NHL DFS Lineup Picks for DraftKings: Goalies, Value Plays, Stacks, and Power Plays Picks (10/23/25)

October 23, 2025

Get today's top DraftKings daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for October 23, 2025. Doug's expert NHL DFS goalies picks, value plays, stacks, and power play picks.

After a baby slate of only three games on Wednesday night, the NHL has 12 games on tap tonight. Excitingly, all the games start within a two-hour window, meaning we won’t have to stay up as late to see how the night ends. The premier game on the slate features Carolina heading to Colorado to take on the Avalanche, although that doesn’t project to be a fruitful fantasy matchup. 

Earlier in the night, the Red Wings and Islanders could be a sneaky source of production that could go under the radar. Other interesting spots on the slate include Winnipeg hosting Seattle, Nashville taking on Vancouver, and the Rangers welcoming the Sharks to Madison Square Garden. Edmonton closes out the night with a juicy matchup against a bad Canadiens defense on the second night of a back-to-back.

I aim to help you narrow your plays to get the most bang for your DFS buck. NHL Premium members can find members of the RotoBaller NHL family on Discord, where our chat is always active. I'll bring my NHL lineup picks, analysis, and advice for NHL DFS contests on DraftKings for Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 6:45 p.m. ET. Be sure also to check out RotoBaller's awesome NHL tools, including our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, and Heat Map.

NHL DFS Analysis And Picks For 10/23/25

New York Islanders (NYI2 - Bo Horvat, Jonathan Drouin, Emil Heineman; $15,100 DK)

Defensive Addition: Matthew Schaefer ($5,500 DK)

For the second time in three nights, the Islanders are one of the top stacks on a giant slate. The difference tonight is that we will look to their second line for fantasy production rather than their top line. Bo Horvat is the big name to carry the load, having established himself as one of the most aggressive players in the league. He’s averaging 4.5 shots on goal per game and has scored five goals over the previous three games. 

Linemate Jonathan Drouin has benefited from Horvat’s high level of play, recording an assist in three of his past four games. The key to this stack could end up being Emil Heineman, who continues to smash at a value price, having four goals and assists over the last four games, and comes in at just $2,900. His four-game average of over 10.5 DraftKings points per game is a massive return on that price.  

Although he spends a lot of time with the top line, defender Matthew Schaefer should be included in all Islanders stacks given the torrid start to his career. He’s recorded at least one goal or assist in every game, scoring at least 10 DraftKings points in four of six games. He’s still a value at just $5,500. 

Detroit is on the second night of a back-to-back, which is always a great time to attack a tired defense. Horvat’s line will see a lot of Detroit’s defensive pairing of Simon Edvinsson and Axel Sandin-Pellikka. They have struggled on the road, allowing 3.95 expected goals and 16.4 high-danger chances per 60 minutes. 

Horvat with a RIP on the power play and Schaefer's point streak extends to SIX games to start his career 😳🚨 pic.twitter.com/HojMKsz9TS

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 21, 2025

Detroit Red Wings (DET1 - Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Emmitt Finnie; $17,300 DK)

Defensive Addition: Moritz Seider ($6,000 DK)

On the other side of the ice from the Islanders, the Red Wings should also be considered as one of your main stacks of the night. They have played well offensively this year on the road, scoring 2.51 even-strength goals per 60 minutes. More importantly, the Islanders' defense has been one of the worst in the league. Any team that faces New York should be considered in tournaments until they start to figure things out. 

They have a pair of susceptible defensive pairings, and this line should see a lot of ice time with one of them. Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock have allowed 3.51 expected goals, 34.58 scoring chances, and 16.69 high-danger chances per 60 minutes at home this year. David Rittich will be in goal for New York tonight instead of the usual starter, Ilya Sorokin. He has only one start under his belt, which makes it challenging for him to maintain a consistently high level of play. 

Detroit’s Dylan Larkin doesn’t have any issue with consistency, as he’s recorded at least one goal or assist in every game heading into Wednesday’s matchup. He’s especially hot right now, having recorded eight goals and assists over his previous three games. Lucas Raymond returned to the lineup after a minor injury this past weekend, and he immediately recorded two assists. Youngster Emmitt Finnie is earning his playing time on the top line, averaging three shots on goal over his past three games. 

Winnipeg Jets (WPG1 - Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi; $21,200 DK)

Defensive Addition: Josh Morrissey ($6,100 DK)

The Winnipeg Jets don’t have the best matchup on the slate, although it’s not terrible, but they are playing as well as any team in hockey. When a team is hot, you ride them. Mark Scheifele has at least one goal or assist in every game this year and has yet to score below 14 DraftKings points. Kyle Connor has also recorded at least one goal and assist in every game, and has three games of at least four shots on goal. 

Gabriel Vilardi hasn’t seen as much success as Scheifele or Connor, but if he ends up with the goals tonight, it would be a massive blow to your tournament lineup to not have him included. The upside of Vilardi’s struggles is that he won’t be on many rosters, meaning any production you get from him will move you up the leaderboard. 

While other teams may see more generous defensive pairings, Winnipeg has the advantage of facing a Seattle team that will be playing its sixth road game in 10 nights, with a trip home after this game ends. Many teams at the tail end of a long road trip have their minds focused on the flight back rather than the game and lay an egg. 

Goalie Joey Daccord has been laying eggs regardless of the situation, giving up 2.61 goals per game and saving just 78% of the high-danger shots he’s faced this year. This is one of the best spots we have seen to attack so far this year.

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

NHL DFS Value Stack of the Night

Nashville Predators (NSH2 - Michael Bunting, Steven Stamkos, Erik Haula; $11700 DK)

Like the Seattle team, the Canucks are on the last night of a long road trip, making them a team we want to target. Vancouver will be playing their fifth road game in eight nights, with a trip home after the conclusion of tonight’s game. Through the first four games of the trip, the Canucks have allowed 13 goals; three goals or more in three of the four. 

Their defensive pairing of Elias-Nils Pettersson and Tyler Myers has given up 3.69 expected goals per game on the road, making them the duo we want our line to face off against. The Predators have been unlucky at home thus far this year, scoring more than half a goal fewer than expected per 60 minutes. They are due for a positive regression, and facing a team in this spot, with a defensive pairing that has been so bad, is where that turnaround can begin. 

Predators’ forward Erik Haula hasn’t recorded a goal or assist in four games, but he started the year with four straight games with one or the other. Steven Stamkos only has one goal this year, but he’s taken at least two shots on goal in five of seven games. Michael Bunting has been inconsistent, but he has multiple games with three or more shots on goal, and it’s only a matter of time before that aggressiveness pays off.

NHL DFS Goalie to Target

Spencer Knight (CHI - $6,900 DK)

You may be looking at this and think that I have lost my mind, but work with me. Spencer Knight is assuredly not a safe play, so keep him out of your cash game lineups, but he’s precisely the type of goalie that can help you take down a tournament. Knight is priced at just $6,900, which will allow you to add an extra stud forward or to spend up at your second defensive position. 

He’s played well this year for the most part, as he’s yet to allow more than three goals in any game. While we’d love for our goalies to surrender two or fewer goals for optimal value, that changes when you’re spending this far down at the position. What’s essential is that Knight isn’t getting blown out, which means he hasn’t been hurting lineups that use him. 

Even more critical is that Knight has seen a significant volume of shots every night, with the Blackhawks allowing an average of 31 shots on goal per game. Knight has faced at least 28 shots in four of five starts, which helps negate the damage caused by some of the goals he has allowed. Overall, Knight has averaged a respectable 17.4 DraftKings points per start, which is a monster number given his price point. 

Tonight, he’s going up against a Tampa Bay roster that has struggled to pressure opposing goalies, averaging fewer than seven high-danger chances per 60 minutes at home. Even if he does get pressured, Knight has been stellar against high-danger shots, saving nearly 90% of the ones he’s faced. This is a great spot to use him, and one that will carry no ownership. If he continues to play as he has so far this season, Knight will be a monster addition to your tournament roster. 

We should be having a real conversation about Spencer Knight making the Olympic team #Blackhawks #TexasHockey #GoJetsGo pic.twitter.com/fPhRP2TS6n

— Bedard Enthusiast (@BedardforCalder) October 22, 2025

Others in consideration: Igor Shesterkin (NYR - Cash), Sergei Bobrovsky (FLA), Jake Oettinger (DAL), Karel Vejmelka (UTA)

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