Tom Vecchio's top NHL DFS lineup picks on FanDuel, DraftKings for 10/3/18. Expert daily fantasy hockey advice, sleepers & player recommendations.

NHL is back! Opening night is upon us and we have a four-game slate to start the season. We actually have some really good games to get things going this year and some interesting storylines to look at.

Vegas lines are big when it comes to picking games to target, and that's a good place to start for goalies. When it comes to skaters, goal totals is another main place to start. Usually, 5.5 goals are average, so targets game at six, and can look for goalies in games with a total at five.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy hockey lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 10/3/18. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @DFS_Tom. Let's get to it, shall we?

DFS Forwards to Consider

John Tavares - C, TOR vs MON (FD - $8,300, DK - $7,400)

The prize of the free agent offseason is making his regular season debut the Maple Leafs. Tavares is set to play on the top forward line and the first power-play, in what should give him plenty of offensive upside. If you follow the NHL, you know what type of production he can produce. He is the most expensive center on both sites and averaged over three shots per game last season.

Sean Monahan - C, CGY @ VAN (FD - $7,300, DK - $5,900)

Monahan makes a great addition to a Flames stack tonight, who are in Vancouver up against Jacob Markstrom, who gave up 2.7 goals per game last season. Monahan played on the first line and the first power-play last season, which is where we will find him this year.

Evander Kane - W, SJ vs ANH (FD - $6,700, DK - $6,100)

Kane is back with the Sharks this season and we should find him on the second forward line and the second power-play unit. The Sharks are going to be one of the most popular teams to stack this season and if you want to get off of their higher owned top offensive unit, Kane and the second unit make a nice pivot.

DFS Defenders to Consider 

Morgan Rielly - D, TOR vs MON (FD - $5,200, DK - $5,800)

Rielly is a great cash game or tournament play tonight and really any night moving forward. Plenty of things going for him, so let's break it down. He is on the top defensive pairing and the top power-play for the Maple Leafs, who should be one of the best offensive teams in the league this season.

Alexander Edler - D, VAN vs CGY (FD - $5,000, DK - $5,200)

Edler might not have a ton of offensive upside because of the Canucks offense isn't that great, but he brings plenty of DFS value. He took over two shots per game last season while adding nearly three blocked shots per game.

DFS Goalies to Consider

Frederik Anderson - G, TOR vs MON (FD - $8,400, DK - $8,400)

Anderson comes in as a -220 favorite at home against what should be a very bad Canadiens team. He is the most expensive goalie on DraftKings, but the fourth most expensive goalie on FanDuel. He allowed under three goals per game last season and should be one of the top goalies this season.