NHL DFS Lineup Picks for DraftKings: Goalies, Value Plays, Stacks, and Power Plays Picks (10/13/26)

October 13, 2026

Get today's top DraftKings daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for October 13, 2026. Doug's expert NHL DFS goalies picks, value plays, stacks, and power play picks.

Happy Tuesday, RotoBallers. We have reached that point in the season where the NHL gets cute and starts every game 15 minutes after the last, with the first puck drop at 6:00 pm EST and the last at 11:00 pm EST. DraftKings is running two slates: a four-game slate for the earliest starts and a 12-game slate for the rest. 

We will cover that big slate here, while I’m sure there will be plenty of talk about the early starts in our Discord. While it may be a fun gimmick to get eyes on the sport, it’s a pain for building lineups because we have to track line changes every 15 minutes. Join our Discord, where we will do our best to keep you informed about the changes you need to know to get ahead of the field.

I aim to help you narrow your plays to get the most bang for your DFS buck. NHL Premium members can find the RotoBaller NHL family on Discord, where the chat is always active. I'll bring my NHL lineup picks, analysis, and advice for DraftKings NHL DFS contests on Tuesday, October 13, at 7:00 p.m. ET. Also check out RotoBaller's awesome NHL tools, including our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, and Heat Map.

NHL DFS Analysis And Picks For 10/13/26

Vegas Golden Knights (VGK1 - Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev, Mark Stone; $20200 DK)

Defensive Addition: Shea Theodore ($4900 DK)

Here we go again with Vegas, looking like the best stack on the slate once more. As strong as they’ve been away from home, averaging 3.36 even-strength goals per 60 minutes, they still have room to improve, as advanced data shows they have scored nearly a quarter of a goal fewer than expected so far. The team has been hyper-aggressive, posting 16.12 high-danger chances per 60 minutes on the road, a number they should once again match as their top line squares off against Roman Josi and former-Knight Nick Hague. 

That duo has surrendered 13.61 high-danger chances and over 40 scoring chances per 60 minutes at home this season. Goalie Juuse Saros has been terrible over the team’s previous 15 home games dating back to last year, allowing 3.69 goals per 60 minutes while saving a paltry 78.2% of the high-danger shots he’s faced. He’s faced at least 30 shots in every game this year and has allowed three or more goals in half his starts. 

Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev, Mark Stone, and defender Shea Theodore have averaged 4.48 even-strength goals per 60 minutes on the road, and the forward line has averaged over 30 high-danger chances per 60 minutes. It’s a small sample size, sure, but small samples are the first step toward larger ones. Given the matchup, Vegas will likely perform strongly again. They aren’t quite as expensive as Edmonton, making them a stronger base for a balanced lineup. 

Edmonton Oilers (EMD1 - Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Vasily Podkolzin $25500 DK)

Defensive Addition: Evan Bouchard ($8,000 DK)

No team in the NHL has higher upside, not even the Colorado Avalanche, which makes the Edmonton Oilers nearly impossible to stack. That’s not even exaggeration. At their current prices, you’d have to punt every other position with $2,500 minimum-priced players and a $7,000 goalie to make it fit. Could you do it? Sure, but do you want to? I’m not so sure about that part. 

Given that tall task, let’s look at what you get if you do decide to go that route. The Oilers have averaged 4.77 even-strength goals per 60 minutes on the road this year, the highest of any team besides Colorado. The Kings have given up 3.06 even-strength goals per 60 minutes at home this year, and goalie Darcy Kuemper has allowed a slate-high 4.05 goals per game at home over his team’s previous 15 home games dating back to last year. That’s a far better spot for Edmonton than facing a strong Dallas defense, which the Avs have to do. 

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Vasily Podkolzin, and Evan Bouchard have averaged 84 DraftKings points per game this year, with 17 goals, 24 assists, and 66 shots on goal through five games. Shockingly, it’s McDavid who has been the “weak” link, with just three goals and an average of 21.1 DraftKings points per game. That easily makes him the lowest points-per-dollar play on the line, and at $9,500 he’s the one you can fade to save the most money. 

Edmonton goal!

Scored by Connor McDavid with 00:52 left in the 2nd. Assisted by Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm.

ANA: 2 | EDM: 5
#EDMvsANA #FlyTogether #LetsGoOilers https://t.co/sMkGUT6WwP

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 8, 2026

That said, he’s Connor McDavid, and he can single-handedly break a slate. I plan to get exposure to the Oilers, but I'll do it with mini-stacks of two of the four players, building well-balanced lineups rather than using a stars-and-scrubs strategy. On a huge slate like this, there are plenty of pivot points to get different while still not totally fading the chalk. 

Utah Mammoth (UTA1 - Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller, Lawson Crouse; $15900 DK)

Defensive Addition: Mikhail Sergachev ($5300)

While the Oilers and Avalanche's early success isn’t a huge surprise, the Mammoth averaging 4.7 even-strength goals per 60 minutes at home is. Their 15.26 high-danger chances per 60 minutes rank third behind the Penguins and Stars, but Utah’s matchup is far more appealing. They’ll be hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have allowed 3.2 even-strength goals per 60 minutes on the road. 

Even better, advanced data suggests Toronto has been lucky, projecting to have allowed more than half a goal more than they have. Their biggest struggle has been with high-danger chances, giving up 14.74 per 60 minutes on the road. Only Philly and Chicago have allowed more, but they won’t be facing lines as strong as Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller, and Lawson Crouse. 

Schmaltz has been white-hot to start the year, scoring 11+ DraftKings points in five of six games and averaging four shots on goal per game. Keller hasn’t been quite as hot, but he has at least two shots on goal in every game and seven assists this year. Crouse was recently added to the line, so his stats don’t reflect the talent around him, and his $3,000 price point keeps this stack cheap. 

Power play goal for Utah!

Scored by Nick Schmaltz with 04:37 left in the 2nd. Assisted by Logan Cooley and Clayton Keller.

BUF: 1 | UTA: 2

#UTAvsBUF #LetsGoBuffalo #TusksUp https://t.co/6PcuF1bhml

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 11, 2026

Defender Mikhail Sergachev has been awesome, averaging 13.8 fantasy points per game, tallying six assists and reaching at least five SABS (shots and blocked shots) in four of six games. He’s an easy addition to your lineup at just $5,300, and he pairs well with many of our preferred stacks.

Want more NHL DFS tools and content? Our NHL Premium package includes our daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Research Station, Lineup Optimizer, and access to our VIP Discord Chatrooms. Doug Shain (@BanksterDFS) joined the NHL team in 2023 with his proven track record - join in on the winning!

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— 🇺🇦Shockmain (@Shockmain) January 6, 2023

NHL DFS Value Stack of the Night

Seattle Kraken (SEA3 - Berkly Catton, Shane Wright, Kaapo Kakko ; $9100 DK)

On a night where many of our main stacks are priced up, we need to hunt for some value to make those lines fit. A handful of lower-priced stacks are in good spots, but the Seattle Kraken’s third line is especially appealing given their matchup and how well they’ve been playing. 

Berkly Catton, Shane Wright, and Kaapo Kakko have each had multiple double-digit fantasy-point games, which we can't count on with typical value stacks. They each average more than seven DraftKings points per game, for a combined 22.6 points per game. At a combined $9,100, that’s a strong baseline, especially with over 40 fantasy points of upside. 

This line should get significant ice time against Philadelphia’s pairing of Nick Seeler and Jamie Drysdale, who have given up 14.33 high-danger chances and 2.85 expected goals per 60 minutes at home. Goalie Dan Vladar has been one of the worst in the league, allowing 15 goals through three games, with no game of fewer than three goals against. I want to take shots against him until he figures it out, and doing so with a line this inexpensive is a bonus.

NHL DFS Goalie to Target

Stuart Skinner (WPG - $7600 DK)

The two goalies I like most for this slate are Jake Oettinger and Stuart Skinner. Oettinger should carry no ownership against the Avalanche, but he’s allowed just three total goals in four games and could see more shots than in any other game this year. He’s cheaper than he’s been in any game this season, and he could easily be the goalie you need to win a tournament. That all said, if I had to pick who I expect to score the most points, it’d be Skinner. 

Oettinger should see volume because of who he’s facing, but Skinner has seen significant shot volume regardless of the opponent. In fact, the Jets goalie hasn’t faced fewer than 30 shots in any of his three starts. That volume has helped him score over 20 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, despite allowing more goals than Oettinger has allowed in all his starts combined. 

On the Heat Map, Skinner is the only goalie in his team’s previous 15 games with a “green” rating in goals against, high-danger save percentage, shots faced, and opponents' shots per game. The Wild have struggled to start the season, scoring just 1.92 even-strength goals per 60 minutes on the road despite their high shot volume. Combine that with Skinner’s hot play and his lower price point, and he becomes the goalie with the best metrics to be the top fantasy point-producing netminder on the slate. 

Others in consideration: Jake Oettinger (DAL), Joel Hofer (STL), Dylan Garand (NYR), Karel Vejmelka (UTA)

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