At some point, dominating junior hockey has to translate into professional production, and several higher-end prospects have now passed Musty both in overall upside and within San Jose’s system. He’s still a legitimate NHL prospect, but that’s different from being the potential high-end fantasy asset we once hoped he might become.

The organizational situation only adds to my concern. San Jose has accumulated so much high-end young offensive talent that it’s becoming difficult to see Musty’s path to consistent top-six and premium power-play opportunities. Unless he significantly outperforms expectations or eventually lands in another organization with a clearer path to offensive minutes, he may find himself pushed toward a complementary role. At 54th, there’s probably still enough name recognition and pedigree to find an interested dynasty manager, and I’d be willing to explore that market. The upside is trending in the wrong direction, while the competition for the opportunities he needs is only getting stronger.

5. Michael Hage, C – Montreal Canadiens

June: 7 → September: 10 | -3 spots

There isn't much in Hage’s performance that warrants becoming less enthusiastic about him. He was awesome in the NCAA last season, and his Fantasy Hockey Life Skater Card shows just how strong his overall season was. He’s returning for his junior year, giving him another season to develop and potentially establish himself as one of the premier offensive players in college hockey. His drop from seventh to 10th looks much more like other high-end prospects moving around him than Hage doing anything to diminish his own outlook.

For dynasty managers, this is exactly the kind of ranking decline I would be looking to exploit rather than fear. Hage remains one of the better offensive prospects in hockey, and I’m certainly not selling because he slipped three spots on someone else’s list. In fact, if another manager sees the drop and is suddenly willing to move Hage at a discount, I want to be on the other side of that trade. At this level, focus on whether the player’s underlying projection has actually changed. With Hage, I don’t think it has. If anything, another big NCAA season could have him right back near the very top of prospect rankings.

Final Thoughts

Rankings are useful, but the movement within them can be even more informative. A rise or fall should prompt dynasty managers to ask why: did production, opportunity, or development actually change, or did other prospects simply move around them? Ultimately, the goal is to identify changes in value before the rest of your league does. Don’t react to the ranking alone. Understand what caused the movement, decide whether you agree with it, and determine whether it creates an opportunity to buy or sell.

Thanks for reading! See you next week. For more fantasy hockey analysis, or if there's a prospect, topic, or theme you'd like me to cover, follow and message me on X: @VictorNuno12