Studs and Stacks – October 23
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: Connor McDavid
Slow start by his standards (goal and seven assists through seven games, though he does have 22 shots), but he started slowly last year as well. Great matchup at home tonight against a tired Canadiens team.
The Pivot: Nathan Mackinnon
Best floor/ceiling combo in the league (six goals and four assists in seven games to go along with 33 shots), and the Avs host the Hurricanes. Tougher matchup than McDavid, but I don’t mind either in any situation.
Nov 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) takes a shot against the Ottawa Senators during the first period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
The Low-Owned: David Pastrnak
Pasta is doing his usual thing (four goals and six assists in eight games while averaging just under four shots per game). Bruins have one of the best matchups on the slate tonight as well, and they may go overlooked.
The Value: Shane Pinto
Seven goals and an assist in seven games.
STACKS
The Full: NYR (Panarin-Zibanejad-Miller-Lafreniere)
The Rangers are at home and are the largest favorites (around -290 as of this writing), and as such this quartet is in a great position to get things going.
The Mini: WPG (Connor-Scheifele)
These two are the Jets’ engine, with 10 goals and nine assists between them through seven games. Seattle isn’t that tough defensively, and this is a nice way to get a piece of this matchup without going too heavy.
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