NHL DraftKings DFS Main Slate: Best Picks for October 24, 2026
Boston value stacks, McDavid spend-ups, Minnesota pivots and the goalie watch for Saturday’s 10-game DraftKings NHL main slate at 7 p.m. ET.
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Boston is where I want to start Saturday’s main slate. David Pastrnak has affordable partners, which means we can buy a real scoring combination without turning the rest of the lineup into a collection of minimum-salary guesses. Connor McDavid is the premium alternative. Minnesota is the late-night tournament route.
October 24, 2026 main slate: 10 games, first lock 7 p.m. ET. Updated 5:48 p.m. ET. This guide does not cover the afternoon early slate. Skater lines and power-play units below remain projected, not confirmed warmup combinations. Source dates are retained in the team notes.
The short list
| Player | Salary | Eligibility | Matchup |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Pastrnak | $7,800 | W/UTIL | SJS@BOS |
| Connor McDavid | $9,500 | C/UTIL | TOR@EDM |
| Pavel Zacha | $4,000 | C/UTIL | SJS@BOS |
| JJ Peterka | $3,800 | W/UTIL | SJS@BOS |
| Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | $4,400 | C/UTIL | TOR@EDM |
| Elias Lindholm | $3,200 | C/UTIL | SJS@BOS |
| Joel Eriksson Ek | $5,900 | C/UTIL | MIN@SEA |
| Quinn Hughes | $6,800 | D/UTIL | MIN@SEA |
| Jake Sanderson | $5,900 | D/UTIL | NYR@OTT |
My first build
Pastrnak + Zacha + Peterka costs $15,600. That leaves $34,400 for the other six spots. I prefer that starting point to forcing two $8,000-plus forwards and hoping three cheap skaters save us. For a power-play-focused Boston build, replace Peterka with Morgan Geekie ($4,700, W/UTIL).
Boston: the best mix of cost and correlation
Boston’s latest projected first line is Peterka, Zacha and Pastrnak. Zacha and Pastrnak also appear on the first power play with Geekie, Elias Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy. Peterka is on the second unit. That distinction matters: the full forward trio targets even-strength scoring; the Geekie variation leans harder into special teams. Boston’s October 24 combinations.
Boston beat Nashville 6-0 Thursday; Pastrnak and McAvoy each had four points. Bruins recap. We are not buying a repeat of that score. We are buying access to the same scoring pieces at prices that still let us build a balanced roster against San Jose.
Lindholm at $3,200 is the more aggressive savings play. His projected third-line assignment is the catch, so I would rather use him with a Boston power-play partner than treat him as an automatic standalone bargain. Zacha is my preferred inexpensive center. Peterka is my preferred inexpensive winger.
Edmonton: McDavid first, not McDavid at any cost
| Player | Salary | Eligibility | Matchup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leon Draisaitl | $8,900 | W/UTIL | TOR@EDM |
| Zach Hyman | $6,500 | W/UTIL | TOR@EDM |
| Evan Bouchard | $8,000 | D/UTIL | TOR@EDM |
The October 23 Edmonton chart pairs McDavid and Draisaitl at even strength and on the first power play. Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman are together on the second line and join that top power-play group with Bouchard. Projected Edmonton units.
McDavid + Nugent-Hopkins is $13,900. It is a power-play mini-stack, not an even-strength line stack. That is the version I prefer when spending at center. McDavid + Draisaitl costs $18,400 before we buy a defenseman or goalie. I like the ceiling, but not enough to casually sacrifice every other position.
Edmonton activated Nugent-Hopkins on October 22. His return makes the $4,400 salary worth our attention. It does not justify assuming a specific workload.
Vasily Podkolzin ($6,300, W/UTIL) is on the projected first line but second power play. He is not a cheap throw-in at that salary. I would rather save with Nugent-Hopkins or pay all the way up for Draisaitl. Draisaitl is W/UTIL on this slate, not a center.
Minnesota: the late tournament alternative
| Player | Salary | Eligibility | Matchup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirill Kaprizov | $8,700 | W/UTIL | MIN@SEA |
| Matt Boldy | $8,400 | W/UTIL | MIN@SEA |
Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek and Boldy are together on Minnesota’s projected first line and first power play; Hughes joins that power-play group. Minnesota’s October 23 combinations.
The three forwards cost $23,000. That is a real commitment, not something I want to squeeze into every lineup. Eriksson Ek + Kaprizov + Hughes costs $21,400 and spreads that investment across center, wing and defense. Boldy saves $300 versus Kaprizov if the last roster spot needs it.
Hughes at $6,800 is my preferred premium-defense allocation before paying $8,000 for Bouchard. That is a roster-construction preference, not a claim Hughes will outscore him. Minnesota plays at 10 p.m. ET, so keep its late players in flexible roster spots where possible and check availability before their game.
Ottawa: a secondary stack, not a forced full line
| Player | Salary | Eligibility | Matchup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Stuetzle | $6,600 | C/UTIL | NYR@OTT |
| Drake Batherson | $5,200 | W/UTIL | NYR@OTT |
| Stephen Halliday | $3,000 | C/UTIL | NYR@OTT |
| Charlie McAvoy | $5,500 | D/UTIL | SJS@BOS |
Ottawa’s projected first power play includes Stutzle, Batherson, Halliday and Sanderson. Stutzle and Batherson are on different even-strength lines, while Halliday is on the fourth. Thomas Chabot is listed out. Ottawa’s October 24 chart.
Batherson + Sanderson costs $11,100. That is my favorite compact Ottawa pairing against the Rangers. Sanderson also works as the defenseman attached to Stutzle if you skip McDavid at center.
Halliday is a $3,000 tournament option only if that first-unit assignment holds. A power-play listing does not erase a fourth-line role. I would use him to finish an Ottawa stack, not jam him into every build because he looks cheap.
Goalies: Swayman and Jarry confirmed
Tristan Jarry ($8,400) is confirmed for Edmonton. Devon Levi and Mattias Ekholm are unavailable. Oilers pregame report. Jarry fits an Edmonton-win build, but Toronto makes this a riskier play than the confirmation alone suggests.
Jeremy Swayman ($8,500) starts for Boston, with Michael DiPietro backing up. Bruins pregame report. Swayman remains my Boston-stack option. Jesper Wallstedt ($8,200) remains the Minnesota-linked option. Juuse Saros ($7,300) is my cheaper tournament pivot at Pittsburgh; the savings help fund a second premium skater. NHL.com’s October 24 projections list both in goal.
Check the October 24 goalie board for the latest reported starter statuses before each game. A projected lineup listing is not itself a confirmed start. Avoid pairing your goalie with opposing skaters in the same lineup.
Main-slate game windows
| Time ET | Games |
|---|---|
| 7 p.m. | BUF at WSH; CAR at STL; NSH at PIT; NYR at OTT; SJS at BOS; TOR at EDM; VGK at CBJ |
| 9 p.m. | TBL at UTA |
| 10 p.m. | DET at CGY; MIN at SEA |
How I would use the pool
- Balanced approach: Boston’s affordable forward trio, one Edmonton power-play piece and a defenseman with a scoring role.
- Aggressive approach: McDavid/Draisaitl together, then save deliberately rather than collecting unrelated cheap players.
- Late alternative: Minnesota’s core with a smaller Boston or Ottawa pairing. This is a different construction, not an ownership prediction.
- Before lock: confirm the goalie, check that cheap skaters are dressed, and recheck their line and power-play assignments. Do not assume every salary-board player will play.
Bottom line: Pastrnak, Zacha and Peterka are the starting point. Nugent-Hopkins is the Edmonton salary saver. Hughes and Sanderson are the defensemen I most want to work into builds. Choose the goalie after the starter is confirmed, not before.