NHL Building Blocks for October 10
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.
Nov 14, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) makes a save on a shot by the Boston Bruins during the third period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
CASH
Forward: Sebastian Aho
Carolina has been putting up goals in bunches, scoring seven in each of its last two games, and Aho has already chipped in eight points (four goals and four assists) through five games. He had a quieter night against Vancouver, finishing with just an assist, but I’m not too worried about one game when the Hurricanes are creating this much offense. I like him as a cash play against Chicago because he gives us a piece of one of the better scoring spots on the slate without needing to guess which secondary scorer is going to come through.
Defense: Cale Makar
Makar is off to a ridiculous start, with three goals and three assists through four games, including a three-point effort in Colorado’s 7-3 win over Calgary. He’s getting plenty of ice time and is involved enough offensively that he doesn’t have to score to pay off. Toronto has the potential to make this a high-scoring game, and I’m comfortable spending up for a defenseman who can put up a big number in a hurry. The salary is the concern, but Makar is one of the few blue-liners I’m willing to build around.
Goalie: Jake Oettinger
It’s hard to argue with what Oettinger has done lately. He shut out Buffalo on 26 shots Thursday after Dallas blanked San Jose 5-0 earlier in the week, and he’s sitting at a 0.67 goals-against average through three starts. The Stars are playing well defensively, which gives him a good shot at another win against Pittsburgh. My only hesitation is that he might not see enough shots to put up a huge fantasy score, but I like the combination of recent form and team support for cash, and the Penguins are on the second half of a B2B.
Nov 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) celebrates win against the Philadelphia Flyers with teammates at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
SINGLE ENTRY
Forward: Jack Eichel
Eichel has been on a tear, with 12 points (3 goals, 9 assists) in five games and six points over his last two. He put up four points against Seattle and followed that with another two against Toronto, so it’s not as if he’s getting there on one lucky bounce. Vegas has a favorable home matchup with Los Angeles, and I like Eichel’s chances of staying involved if the Golden Knights get rolling. You’re going to pay for the hot start, of course, but I’d rather make that investment than try to find a cheaper forward who needs to score a goal just to get on the board.
Defense: Miro Heiskanen
Heiskanen is a good fit for single-entry because he gives us exposure to a Dallas offense that has started to find its rhythm without forcing us to pay all the way up for Cale Makar. The Stars have scored nine unanswered goals over their last two games, and if that offensive momentum carries over against Pittsburgh, Heiskanen has a path to a strong fantasy night. I wouldn’t expect him to match Makar’s goal-scoring upside, but he doesn’t need to score to make this play work. I like him as a way to get some salary flexibility while still targeting one of the teams I want exposure to on this slate.
Goalie: Carter Hart
I like Hart if he gets the start for Vegas. The Golden Knights are at home against Los Angeles, and Vegas has the stronger team outlook, giving Hart a good path to a win. The concern is whether the Kings generate enough shots to give him a big save total, but I’m willing to lean on the win equity in single-entry.
Stack: VGK (Eichel-Stone-Hertl)
Vegas is one of my favorite spots to roll with early on this season, and I’d rather stack its top offense than try to guess which individual scorer gets the points. The Golden Knights just came back from three goals down to beat Toronto 4-3 in a shootout, so there’s no shortage of offensive upside in this group. Los Angeles is a tougher opponent than a complete punt matchup, but I like the home setting and Vegas’ scoring potential enough to make this my preferred single-entry stack.
Oct 14, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) looks on during the game between the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
LARGE FIELD
Forward: Mikko Rantanen
Rantanen is coming off a monster game against Buffalo, finishing with one goal and three assists in Dallas’ 4-0 win. He now has six points in four games, and that performance is a reminder of how quickly he can separate himself from the field when Dallas’ offense gets rolling. I like him as a large-field option because a multi-point game can justify the investment, especially if the slate’s attention shifts toward Colorado or Vegas. The risk is paying for a ceiling performance immediately after it happens, so I’d weigh his salary and expected ownership before making him a core piece.
Defense: Rasmus Dahlin
The points haven’t really taken off for Dahlin yet—he has two through four games—but he’s playing around 27 minutes a night. That’s a lot of ice time for a defenseman who can make a difference offensively when things start clicking. I like the Utah-Buffalo game as a tournament target, with the 6.5-goal total giving us some reason to look for offense on both sides. Dahlin isn’t someone I’d call a safe play right now, but that’s fine for GPPs. I’m betting on the workload turning into a bigger fantasy night, not pretending the production has already been there.
Goalie: Darcy Kuemper
Kuemper is definitely a tournament-only play, but I can see the angle if you want to get different in a large field. He’s allowed 10 goals on 59 shots through his first two starts, with a .831 save percentage and a 5.11 goals-against average, so the results have been ugly. That makes a matchup against Vegas a pretty uncomfortable spot to take him, especially with the Golden Knights carrying strong scoring potential at home. The reason I’d consider him is the possibility of a high-volume night: if Vegas keeps him busy and he comes up with enough saves to keep the Kings competitive, he could pay off as a low-owned option. There’s plenty of risk here, and I wouldn’t use him just to be contrarian, but in a large-field GPP I’m willing to take a shot if the salary and expected ownership make sense.
Stack: DAL (Rantanen-Hintz-Johnston-Robertson)
Dallas has scored nine unanswered goals over its last two games, including a 4-0 shutout of Buffalo, and I’m interested in staying with that offense in tournaments. The Stars have enough scoring depth to make a correlated stack worthwhile. Pittsburgh is a capable opponent, so I wouldn’t treat this as a free spot, but that’s part of why I like Dallas as a large-field option. Mix and match these four.
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