Your fantasy draft is coming up faster than expected. The NHL’s late holiday gift finally arrived after bouncing around the back of a UPS truck like that vintage lamp you ordered for your mom last month.

Hopefully the league will be in better shape than that lamp when it finally arrives, but at least the lamp isn’t putting itself at risk for chronic groin pulls due to an abbreviated training camp.

Part of putting together the most successful fantasy team is keeping balance across your roster. Knowing that you have to adjust your lineup daily means that you need contributions from every roster spot. That’s not to say that Erik Karlsson is just as invaluable as Andrew Ference (no offense Ference fans, but he was more valuable at the negotiating table than on the ice), but you need quality depth.

That being said, there are studs that you need to have on your roster too. Their contributions cannot be understated, and have as much value as much as any position on your roster. Here are your top five defensive options:

Honorable Mention: Kris Letang-Pittsburgh, Niklas Kronwall-Detroit, Dustin Byfuglien-Winnipeg, Alex Edler-Vancouver, Brian Campbell-Florida

5. Duncan Keith- The Chicago defenseman will look to get back on track after two consecutive sub-par seasons. He’s way too talented to be putting up numbers that are considered only slightly above average.

4. Alex Pietrangelo-The St. Louis Blues’ top defenseman has back-to-back seasons with statistical improvements. It is reasonable to expect another “mini-breakout” from Pietrangelo. He has the size and skill to be dominant, and as he learns the game his numbers will blow up.

3. Shea Weber-I like to call this guy “Baby Chara” simply because his style is so much like his Boston counterpart. He’s mean, physical, has a booming shot and an incredible hockey sense on the ice. Weber could very well win the Norris this season.

2.  Zdeno Chara- The enormous Bruin blue-liner might be the total package as a defenseman and is just that as a fantasy stud. He’ll stack numbers in every category, and though he’s getting older (35) he is still elite.

1. Erik Karlsson-If last season was his first, I would warn about a sophomore slump. The talented Swede is putting up sick numbers and though he may not be your idea of the best “all-around” defenseman, his offensive numbers make you forget the areas that he lacks in fantasy hockey.