Studs and Stacks – October 16
As the 2025–26 NHL season kicks off, daily fantasy hockey enthusiasts are gearing up for the action on DraftKings and FanDuel. In this article, we spotlight today’s top NHL DFS studs and stack recommendations, focusing on high-upside players and synergistic line combinations that can elevate your lineups. Whether you’re targeting cash games or GPPs, these picks are designed to maximize value and exposure. Let’s dive into the matchups and identify the key players to target.
FORWARDS
The Stud: Nathan Mackinnon
Mackinnon is matchup-proof, and this one is far from an elite one. He’s got four goals (15 shots) and four helpers through four games, and there’s no reason why he can’t add to that tonight.
The Pivot: Auston Matthews
Finally broke out of his mini-slump to start the season with a couple of goals last game. He’s always got a great floor as he shoots a lot, but he’s got a tougher matchup tonight than Mackinnon as Toronto faces Shesterkin and the Rangers.
Mar 2, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) skates with the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Low-Owned: Chris Kreider
It’s a tough matchup against the Hurricanes, but Kreider has found a home in California, notching four goals in his first three games in Anaheim.
The Value: Matthew Knies
Knies continues to be too cheap, and even in a tough matchup against the Rangers, he’ll still always get opportunities alongside Matthews.
STACKS
The Full: MTL (Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky-Bolduc)
Nashville gave up seven goals to Toronto the other night, and Montreal can shoot a ton and rack up the goals quickly. This stack may go overlooked with the other elite-ceiling stacks on the slate, but they’re in a really nice spot, and they’ve been producing as well (seven of the Canadiens’ 15 goals have come from this quartet).
The Mini: CBJ (Marchenko-Werenski)
These two are L1/PP1 together, and they’ve combined for 36 shots between them through three games (five goals and two assists as well). If Columbus is keeping pace with the Avs, these two should be involved, and Werenski is one of the few defensemen who not only have an incredible floor but also a forward-level ceiling.
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