The Avalanche carry the slate's highest implied total at 4.3 goals against the Flames. The Maple Leafs sit second at 3.7 against the Canucks. The Canadiens' 3.4 implied goals are the third highest, in a Penguins–Canadiens game whose 6.5 total matches Maple Leafs–Canucks. Four games make up the slate, which locks Saturday, October 31 at 7:00 PM ET. Blue Jackets–Stars starts at 8:00 PM ET and Flames–Avalanche at 10:00 PM ET.
MacKenzie Blackwood (DK $8,500) is the Avalanche's projected goalie, and his 13.3 Hero Projection tops the position. Jake Oettinger (DK $8,100) projects for 11.6 for the Stars. Anthony Stolarz (DK $8,000) projects for 11.4 for the Maple Leafs, with Kevin Lankinen (DK $7,400) projected in the Canucks' net. Jacob Fowler (DK $7,900) is the Canadiens' projected goalie. Each starter is a projection, so confirm the goalies before lock.
Injury Watch
- Nick Suzuki (Canadiens, out)
- Kirill Marchenko (Maple Leafs, out)
- John Tavares (Maple Leafs, out)
- Bryan Rust (Penguins, out)
- Matt Duchene (Stars, out)
- Ivan Demidov (Canadiens, out)
- Mike Matheson (Canadiens, out)
- Logan O'Connor (DK $2,500) (Avalanche, day-to-day)
Top Stacks
COL PP1 vs CGY (DK $31,500)
Players: Nathan MacKinnon (DK $9,000); Cale Makar (DK $7,400); Martin Necas (DK $6,500); Nazem Kadri (DK $5,400); T.J. Hughes (DK $3,200)
The Avalanche PP1 stack projects 63.0 points with 27.3% average ownership, a 32.6% optimal rate and 2.05 value. It is Stack IQ's top stack, with the Avalanche implied for 4.3 goals. MacKinnon, Makar and Necas come from the first line, and Kadri and Hughes come from the third. Kadri carries a 10.8 DK average over his last three.
TOR PP1 vs VAN (DK $31,300)
Players: Auston Matthews (DK $8,800); William Nylander (DK $7,500); Darren Raddysh (DK $6,400); Jack Roslovic (DK $5,000); Gavin McKenna (DK $3,600)
The Maple Leafs PP1 stack projects 59.6 points with 25.1% average ownership, a 24.9% optimal rate and 1.96 value. The Maple Leafs carry 3.7 implied goals, second highest on the slate, against a Canucks team at 3-11-1. Matthews, Raddysh, Roslovic and McKenna share the first line, and Nylander joins from the second. McKenna scored 29.5 against the Kraken on October 28 and carries a 12.9 DK average over his last three.
MTL PP1 vs PIT (DK $23,100)
Players: Cole Caufield (DK $6,700); Lane Hutson (DK $5,600); Juraj Slafkovsky (DK $5,400); Zack Bolduc (DK $2,900); Kirby Dach (DK $2,500)
The Canadiens PP1 stack projects 48.6 points with 13.3% average ownership, a 7.5% optimal rate and 2.19 value. The Canadiens' 3.4 implied goals are the third highest on the slate, and Caufield, Hutson and Slafkovsky bring their first line to the unit. Bolduc joins from the third line with a 2.65 value, and Dach fills out the unit from the fourth line.
Center
Nathan MacKinnon (DK $9,000)
The Avalanche carry the slate's highest implied total, 4.3 goals against the Flames, and MacKinnon plays on their first line and PP1. His 17.8 Hero Projection and 32.0% optimal rate each sit in a near tie with Auston Matthews (DK $8,800) for the lead at center.
MacKinnon is the center the field builds around most. He scored 11.5 against the Devils on October 28 and carries a 17.8 DK average over his last three. His ceiling of 40.1 sits a step behind Auston Matthews (DK $8,800).
Auston Matthews (DK $8,800)
Matthews scored 27.5 against the Kraken on October 28, carries a 16.0 DK average over his last three and holds a 31.7% optimal rate. He plays on the Maple Leafs' first line and PP1 against the Canucks, with the team implied for 3.7 goals. A popular center, he owns a 40.5 ceiling in a near tie with Nathan MacKinnon (DK $9,000) for the top mark at the position.
Wyatt Johnston (DK $6,300)
The Stars face the Blue Jackets, and Johnston skates on their second line and PP1 with a 15.6% optimal rate. He scored 16.5 against the Canadiens on October 29 and carries a 12.4 DK average over his last three. His 11.3 Hero Projection is third at center, and the field likes him at the position.
Wing
Cole Caufield (DK $6,700)
Caufield skates on the Canadiens' first line and PP1 against the Penguins, and the Canadiens' 3.4 implied goals are third highest on the slate. He carries an 18.3% optimal rate.
Caufield scored 21.5 against the Stars on October 29, and his DK average over his last three is 12.4. A well-played wing, he pairs a 13.2 Hero Projection with a 32.7 ceiling, each in a near tie with William Nylander (DK $7,500) for the top spot at the position.
William Nylander (DK $7,500)
Nylander skates on the Maple Leafs' second line and PP1 against the Canucks. He is 16.8% owned with a 17.3% optimal rate. His 13.3 Hero Projection sits in a near tie with Cole Caufield (DK $6,700) at 13.2 for the lead at wing.
Martin Necas (DK $6,500)
Necas carries a 13.9 DK average over his last three against 12.0 on the season, and he plays on the Avalanche's first line and PP1 against the Flames. He is one of the field's favorite wings, with the slate's highest team implied total behind him and a 16.1% optimal rate.
Defense
Cale Makar (DK $7,400)
Makar plays on the Avalanche's first line and PP1 against the Flames. His 14.2 Hero Projection is the top mark at defense, with a 21.9% optimal rate.
Makar put six shots on goal for 12.0 against the Devils on October 28. He is a widely played defenseman with a 32.5 ceiling.
Lane Hutson (DK $5,600)
Hutson plays on the Canadiens' first line and PP1 against the Penguins, with a 14.0% optimal rate. His 10.9 Hero Projection is third at defense, and the field backs him heavily. He scored 9.1 against the Stars on October 29 and carries a 10.0 DK average over his last three.
Noah Dobson (DK $5,100)
Dobson skates on the Canadiens' first line and PP2 against the Penguins, and he scored 18.6 against the Stars on October 29 with an 11.7 DK average over his last three. He is 9.3% owned with a 10.4% optimal rate, a leverage play to let Build & Sim size against the field.
Goalie
MacKenzie Blackwood (DK $8,500)
The Avalanche carry a 78% win chance against the Flames, and Blackwood is their projected goalie, with an 18.8% optimal rate. His 13.3 Hero Projection is the top mark at goalie.
Against the Lightning on October 23 Blackwood posted 17.2, then 13.0 against the Devils on October 28. His DK average over his last three is 11.5. He is the field's most popular goalie, with a 29.4 ceiling.
Jake Oettinger (DK $8,100)
The Stars are 63% favorites against the Blue Jackets, and Oettinger is their projected goalie. A popular net choice, he carries an 11.6 Hero Projection, second at goalie, with a 16.5% optimal rate and a 27.7 ceiling.
Anthony Stolarz (DK $8,000)
In the Maple Leafs' net, Stolarz posted 26.5 against the Blue Jackets on October 20, then 20.0 against the Oilers on October 24, and holds a 15.7% optimal rate. He carries a 15.0 DK average over his last three, and the Maple Leafs hold a 63% win chance against the Canucks. His 11.4 Hero Projection is third at goalie for a well-liked play.
What The Market Is Saying
The market's main target is the Maple Leafs against the Canucks, with Auston Matthews (DK $8,800) and William Nylander (DK $7,500) as its default picks. It treats the Avalanche top line with Cale Makar (DK $7,400) as its default stack and Jake Oettinger (DK $8,100) as its default goalie. It splits on the Maple Leafs–Canucks total and on Penguins–Canadiens, where most of the market favors the Canadiens, and it keys on reports that Anthony Stolarz (DK $8,000) is confirmed, that Kevin Lankinen (DK $7,400) may give way in the Canucks' net, and that Nick Suzuki is out. DFS Hero leans to the Avalanche: Stack IQ ranks their PP1 its top stack at a 32.6% optimal rate, against 24.9% for the Maple Leafs' PP1, and has MacKenzie Blackwood (DK $8,500) at an 18.8% optimal rate beside Oettinger's 16.5%. A contrarian view backs Jacob Fowler (DK $7,900) in net, and he carries a leverage of 2.3.
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The content in our articles is based on data available at the time of publishing. Always double-check your lineups before locking in your players.
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