NHL Building Blocks: September 30
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.
Apr 19, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period against the Dallas Stars in game one of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
CASH
Forward: Nathan MacKinnon
MacKinnon gives us the best combination of shot volume, playmaking and goal equity on a three-game slate, with Colorado carrying the strongest overall offensive environment.
Defense: Cale Makar
Makar gives us the ideal cash-game defense profile: massive offensive involvement, PP1 exposure and enough peripheral production to keep the floor from being completely goal-dependent.
Goalie: Scott Wedgwood
Colorado is a sizable home favorite against Los Angeles, giving Wedgwood a strong win environment while the Kings should still provide enough shots to keep his floor respectable.
May 5, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (88) carries the puck against the Florida Panthers during the second period of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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Forward: William Nylander
Nylander comes into this matchup off a two-goal opener against Montreal, but the bigger reason to use him is his shooting ability and top-line role. Toronto gets a quick opportunity to respond at home.
Defense: Cale Makar
There’s enough value elsewhere on this slate to pay up for Makar again in SE. His offensive role gives him one of the highest defenseman ceilings available, and there’s not another defenseman on the slate who can match that.
Goalie: Ilya Sorokin
Toronto should create plenty of work for Sorokin, which is exactly what we want from an SE goalie. The save-volume upside gives him a path to a strong score even without a win, and we know he’s good enough to steal a game at any point.
Stack: COL1 (MacKinnon-Necas-Lehkonen-Makar
This grouping gives us the strongest offensive correlation on the slate. I’m comfortable eating the ownership here and getting different elsewhere in the lineup, especially at their salaries.
Jan 31, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) celebrates after scoring a goal in the first period against the Nashville Predators at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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Forward: Sidney Crosby
Crosby has dominated the Flyers throughout his career, recording 60 goals and 79 assists for 139 total points in 93 career regular-season and playoff games against them. Nice ceiling and the field may not go here.
Defense: Matthew Schaefer
Schaefer is an excellent large-field option. He’s already established himself as a top-pair defenseman and matched the rookie record with 23 goals last season. He offers legitimate offensive upside at a cheap price, and he’s facing a possibly tired Leafs team that just played last night.
Goalie: Darcy Kuemper
Kuemper is an interesting large-field option because the matchup gives him plenty of save upside, while his lower win probability should keep ownership down. If he can keep Colorado’s scoring in check, the save volume gives him a path to a tournament-worthy score. Always some value in rostering a good goalie against an elite offense.
Stack: PIT1 (Crosby-Rakell-Karlsson)
Pittsburgh is the type of stack that could be overlooked on this three-game slate because Colorado and Toronto naturally attract more attention. Crosby’s line has enough scoring talent to punish that approach if Philadelphia struggles defensively out of the gate.
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