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Fantasy hockey owners will often forego one or two of their defensemen slots in favor of rostering an extra goalie of forward. With each team having four starting positions for defensemen, a typical 12-man league require 48 D-men. Unfortunately, only 35 NHL defensemen have at least 10 points on the season.

While going with only two or three defensemen has some merit in providing depth at other positions instead of receiving next to no production from those roster spots, owners can instead use the spots to address other fantasy categories. This can be productive in both head-to-head and points leagues as owners focus on getting high levels of point production from their forwards.

Here are 10 defensemen going under the fantasy radar who are capable of rounding out your team's production:

Dennis Wideman, Calgary Flames

Wideman is averaging 21:37 in ice time through 17 games played. It's a full minute more than he averaged last season. He has just two goals and six points on the year, a far cry from his 56-point point season two years ago, but he has already matched last year's goal total. With 32 shots on goal he will blow past his 75 from last season.

Additionally, Wideman has dished out 19 hits and totals 19 blocked shots. He also has 16 penalty minutes. While none of those totals are matchup-altering, they are sources of consistent production. Wideman has the highest offensive ceiling of this group, and he warrants consideration for a regular roster spot as long as he maintains his 20-plus minutes of ice time.

Nick Holden, New York Rangers

Unlike other members of the New York Rangers relying on unsustainable shooting percentages to remain fantasy relevant, Holden offers some reliable production. He has two goals and nine points on just 16 shots on goal through 23 games, but owners shouldn't be lured by his offensive numbers.

He is plus-11 on the year, a number which could prove sustainable with G Henrik Lundqvist back in form. Holden has also blocked 28 shots and been credited with 45 hits. These two categories have always been a big part of his game, as he totaled 217 and 118, respectively, last season. His 19:39 of ice time is below his career average; a slight uptick would provide a boost.

Brandon Carlo, Boston Bruins

Carlo is averaging 22:14 of ice time in just his first NHL season. He is paired with D John-Michael Liles on the second pairing at 5v5 but doesn't receive time on either power play. The lack of offensive opportunity has led to just two goals and two assists through 22 games.

Carlo has also tallied little more than a SOG per game, totaling 26 on the year. His production has come via a plus-10 rating, 15 penalty minutes, 23 hits and 39 blocked shots. While the Bruins have been the league's second-best Corsi For team, per Corsica.Hockey, Carlo faces the third-highest Corsi of all defensemen on the team. He has plenty of shot-blocking opportunity.

Jeff Petry, Montreal Canadiens

Petry is well on pace for a career high in scoring, with three goals and six points through 21 games. He has just 16 points in 51 games last season. His 21:56 of ice time is just barely a new career high. His plus-5 rating is also a career best.

He has 10 penalty minutes through his 16 games, showing a lack of discipline which wasn't present last season when he totaled 16 PIMs in 51 games. He has also blocked 44 shots and made 46 hits. These latter two contributions rank him among the league leaders in both categories.

The Canadiens continue to face 59.18 shot attempts per 60 minutes of 5v5, forcing Petry and others to spend lots of time in their own zone.

Ryan Ellis, Nashville Predators

At a diminutive 5-foot-10 an 180 pounds, Ellis was known best for his top-tier offensive talent coming up through the OHL. While he set a career high with 32 points last season, Ellis has transitioned his game to focused more on defensive play. Through 19 games he has 26 hits and 38 blocked shots, while also registering 28 shots on goal.

Ellis logs 23:38 per game, the highest average of any of these five players. While the Predators' team offense continues to underwhelm, they have the most upside of these five teams. Owners need to accept what Ellis is giving them in lieu of point production.

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