NHL DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups & Predictions Today: Tuesday Playbook
Published: Oct 08, 2024
Our NHL DFS picks are back now that the season is here! It’s been a minute since we’ve had some meaningful hockey games, but all that returns tonight.
The quest for Lord Stanley starts right now, with all 32 teams having a chance to win (not you, San Jose or Chicago). Let’s not waste any more time and get right into tonight’s slate as we break down various NHL DFS projections.
NHL DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, October 8th
As of this exact moment, the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers are expected to play their game despite Hurricane Helene expecting to make landfall. You’ll need to monitor this situation closely before making any NHL DFS picks as we approach puck drop.
In all honesty, this game shouldn’t happen, but we’ll see. We will have some exposure to this game, but it’s risky.
NHL Pick 'Em At PrizePicks Today
Before we get into our actual NHL DFS picks, let’s make some pick’ em picks for the night over on PrizePicks. There are lots of ways we try to fill your wallet over here at Fantasy Alarm and this is just another option!
If you don’t have an account – no worries, click here to get started and use PrizePicks promo code ALARM for a sweet $50 guaranteed signup bonus.
PrizePicks NHL Picks, Tuesday, October 8th:
- David Pastrnak O3.5 Shots On Goal
- Aleksander Barkov O10 Faceoffs Won
- Connor Bedard O0.5 Points
There’s no reason to get cute at PrizePicks on the first slate of the night.
David Pastrnak at 3.5 is just too low of a number. He’s going to be counted on to score goals and he is a shooting machine.
Connor Bedard is talented, and everyone is expecting him to have a big year. He has more support around him this season, so hopefully, that leads to more points.
Aleksander Barkov takes so many faceoffs because he’s always on the ice. He takes the most important draws and that trend should continue.
Today’s NHL DFS Lineup Optimizer & Generator
This Playbook is your essential resource for selecting great NHL DFS picks. Explore our expert advice and recommendations, and don’t forget to check today’s NHL DFS projections and our special NHL lineups page!
You can easily use all this information with the NHL DFS Lineup Generator to finalize your Core Plays and create successful lineups quickly! Here’s a sample lineup for today’s games:
NHL DFS Lineups Today, 10/8
Goalie Of The Day: Connor Ingram - UTA
It’s the first NHL game for the new team on the block and you know they are going to come out with a ton of energy. Connor Ingram is expected to get the start, and he has a great matchup against Chicago.
The Blackhawks have more skill in their lineup, but they will still struggle to score goals. He’s the most expensive goalie on DraftKings, but he’s the best goalie by a wide margin.
Play Of The Day: David Pastrnak - BOS
You know exactly what you’re getting when you roster David Pastrnak. He’s elite and loves to shoot the puck.
I know it’s a road game against a very good Florida team, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to get his chances. He needs to score a goal to hit value, but if anyone can do it tonight, it’s him.
Value Play Of The Day: Barrett Hayton - UTA
Utah has the highest implied total at 3.4 and Barrett Hayton is skating on the top line and top power play unit.
He’s only $3,200 on DK, which is a bargain considering how much upside he has. A couple of shots on goal and a point would be more than enough for him to hit value for our NHL DFS picks today.
Stack Of The Day - UTA L1 (Clayton Keller, Barrett Hayton, Nick Schmaltz)
This top line is going to be very popular tonight and for good reason. Hayton is cheap, Keller is a stud, and Schmaltz is a very good overall forward.
All three also play together on the top power play unit. If you’re looking to build a winning GPP lineup, you’ll want to either stack the full line or get two pieces of it.
Player Pool
| $ Tier | C | W | D |
|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Connor Bedard  $7,800 |  David Pastrnak $8,800 | Charlie McAvoy $6,500 |
 Aleksander Barkov $7,900 | Sam Reinhart $8,100 | ||
| Medium |  Pavel Buchnevich $6,300 | Carter Verhaeghe $7,700 | Seth Jones $6,100 |
 Clayton Keller $7,000 | Mikhail Sergachev $6,400 | ||
| Low |  Matty Beniers $4,900 | Jordan Eberle $5,200 | TJ Brodie $0 |
| Evan Rodrigues $4,400 | Justin Faulk $5,800 |
Stacks
| Hockey Club | Clayton Keller | Nick Schmaltz | Barrett Hayton |
 DraftKings | 7400 | 5700 | 3200 |
| Fanduel | 7000 | 6000 | 4000 |
| Bruins | David Pastrnak | Elias Lindholm | Pavel Zacha |
| DraftKings | 8800 | 5500 | 4600 |
| Fanduel | 8800 | 6400 | 5200 |
| Blues | Jordan Kyrou | Pavel Buchnevich | Alexandre Texier |
| DraftKings | 6800 | 5600 | 2500 |
| Fanduel | 6100 | 6300 | 3900 |
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.