NHL Building Blocks for October 3
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.
Oct 13, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) celebrates his goal during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
CASH
Forward: Nathan MacKinnon
Colorado is the best overall matchup on the board for me, and MacKinnon is the centerpiece. The Avalanche are roughly -290 against St. Louis, and MacKinnon is already attracting plenty of ownership, but this is a spot where I’m fine eating it.
Defense: Evan Bouchard
It’s hard to ignore eight points in two games, especially when he’s playing alongside McDavid and Draisaitl at even strength and on the power play. Seattle just gave up six goals to Calgary, and Bouchard’s role makes him one of the strongest raw-point plays on the slate.
Goalie: Scott Wedgwood
Wedgewood is one of the strongest cash-game options on the slate if confirmed. Colorado is a massive favorite, St. Louis is coming off a back-to-back, and the Avalanche just scored eight goals in their opener. The Blues should still give Wedgewood some save opportunities, but the real appeal is the win equity and potential for a lower goals-against number.
Jan 5, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
SINGLE ENTRY
Forward: Tage Thompson
Thompson was held scoreless in Buffalo’s opener, but he still managed four shots. The home matchup with Chicago gives him a nice bounce-back setup.
Defense: Quinn Hughes
Hughes gives us a lot to like in SE: heavy minutes, PP1 exposure and a central role in Minnesota’s offense, and he’s half the ownership of Makar/Bouchard. He already logged 27:30 with an assist in the opener, and with Brock Faber out for a few months, the Wild are going to lean heavily on him again against Boston and going forward.
Goalie: Jesper Wallstedt
Wallstedt has already looked excellent to open the season, stopping 19 of 20 in Minnesota’s opener, and now gets Boston at home. The Wild are sizable favorites, giving him a strong win foundation, while Boston should still provide enough work to keep the save floor interesting. He’s confirmed and cheap enough that I can absolutely see the cash appeal, though the early-season form could make him more popular than I’d like.
Stack: TB (Kucherov-Point-Goncalves)
The new top line is worth attacking. Goncalves is the cheap piece that makes the stack work while Point and Kucherov supply the scoring ceiling. Tampa is favored at home, and I like this as a way to get away from the Colorado/Edmonton combinations likely to dominate ownership.
Feb 28, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) awaits the face-off against the New York Islanders in the second period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
LARGE FIELD
Forward: Kirill Kaprizov
Minnesota is one of my favorite ways to get different tonight. Kaprizov is still going to attract some attention, but the Wild’s superstar scored in the opener and now gets a team in Boston that has played two games already (including last night) and Minnesota gets them for their home opener.
Defense: Zach Werenski
Werenski is back in the large-field pool tonight, and this is a much better spot for him than trying to force him onto Friday’s slate. Columbus gets Utah at home, and Werenski’s PP1 role gives him the kind of scoring ceiling we’re looking for when trying to beat a large field. He’s also a natural way to differentiate from the heavily owned Makar/Bouchard builds.
Goalie: Joseph Woll
Woll is in net against Carolina after stopping 29 of 31 shots in his opener, and Philadelphia’s home matchup isn’t nearly as intimidating as some of the other spots on this slate. The Hurricanes are favored, though, so there’s some obvious concern about the win; however, they’re on the second half of a B2B and have not looked good at all to open their Cup defense. His .932 save percentage to open the season and the low salary make him a particularly interesting salary-saving tournament option.
Stack: DAL (Johnston-Rantanen-Hryckowian)
Dallas got shut out by St. Louis last night, which should keep this group well below the obvious Colorado/Edmonton stacks, but the matchup flips to Nashville tonight. Johnston and Rantanen give it plenty of scoring upside, and the lower ownership is exactly what I’m looking for in
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